The goal of a vacation
Some holidays are about sun-drenched beaches, mai tais and relaxation - this one's about football
by David Ngiau
Dec 02, 2010
BEING a football fan who follows the English Premiership, I jumped at the chance to visit Manchester and London about a month ago. Especially with a box seat for a Champions League match at the majestic Old Trafford, courtesy of the Manchester United's official carrier, Turkish Airlines.
Ironically, though we touched down at on a rare sunny day, all was not cheery at Old Trafford, home to one of the most popular football clubs in the world.
You see, we had arrived at the height of "Rooneygate". Manchester United's biggest star, Wayne Rooney, had expressed his desire to leave the club that evening, resulting in a few angry United supporters showing up outside the Rooney homestead - in ski-masks.
"If he doesn't want to be here, he can leave," harumphed our Old Trafford stadium tour guide, a life-long United fan. "This club is bigger than any one player." (As it turned out, Rooney later changed his mind, his weekly wages doubling to £180,000 - that's $370,500.)
Manchester lives and breathes football, indeed.
Old Trafford and 'The Best'
A good place to start any football tour is the Malmaison Manchester. Legend has it that the boutique hotel stands mere metres from the very spot that Newton Heath FC, United's predecessor, was founded.
Fanboys will want to note that the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Carlos Tevez and Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini are Malmaison regulars. Whether it's the bar or one of a few football-themed suites upstairs that keeps them coming back, discrete staffers wouldn't say. Maybe it's the posters of United legend George Best in the suite called "The Best".
There's a lot more to Manchester than just football, of course. As the birthplace of the modern industrial revolution, there's plenty of history to soak up. The presence of the massive University Of Manchester ensures a tolerant, multi-cultural atmosphere, and there's lots of good food to be had. And it's nice and all but, if you don't mind, I'll get back to the football now.
Old Trafford, in itself, is a sight to behold, and a tour of the football stadium, England's second biggest after Wembley, need not be a completely selfish excursion if one is travelling with the missus. Keeping her happy is just the perfect excuse to go ahead and spoil yourself with a hospitality package in a VIP suite and free-flow of champagne. After all, if you're going to Old Trafford only once, why scrimp?
Sadly, the match I watched was a dour 1-0 victory over Bursaspor, with Man United probably rattled by Rooneygate.
All too soon though, we had to leave Manchester for London.
There were plans to visit the London Eye, Wembley Stadium, the 2012 Olympic Park (which is currently a huge construction site). But really, all I wanted to do was to catch Chelsea vs Wolves.
As it turns out, our driver for the ride from the northwest down to the southeast was none other than Rooney's former chauffeur. Rob believes football clubs could do more to help their young superstar players deal with fame and their crazy salaries.
"Wayne would sometimes tell me, 'You know, Rob, I wish I could be a nobody and just go out for a quiet dinner.' And I'd tell him, 'You know, Wayne, I don't envy you,'" mused Rob, who said he enjoys nothing more than a quiet buffet with the missus.
Since Rob used to live in London (though he supports West Ham United), I asked if he had any contacts for tickets, seeing as Chelsea-Wolves clash had long sold out. Rob couldn't help, but he made clear that real men support West Ham, not Chelsea.
"The thing about Chelsea fans is that they're ... posh," he sneered, before chuckling - then sneering some more.
Oh-kay. Maybe West Ham fans from east London carry huge chips on their shoulders - but who am I to engage in stereotypes?
Although tickets were completely sold out, luckily for me, there were a few "hospitality packages" left at £175 ($359) - after tax, mind you - which come with a three-course meal, unlimited booze, and a decent seat. (Whatever you do, don't deal with touts).
Getting to any Premiership ground on match day is an experience in itself. With most roads surrounding stadiums closed to traffic, and traffic a nightmare just beyond, be prepared to walk the final kilometre. And striding down the middle of the street to Chelsea's stadium, Stamford Bridge, moving in the same direction as hundreds of other fans while avoiding dung deposited by police horses milling about, was a pleasure in itself.
The Gianfranco Zola Suite high up on the southwest side of the stadium, facing out to another great sunny early afternoon, set the tone for a great match. That, and the champagne, of course. A superb meal, a couple more toasts with my buddy, and it was out to the concourse and a short walk to the stands where our seats were.
It was hard not to get caught up in the atmosphere. Even my buddy, a Man United fan, couldn't help but get swept away herself.
Though she made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone that she actually cheered on Didier Drogba.
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