Local fans of some of Manchester United’s rival clubs will have one last dig at outgoing manager David Moyes by flying a banner over Old Trafford “thanking” him for his poor performance at the helm of the Premier League champions.

Mr Moyes was booted out of the club on Tuesday after having led his team to its worst performance in the top flight league since it was set up back in 1992.

To celebrate the dubious achievement, a group of 50 rival fans have hired a plane to tow a 50-foot banner over Old Trafford when Manchester United take on Norwich FC this Saturday.

The biplane will circle the stadium for the first 15 minutes of the match ,with a tongue-in-cheek massage that reads: “Thank U Moyes-Malta FF”.

The prank was orchestrated by members of a local Facebook group called Football Forum.

Prank by members of a local Facebook group

The private group, aimed at sharing football-related jokes, boasts some 700 members, many of who have taken to sharing memes and jokes at the failed manager’s expense.

A member of the closed society said the idea was prompted by a banner which flew over the stadium last week.

The aerial message had labelled Mr Moyes “Wrong One – Moyes Out” in a play on his previous title “the Chosen One”.

“It was a joke at David Moyes. It’s just for a good laugh between friends in the Football Forum,” the anonymous group member said, adding that even Manchester United supporters had pitched in for the €1,000 banner.

The manager’s early termination was met with celebration from the majority of local fans.

Manchester

United Supporters’ Club vice pres-ident Joe Catania described the overall feeling as “a needed relief”.

“The general reaction has been ‘pheew’. I mean, this club we’ve seen recently has not been the club we know and love,” he said.