Manchester United fan Leyton Jeffs got the blues on his wedding day – when it was gatecrashed by hoards of celebrating rival City fans.
Diehard Red Leyton, 33, a bank worker, was tying the knot with Beccy Colville, 36, in Manchester register office – just as Blues supporters massed outside to see their heroes parade the Premier League trophy.
As a result, the bridegroom-to-be – who was already devastated at United’s poor season – had to pose for wedding snaps with bride Beccy as the City celebration went on in the background.
Up to 100,000 City fans flocked to Manchester city centre to celebrate the side winning the title, won the previous season by United, in a parade at Albert Square.
Leyton and stay-at-home mum Beccy tied the knot at Heron House register office, which is located on the corner of Albert Square – only yards from the stage that had been set up for the football celebrations.
It meant that that their wedding pictures were dominated by crowds of City fans hoping to wish the newly-married couple well – not realising he was a United fan.
The couple, who have two children Scarlett, four, and Poppy, three, said the wedding had been long in the planning and they were not going to halt their big day because of the parade.
Leyton, of Warrington, Cheshire, who has been to eight United games this season, said: “I have been a Manchester United fan all of my life – so City winning the league is obviously a nightmare.
“Having your wedding day in the middle of a City celebration was like rubbing salt in the wound – especially after the disastrous season United had.
“We were contacted by the registry office on Friday who warned us there may be a parade if Manchester City won and obviously we had our reservations about going.
“But at the end of the day we weren’t going to cancel – even if it meant our wedding day being gatecrashed by City.
“We were more bothered about how friends and family were going to get to and from the registry office.
“In fact when we came out of the registry office it was amazing to see, everyone was so friendly and lovely and in a real celebratory mood, it was something different and we had a lot of well-wishes.
“It just would have been much better if it was Man United that won and not City. There may be rivalry between the clubs but the celebrations were a sight to see.
“I didn’t dare tell all those City supporters that I was a United fan in case they ribbed me even more.
“There was that part of me that was a little jealous – but it is a friendly rivalry and at least my wedding album will always be talked about.
“Even though City won, I wasn’t going to let it bother me on my wedding day as it was the happiest day of my life.”
Story via Cavendish Press
