Pete Stephens has been a postman for 40 years and he’s hoping that tomorrow will be another red letter.

Not that he’s working tomorrow, far from it.

Rather than pounding the streets of Cheltenham delivering a first class service, he’ll be heading down the M40 to Wembley, the home of English football, to watch his beloved Manchester United take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

It’s a route that ‘Postman Pete’, a Manchester United season-ticket holder since the mid-70s, knows very well of course.

But before anyone accuses the 62-year-old of being a glory-hunting football fan, it should be pointed out that the first time he became a season-ticket holder, the mighty Reds were actually playing in the old Division Two.

That was in the 1973/74 season in the days when Tommy Docherty was the manager. They spent just the one season outside the top flight and since then they have gone on to enjoy remarkable success, particularly over the last 25 years or so.

Stephens has enjoyed much of that success first-hand, including the never-to-be-forgotten Champions League win over Bayern Munich at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium in 1999.

“That was the best two weeks of my life,” said Pete, “because that was when we completed the treble.”

Born and raised in Cheltenham, Pete has always been a Cheltenham boy. His love of all things Manchester United was started by his older brother Leonard, who was a big fan back in the 50s and 60s.

“He saw the Busby Babes play and was at Wembley when we won the European Cup in 1968,” said Pete. “Before I got a season ticket, I used to go and watch United play occasionally but the more I went the more I enjoyed it and I really got hooked on it.

“My first game was at Wolves in 1969. I think we must have won because that was the start of it for me, it was such a great atmosphere.”

And while the season the club spent outside the top flight won’t stay in the memories of too many fans – even though they won the title – Pete has fond recollections of that campaign.

“I remember it well because I got to go to all sorts of different places such as Carlisle, Leyton Orient and Bristol Rovers,” he said.

From that last sentence you can tell that Pete is not just a ‘homer’, he has travelled all over the country – and Europe – with his football team.

“I reckon I’ve travelled around 100,000 miles following United,” he said with some pride. “Moscow is the farthest I’ve ever been – I’ve been there twice – and I’ve been to Athens, Rome, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, all the Scandinavian countries.

“I reckon I’d be a millionaire now if I hadn’t spent so much money following United!”

Not that he goes to EVERY game – “I’ve missed a few,” he admitted – but what makes his commitment all the more remarkable is that he doesn’t drive.

“I go to games with two or three friends, it’s great fun,” he said. “I love it, we all do.”

When Pete first started watching United, the likes of Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best were just past their peak so when you ask him who the best player he has seen wear the red shirt it’s no real surprise that he says Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I wish he was still there now,” he added.

Ask him to name two more and he’ll say Eric Cantona and Bobby Charlton. But ask him which player has had the most influence on the club and he’ll say “Cantona” without a moment’s hesitation.

“He was the final piece in Alex Ferguson’s jigsaw” said Pete.

Pete loved watching United when Ferguson was in charge – and indeed during Docherty’s time as boss.

“We were much more cavalier in those days,” he said. “We played swashbuckling football but we won as well.”

United are still winning far more games than they lose today, of course, and if they win tomorrow it will be the third pot that they will have won in Jose Mourinho’s two seasons in charge.

But the swagger that has been so long associated with United has been missing for a while – in fairness since well before Mourinho arrived at the club – and it’s something that Pete would like to see return.

“Under Docherty and Ferguson we just played,” he said. “Everything is a bit dour at the moment. The fans are starting to turn on the manager. They’re getting fed up even though we’re winning things. We’re just not playing the Manchester United way.”

And yet Pete fancies United to triumph tomorrow.

“Yes I do,” he said. “Mourinho rarely loses finals.”

And if United do triumph it will be the second special moment for Pete in the space of a few short weeks because Royal Mail have just presented him with an award for 40 years’ service.

That’s a pretty impressive stamp of approval of course and ‘Postman Pete’ will be hoping that his football team can deliver something equally as special tomorrow.