MANCHESTER UNITED: my day in The Theatre of Dreams

At 7-8 years old I started to play football (some call it soccer around here, but I will use its rightful name: football). KFUM was the local club on the outskirts of Copenhagen where we lived. I was attached to some older players for the short walk to training and matches about 3-4 times weekly, in sunshine (rarely), snow (a lot), rain (plenty) and in the mud (seriously our favorite). It was soon clear to me from all the boyish chatter, that my teammates were fans and followers of an English football club called Manchester United and that was the way I became a follower as well and as such, for over 60 years now.

A lot of the boys had written (that old ‘mail’ thing) to all the top clubs in England to get decals and other cool stuff. I did the same and soon after I received responses from all of them and for free (those good old days). I remember that I did like the stuff from Manchester United the best.

Back then, information about how Manchester United did on the pitch (that would be ‘field’ for some) was by the swirling rumors in KFUM, bits of newspaper news (very little) or somebody had heard something on the radio, being just as reliable as the swirling rumors. But over time it got better – though slowly.

My childhood friend Claus’ family got a TV - very rare back then. It was a huge box with a tiny screen and a black and white picture. At times, when luck set in, there was a match with Manchester United included and though we tried to see all of the few English football matches shown on rare Saturdays during the season, those were of course the matches we had to see.

Claus & Peter (a long time ago)

Yeah, those were the times we giggle about today, when the shorts were, well really short and jerseys so utterly tight-fitting – but at the time, it was all so bloody cool. Of the players I recall from back then, Charlton was seemingly busy working not only the ball and scoring great goals, but also making sure his hair was in order. George Best was the player we all desperately wanted to be like, his quick feet, good looks and many creative goals scored so effortlessly. Dennis Law, another solid ‘hero’, and so forth.

Life rolled along, I grew into an adult (though some will disagree) and at age 28 I emigrated to the U.S.A. and moved to California. English football information and scores was still pre-Internet, but getting a little bit better through newspapers and as football got more and more popular here, information did increase.

I got married, and the moment our two boys could barely walk, I started to coach football again, as I wanted them to at least try this beautiful game, besides basketball and baseball.

 Youngest son around 6; what superb style, what balance - seriously

 I wrote a letter to Manchester United and got a response shortly after, that it was okay to call the teams I coached Manchester United, which I did. I coached many teams and hundreds of young players over the next many years and I’m positive most of them became ManUtd fans and followers as well.

A bunch of great kids on one of many teams I named Manchester United

 And the years went by; the boys stopped playing football and got on with their adult lives. I began to get more matches on TV from the, by this time English Premier League, as well as from other European football leagues. It has been so wonderfully saturated with European football on TV the last many years and today I get, watch live or record every single EPL game as well as a first row seats to watch Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Women’s World Cup (go USA - in the final) and pretty much anybody I wish to see and when I want to. It became and is now as much of a pure football heaven that I could wish for. And as long as I pay those TV fees, the magic will continue. But there was still some very important magic missing…

Old Trafford, Manchester United’s mega of a football arena and the ultimate Holy Grail for ManUtd followers had never been experienced by me – yet. It was on my bucket list since I was 8 (a bit early, I agree), but experiencing Manchester United play at Old Trafford was something I wanted, something I really ‘needed’ to experience; but trying to get a ticket? And good luck with that. But this is where ‘assertiveness’ comes in and the hope for a lucky break, really…

For this year’s Europe trip, my wife and I decided to include a visit to Normandy (France), and England. We wanted to experience Northern England including the Lake District (which is awesome and so majestically beautiful); we also wanted to visit Liverpool (the Beatles stuff), so Manchester was chosen as the geographically perfect hub – of course. Did my wife suspect any connection with Manchester United? She’s no dummy – at all…

It just so happened that we would be in Manchester the weekend of May 16-17. And it just so happened that ManUtd were playing their last home game of the season and it just so happened that it was against Arsenal – a very old ‘rival’ thing. Now, what are the chances I’d get a ticket for this hot game?

So I did everything ManUtd asked me to do – but it would still be the luck of a draw. I sent them a pleading letter concerning my age, dedication, perhaps my last chance, etc. They did respond and told me that in spite of all that tear-jerking stuff, I was still in line (I was later told that I had NOT made the cut).

I also signed up for the ManUtd USA supporters and through my communication with the head of this organization, I was promised a ticket. I cannot tell you how happy I was that I actually was going to experience a match at Old Trafford. (PH, I am still very grateful)…

 

So we arrived in Manchester Friday May 15. We checked into the hotel and walked over to Old Trafford. We took pictures and spent time in the Mega Store (another heaven) before we went on the stadium tour – and that was WOW. My wife told me later that I had looked like a little boy on Xmas Eve – but even more excited (if possible). And that was actually how I felt…

 The little kid on Xmas Eve - but better

Finally standing in this temple of a football arena was unreal. Not about the many games I watched on TV, the players, the teams, the victories or the defeats, but the sheer enormity and the ghosts of the 76,000 fans filling up this place every home-game. The tour was awesome in its simplicity – but so awesome.

On Sunday May 17 I left the hotel around 2 p.m. and walked the 15 minutes to Old Trafford taking pictures on the way. I found my gate and walked up many steps to my seat way above the pitch. I was in my seat 1-1/2 hours before kickoff.

 

I was there in the empty stadium as I wanted to see it fill up. It was another out of body experience. And then the teams came in (Rooney was on injured list, unfortunately), the stadium was finally full and the ‘noise’ was unreal. The 3,000 odd Arsenal fans were making as much noise as they could, but trying to out-duel 73,000 ManUtd fans? It didn’t work…

My day in The Theatre of Dreams had arrived

People around me behaved very well during the match and they obviously knew the game and its fascinating details. Applauds were often and though I had fears that some of the ‘extreme enthusiasm’ would ruin the experience, there was only one outburst, seriously, in the neighborhood of where I was sitting. Some dude screamed: “*&^% you” to an off-side call that he had no chance of acknowledging (it was about 1-1/2 kilometer from where we were sitting (approximately 1 mile) – only kidding. But people were just laughing and getting on his case – rather funny.

The game ended 1-1 (Lucky goal for Arsenal – didn’t really mean anything). The whole experience was so off the grid. I did not rush out, but just slowly flowed with the crowd, enjoying the totally packed streets of thousands of people heading towards streetcars, buses, etc. Not like in the USA where it’s all towards the parking lots.

This was so unique, so exciting and WOW; I had been there and done that – off the bucket list…

There are things in our lives that we wish for, want to happen. Perhaps beyond reach, aiming too high where hopes turn silly. But then there are the times when it does happen, we make it happen, because we really want it to happen. I have always wanted to be there (Old Trafford – match) and I believed strongly enough that it would happen (thanks PH), one way or another. I did finally go, I did finally experience this awesome ‘thing’, and it was utterly awesome – that is for sure…

Watching the games on TV after this experience has another wonderful dimension as I now know how it feels actually being there; I can highly recommend it.

You want YOUR dreams to come true? I did it and so can you.

Best, Law, Charlton and Steiness

what a combination on any football pitch