Speaking Of The Importance Of Experiencing Old Trafford

I was fortunate enough to make it to Manchester over the weekend to see the match against Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford.

The Famous Stretford End At Old Trafford

Although not my first time at Old Trafford, it was my first time in the Stretford End, which is an absolutely amazing experiencing. Being a member of One United USA, I feel obligated to tell all my fellow American supporters to go and see a match at Old Trafford as soon as possible. I can quite honestly say that there is nothing like it, and as a United supporter it is absolutely imperative you experience it at least once. In all honesty though, once isn’t enough. Make the trip to Old Trafford every chance you get. Although I did not use it on this occasion, One United USA offers to take members on a trip over to Old Trafford for matches, so you certainly have the opportunity to be in attendance at least once. No excuses!

Having said that, I would like to share some insight I took from the match. There were quite a few moments where the club’s character was personified by not only the players, but also the fans. Only seconds after kick off, there were deafening chants of “There’s only one Bryan Robson” from the stands at Old Trafford. For those who haven’t heard, it was reported last week that Captain Marvel has been diagnosed and treated for cancer. Although he hasn’t pulled on a United shirt in well over a decade, the fans still sing Robson’s name as if he were on the pitch. It honestly sent chills up my spine, and I felt as if I was even tearing up a bit. And that’s from someone who never even saw him play live. I’d have only been six when he left United, a few years before I had even been introduced to the beautiful game. Even then, I have seen old footage of him and know of his importance to the club and the legendary status he achieved. It was just so incredibly touching to be showing a legend our support. That’s part of this club though; it is in the mentality of the fans. No matter how long it has been since a player has played for the club, we still sing their name as a tribute to all the loyalty they showed to United. In a time of fighting this terrible disease, the United faithful have made it clear that we support our legend when he needs it the most. This has always been the case with our club though. To this day, King Eric’s name can still be heard from the fans at Old Trafford, or even by fans watching the match in a pub. Sir Bobby Charlton has been given a spot on the board of directors for all of his loyalty. And Captain Marvel himself is an ambassador for the club to this day. When you show your loyalty to United, then United shows you loyalty back and you become part of a massive family. It’s a bond that is unbreakable. Look at the way we still worship the Busby Babes and pay tribute to those lost in the Munich air disaster. Every proper United fan knows the names Charlton, Best and Law. And on Saturday, we sang the name Robbo to show our support as he fights cancer. These are the ties that bind, and in my opinion, that is just one of the many reasons this club is the greatest in the world.

Our chanting on Saturday showed another side of the club. Although in the complete opposite sense of the word, chants against Carlos Tevez showed how important loyalty and respect are to United fans. During his time at United, Tevez was a favorite among the fans, and many we sad to see him go. Even after he signed for arch-rivals Manchester City, many fans still appreciated what he had done for the club in his two years. That was until he started running his mouth with disrespectful comments about United. On more than one occasion the Stretford End belted out “Who’s that twat from Argentina?” And Tevez wasn’t even playing that day! That’s what United means to the fans though. It is our passion and our true love in life. When you disrespect that, there is no forgiveness. Some may see it as a negative to attack an opponent in such a manner, but I saw it as a sign of how much we love the club and how offensive it is when disrespect is shown toward United. To me, that is another aspect that makes our club and the fans great. We have such an undying love for the club, and we defend it until the very last breath.

I cannot go and see a match at Old Trafford without speaking of the actual events of the match though. On my previous trip to Old Trafford, in the spring of 2008, I was fortunate enough to see United demolish Liverpool 3-0 on their way to winning the Premier League. A rivalry match is fantastic to experience, and even more so to win in that manner. This time I got a taste of something different, but something that is very part a much of our club and its history. Having flown all the way to London from Chicago, and then been in a car for the four hour drive to Manchester, I was devastated to be heading into the final 10 minutes at 0-0. To come all the way to only see a draw, my heart began to sink. Having been a United supporter for essentially my entire life though, you learn that this is a club that often finds a way to win dramatically in the dying minutes. Never say never. And for those who watched it, that was exactly what I witnessed. Just when it seemed like two points dropped, Dimitar Berbatov netted the winner in the 88th minute. Is that not such a terrific part of our club’s history though? Think of all the moments when we’ve won it late. Last season’s Manchester derby is perhaps the most recent instance of significance; when Michael Owen scored the winner with seconds to go in stoppage time. Of course the most famous is none other than the 1999 Champions League Final when Solskjaer secured the Treble in the dying seconds of stoppage time. I’m not saying that Berbatov’s goal was anywhere near those two, because the context in which those two goals were scored were so incredibly meaningful. Looking back in May though, if we’re lifting the Premier League trophy, then how important will that late goal be then? Although we can’t see it yet, should we win the Premier League by a single point, Berbatov’s goal may be one of the defining moments of this season. That resilience and desire to never surrender has made this club what it is, and to witness that from the stands of Old Trafford was an honor. Although I certainly don’t think my heart appreciated it at the time.

In all three of those moments, our club was personified by the actions of the players and the fans. Sadly, now we begin the miserable wait for the Premier League to continue while the international teams take part in some meaningless fixtures. Although the national team rarely, if ever, excites me as much as United, I do have to say that it is a shame to see a compatriot – Stuart Holden – sidelined by injury. Although he was on the opposing side on Saturday, it was devastating to be in the stands and see him be so critically injured. Best wishes to him on speedy recovery. I’ll be back again with more writings when United are back in action against West Ham in April.