Sent to me from heaven…76,098

It’s not often one gets to be part of the record books however last Saturday at the Theater of Dreams I was part of the largest crowd in English Premier League history as 76,098 souls crammed into the Republik of Mancunia for the match against Blackburn Rovers.

For those of you who have never had a chance to visit Old Trafford on match day let me tell you that it is an experience that you’ll never forget. From the moment you enter Sir Matt Busby Way, the sights, sounds and smells of one of the most fabled clubs in all of world of football begin to overwhelm the senses sending involuntary shivers up and down your spine.

I’m usually working my tail off on these occasions and unable to truly enjoy the festivities but thanks to the generosity of my chums at serious.com, Mark Hargreaves, the General Manager of Manchester United Interactive and Sameer Pabari, Director of Media, this time I’d be able to put my feet up, relax and be treated to football the 5-star way – rest assured, it’s amazing.

From the pre-match feast of roast lamb, fine wine and delicious deserts to hanging out and talking tactics with United legends, Lou Macari and Dennis Irwin, this is club that has taken the simple act of going to a football match and turned it into the equivalent of a invitation from Hugh Hefner to the mansion and all that that entails.

Having only been inside Old Trafford once before – and that when it was empty, I was completely unprepared for the physical impact that the full stadium presented as my now merry party were politely called to our seats a few minutes before kick-off. TV really does this epic temple no justice as the vast banks of fans surround the pitch with a wall of noise and color that threatens and frequently does wash opponents away.

From my extremely luxurious seat in the center of the North Stand, the hard core support is massed in the West Stand or as the locals call it, the Stretford End. Between the two tiers of this huge stand there is a row of banners hanging which perfectly encapsulate what United means – ‘The Flowers of Manchester’, a tribute to the Munich air disaster, ‘Republik of Mancunia’, showcasing Mancunian pride and ‘MUFC The Religion’, and that to me is the feeling that United provides – a place of worship.

You only had to look into the eyes of those around you to see the fervor building. These are fans that truly believe in the deity that is the Red Devils. Even as a neutral it was hard not to be swept up in the enthusiasm of it all and I really felt for the faithful as the team stuttered somewhat in the 1st half. In fact when Matt Derbyshire opened up the scoring for Rovers, I began to feel like a guilty driver passing a nasty crash – you didn’t want to look but you couldn’t help yourself.


Whatever Sir Alex Ferguson said to his team at the break had the desired effect though as ‘squeaky bum time’ was replaced with the special brand of football that only United can play when in full flow. As each goal hit the back of the net, the emotion of the flock really was a joy to behold as an electrifying surge flowed around the ground and all but lifted the roof of the place. Blackburn was simply swept away by a higher power.

SAF who knows a thing or two about winning titles was moved to say after the game,
“I think the fans are starting to smell it now - and the players are beginning to taste it. The second half performance was our best of the season”. After watching this swashbuckling display I think he is right and after a four-year drought, the trophy that means so much to him will soon be in his hands for a record ninth time.

Speaking of records, if the title does happen to be wrapped up on May 13th I’m sure we’ll see another bumper crowd when West Ham come to town and my brief stay in the books will be at an end. Regardless of the books though, if you’re ever in England during the season, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to United on match days and be prepared to experience the Republic of Mancunia, the Theater of Dreams.

Until then, get the beers in.