Saturday, April 25, 2009
Kisah Stadium Trafford Tua

Kisah kedua kalau awak kisah kisah yang pertama.


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Manchester United might be the most supported club in the world. The fans would easily gather and form a country bigger than Brazil, let alone Malaysia.


The latest ticket price rise announcement left all Devils rueing in utter disgust when capitalism gains mastery. While just few miles away, The Citizens are all smiley when their Arab owners announced seven percent reduction in ticket price, and few other Premier League clubs reported to follow suit, which left no wonder why more locals support Man City.


Maybe it is back to old cliche and simple rule of trade: you have to pay more to get more.


But in my book, none of that matters.


*


I travelled to Leeds by train and slept all the way. I reminded myself to make full use of my underused cheap digital camera to snap pictures of scenic farms en route, or at least take five to have some good time enjoying the view of woolly sheep lingering and horses jumping around.


Maybe I was too busy counting them as the next thing I knew was, a hot lady was sitting next to me and before I got to put myself together back, I had to get off the train.


*


Arsenal were a naughty team and Rafa Benitez might get it wrong to think that scoring equals winning. When a decent striker is on fire and the opposition team's defense sloppily trying to close down, expect a goal galore.


He has made attack the priority at this desperate times, at the cost of a tight defence.


I tried to be positive by pointing out individual mistakes as the main reason. It might be the case for the first 3 goals., but Arshavin's fourth goal proved me wrong and really got on my nerve.


I shook my head in disbelief over how fragile and careless the whole team, especially the defense was. The entire team grew giddy in pursuit of a winning goal and allowed themselves to be hit on the break, Theo Walcott being the villain to set up Arshavin's fourth.


I was tad disappointed with how Reds fared in the game they should have won. With Stevie G left on the bench at the worst of times, things are getting all easier and nicer for Manchester United.


On a positive note, it is good to see the transformation of a more attacking Kop, characterized by breakneck pace and brilliance of Torres and Benayoun up front.


I am just hoping Benitez would reappraise his defense this summer and look forward for next season and in the words of Tory leader David Cameron when he blasted the Government after the unsettling budget announcement, the season is dead, over and finished.


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I had few years of romantic relationship with Manchester United before I fell in love and married to Liverpool.


Like any broken relationship, it is always an emotional moment upon walking down memory lane. When I knew I would soon be sitting on a seat of the Theatre of Dreams, I wished the 10 year old Izham Ismail is here with me to live the dream.


He might go crazy to see his hero in Ryan Giggs running along the flank, and executing some trickery just like his old days.


That's when I thought of Mukhlis, who still has the dream I once had.


*


National Express were generous with their cheap promotional fun fares and with just 6 quid, we travelled from Leeds to Manchester right after Mukhlis finished his epidemiology lecture (which I attended as well).


We met Ken on the bus, a red cap with Sir Bobby pin-clad old gentleman as he was going to watch United play as well. It is just another game in his 59 years of supporting Red Devils. He paid 3p (loosely converted as RM1.60) when he first watch United play at Old Trafford and he doesn't understand why it is so hard for so-called football fans to watch football at stadium but laying it on thick that they know every nook and cranny about the world of football and even boast that they are the biggest fan of a team.


He was a healthy man when he first came to Old Trafford and today he cheered for Red Devils from the famous Stretford End with his walking stick in company.


It is not about money, it is not about where you come from, it is not about how fit you are, it is about heart, speaking in a a thick Yorkshire accent - before I slept and woke up to lose him.


*


Old Trafford is massive and I am not surprised how they can systemize the stadium, home fans and visiting fans to watch football without a hitch, given the team's stature of numero uno in the world.



The fans were crazy, singing songs I have no idea about, shouting over players' fouls, cheering over beautiful completed passes, and getting excited over chances made, and above all, when chaotic when goals are scored.


Still, I was not quite impressed - not because I have seen them all on telly, but I just don't know why such magnitude the stadium has failed to overwhelm me.


*


The game at Anfield 24 hours earlier was breathtaking and full swing with emotional roller-coaster, and it effectively put Kop's on the backfoot in the title race as United cruised easily through a pretty straightforward match against Pompey.


But I think the only think that separated the team was those 2 goals, as United had to scramble back to top the standing, and didn't play a champion quality. But Rooney's early goal surely eased his team's nerves and Pompey were as good as they get in posing threat in United six-yard box, with Crouch winning everything in the air and Nadir Belhadj gracious footwork to trouble United's back four.


It was Scholes' 600th appearance and he made more impact in the last 599 games than this one. He played it too simple and was easily outshone by Anderson, who started very well before wore off in the second interval.


My man of the match is fellow old warhorse, Ryan Giggs who will make his 800th appearance for the club when they host Spurs this evening. That Macheda guy was not even born when Giggs made his first senior appearance for United. Giggs gets younger on the pitch and was magnificent in almost every department and ultimately upstaged Scholes in the night of nostalgia.


I've told you.


*


Though not particularly impressed, it was a privilege to be among the 74,895 attendance who made it to Old Trafford that night. Being one of millions Malaysian who throng to Kedai Mamak for live English football every week, it is crazier to imagine how privileged and lucky I was.


How I wished I could bring more United fans with me that night: Mukhlis, Pak Njang and family, Ayie, Thaksin, Fakhri, who share the same belief in United and most importantly, love United enough not to look down their nose at other teams.


I had hell of a good time nevertheless.


One millon dollar teka-teki, did I put my hands together when Rooney and Carrick scored?


P.S. Anfield, see you next season.


P.P.S. Disappointing digital camera equals to no pictures of players. I will try to curi Mukhlis' pictures when he put it up on Facebook.

 
posted by Izham Ismail at 2:47 pm | Permalink |


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