Denise, the self-proclaimed "biggest fan" of Manchester's Red Devils will get hitched to her Austrian amour Thomas at St Luke's Church in Winnington, nearly two years after the pair met at United's clash against SK Rapide in Vienna.

"Thomas doesn't have a lot of time for footie," said Denise, 33, of Moreton Street in Northwich.

"I've dragged him to three matches at Old Trafford since we've been going out, and he's never been terribly impressed.

"But I'll make sure all that's going to change!"

Thomas, 31, is a computer programming specialist from Vienna. He was on a night out with some friends when they bumped into Denise and her party before the United-Rapide tie.

"He speaks fluent English, but he was keeping quiet at the time," said Denise.

"But because I speak German, I was able to find out from one of his mates that he was quite taken with someone in our group - and as it turns out, it was me!"

Thomas, who Denise describes as "drop dead gorgeous", then spent the following 19 months travelling to Northwich at weekends.

"Because I live with my mum, we've never really had a place of our own," said Denise.

"We've had to stay with any friends who'd put up with us - so we want to thank them now we're finally tying the knot."

And as befits a little Red Devil, Denise will be sporting United colours on her wedding dress.

"It's a black dress, with no sleeves, and with a black jacket over the top," she explained.

"There's a bit of red involved somewhere, and it's on a Man United badge - but my man has got to find that for himself!"

So as Thomas and Denise head off to a perfect match, you can be sure that they're going to end up as the "dream double."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.