Old Trafford

Last week, I had the great pleasure of seeing the official Manchester United players strut their stuff at an actual 'footy' match. (Yes, David Beckham used to play for this team.) My good friend Tyral had the connections because he's a member of the Man. U. club and could get tickets easily. For a stadium that seats 76,000 chanting, dedicated fans, the particular night we went, there were only about 65,000 people in attendance. 'Only.' We arrived early to take photos outside and around the stadium. Tyral insisted that I try a bacon cheeseburger from a grill stand outside because it was 'so good' and only cost £3. So, I indulged and ended up with a delectable treat about the size of a Cool-Whip tub--40 minutes later, I was finished. The night we went, the weather was cold and wet, but when all the fans arrived, the energy rushing through the stadium was amazing and made the distraction of inclement weather disappear. Never before, and maybe never again, have I seen grown men chanting and singing songs in support of a sports team. It's true that we have chants in the states, but to the extent of, "Na, na, nuh, nah, HEY! Da, da, duh." And they have so many more songs than Take Me Out to the Ball Game--a great tune, no doubt. With every play or just urge of competition, someone in the crowd would say a line of a chant or song and everyone else would join in. It was so cool to see the camaraderie among the fans for their love of football. All of their passionate cheering paid off because Man. U. won over the Queens Park Rangers, 1--nil. I was so happy to go and blessed to find a friend willing to take me along to what most people traveling to England don't get to ever see. The tickets are difficult to acquire, with some people waiting years to get to one game if they're not members of a football club.

I'm sure all of my Liverpool friends are upset with me choosing a Man. U. game, but you can't win 'em all. Another aspect of football here that is almost inconceivable to anyone back home is the deep-rooted rivalry amongst teams. I was fortunately at a somewhat docile match, but I was warned of fights between groups of opposing fans. On that note, the rivalry is almost 'inconceivable' if you happen to be unaware of the Ohio Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines....

Peace.