MANY Football fans can say they’re behind Manchester United but only a select few can say they have the Red Devils behind them.

Dorchester entrepreneur Michael Nottley is one of them. His football management game Title Chase Football Manager has been endorsed by the Premiership club, five years after soccer-mad Michael dreamed it up.

Star players Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs have now been immortalised in the board game in which players can buy and sell squad members on the path to glory.

Michael, 36, who started his company Next Level Games in 2004, attracted the interest of the club through his contacts in the gaming industry.

He said: “Manchester United have allowed us to use their logo and their players, which adds impact to the game.

“We’ve had good feedback so far from people who’ve played the game.

“It’s about face-to-face interaction with families and you don’t get that much these days because a lot of children are up in their bedrooms playing games on their computer.”

The Manchester United version of Title Chase will be officially launched at a toy fair in London later this month.

It is hoped that it will be sold in big stores such as Argos and Toys R Us, which have already expressed an interest in stocking the game.

“The aim after the launch will be to try and get the licences for other top of the table clubs in England and then we’d like to do a version with foreign clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

“Because we’ve got Manchester United behind us we should be able to get other clubs involved. I’d love to do a rugby or American football version,” Michael said.

Tottenham Hotspur fan Michael thinks it is his ‘inner-boy’ that has been the driving force behind his Dorchester based two-man firm.

“Me and my friends still have regular games nights. We sit in and play the game with a few beers.

“This game is slightly different to board games already out there.

“It’s been hard work this time of year because it’s very busy for board games but we’ve got a good online presence now and a big licence,” he said.

He is hoping that the game will be a big seller notwithstanding Manchester United’s shock defeat by a resurgent Leeds United in the FA Cup yesterday.

An original generic version and DVD version of the game was endorsed by former England manager Terry Venables.

For more information on Title Chase, see www.nextlevelgames.co.uk.