My love of sports was never of natural inclination. I wouldn’t be very keen on the park much to my dad’s disdain – so it was a bit of a surprise when he asked me, a not exactly precocious 11-year-old, to journey with him to Eden Gardens for an India vs Australia match.
Yes, it’s part of the Indian sports mythos now how Ganguly’s
men ripped apart the Goliathan Australia after being cornered, and started the
emergence of India’s might that still lives on tpoday. But back then, it was just
a match in which a child, almost by force, was sitting in the stands trying to
enjoy the game his dad seemed to love so much.
That is until he saw someone. A person who went by the name
of Rahul Dravid. And everything changed. I can trace back my first step into
Old Trafford to that moment. From one legendary stadium to another.
I was never going to be good at it, but I fell in love with
sports. With Cricket. And after a season of World Cup and English Premier League,
with Football. And more specifically, Manchester United.
From Eden Gardens to Old Trafford, it has taken me more than
15 years. Yes, it did help that Eden was a metro ride away from my place while
Trafford has been a bit…further. Yet now here I was – ready to see my first Manchester
United match.
But first I had to reach the Air BNB. As soon as I landed, I
called up Laurence, my Host, and told her about my status. After a lengthy
immigration line (do pick up your landing card and fill it up in the line, I
almost missed it), I got an Uber and reached the Air BNB, where Laurence and
her dogs was waiting to greet me.
Side note about Uber. It is expensive, though maybe not in
the context of the entire trip (wasn’t even 10% of my overall costs) – so try
to take the public service when you can. The value of the pound vs the rupee
makes the cost of living anyway higher, so moderation is necessary. I was charged
a pound each time I used their service, and also found that cash or paytm weren’t
an option. Do make a paypal account and link it to your international debit
card or forex card before travelling.
Anyway, back to the match. I got dressed and ready, bidding adieu
to my host as I walked along Trafford to the stadium. I crossed the tram line
(which was a godsend during most of my trip) and found fellow Red Devils going
to the stadium. Sir Matt Busby Way had been entirely cordoned off, and I
reached the stadium with an hour to go for the match start.
It’s hard to describe the feeling of seeing the stadium for
the first time. It was surreal. Having crossed entire continents to get here,
jetlagged and fatigued – and yet there was a spring in my step. I couldn’t
wait. After a few clicks, I went through the turnstiles and started the climb. The
Alex Ferguson Stand is the largest stand in the ground and houses 26k people –
and while I was a bit annoyed to have gotten a corner seat that meant I had to
make myself a bit more central to watch it, the annoyance washed away as I
looked onto the ground. I was here. I was at the Theatre.
The opposition players filtered into the ground for warm up
in front of the small contingent of away fans (who were already in full
attendance), while I had to wait a bit to glimpse their home counterparts. De
Gea was the first main player I saw, come out to do his usual routine with me
mesmerized by his movement. Then came the others, Pogba and the rest. And
finally, it was time for the game.
And then I saw him. Jose Mourinho – sadly at the other end
of the ground. Far away from my eyes. I have admired the man since he came to
Chelsea, and while I felt a bittersweet pang not to have seen the Boss there.
Alex Ferguson being on the sidelines would have been nice, but one can’t get
everything to be perfect.
The match was amazing not only in how Manchester United won
it, but the key moments. It had barely started when they scored off a penalty
and then just as Leicester looked like they were coming back into the match,
Shaw scored his first ever League goal. Yes, there were some nervy moments at
the end when Vardy scored in injury match, but United were off and running with
three points.
It was interesting to see the Manchester skyline turn from bright
and sunny at 7:30 pm to completely dark at 8:30 pm. By the time it ended, it
was proper night and I went off to try a Fish and Chips stand. It’s basically
fries and fish with some sauces, and it didn’t endear me to it. But it was a
good dinner and walking back across the tram line under the moonlight, tiptoeing
into bed – I had a silly smile accompanying me.
I was here. I did it. And there was more to come.
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