THE GREAT ESCAPE- OLD TRAFFORD

A TRIP TO OLD TRAFFORD IS ALWAYS SPECIAL, AND ON A BITTERLY COLD DAY ON SUNDAY 7th MARCH WE VENTURED NORTH TO TAKE ON THE RED DEVILS IN A F.A.CUP QUARTER FINAL MATCH WE ARRIVED AT THE STADIUM VERY EARLY SO WE COULD VISIT THE CLUB SHOPS (3 IN ALL ) BUT IN ALL HONESTY WE DONT THINK THEY ARE ANYWHERE AS GOOD AS THE CHELSEA MEGASTORE

IT WAS GOOD TO SEE, OUTSIDE THE GROUND BEFORE KICK-OFF BOTH SETS OF SUPPORTERS MIXING TOGETHER, BUT ALTHOUGH THE GROUND LOOKS VERY IMPRESSIVE, INSIDE THE GROUND THE FACILITIES WERE TERRIBLE, BUT THE COFFEE STAND WAS A LIFE SAVER, MANCHESTER HAD BEEN SNOWING OVER NIGHT AND IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE UNDERSOIL HEATING , THE GAME WOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED OFF

THE GAME WAS A ABSOLUTE CLASSIC, WITH DESAILLY A "ROCK" AT THE CENTRE OF THE DEFENCE. WE WERE CONSTANTLY UNDER SIEGE FROM UNITED BUT SOMEHOW WE MANAGED TO HANG ON, WE EVEN HAD A FEW CHANCES TO WIN THE GAME

ALTHOUGH SKY TV WERE SHOWING THE GAME LIVE THERE WAS NO WAY WE WAS GOING TO STAY AT HOME AND WATCH THE GAME, THERE'S JUST NO SUBSTITUTE FOR BEING THERE, AND THE CHELSEA CROWD WERE IN FINE VOICE , OH HOW WE BELTED OUT "CAREFREE", "BLUE FLAG", "CELERY", "ONE MAN WENT TO MOW", I THINK WE COVERED EVERY CHELSEA SONG IN TEN MINUTES FLAT.

CONSTANTLY HAVING OUR GOAL BOMBARDED BY MAN UTD ATTACKS, WE STOOD FIRM, HOW WE NEVER LOST THE GAME WE WILL NEVER KNOW. WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE PERSON WHO STARTED WHISTLING THE "GREAT ESCAPE" TUNE BECAUSE INSTANLY THE WHOLE 4,000 OF US ENDED UP WHISTLING THE TUNE AND WE ALL KNEW THIS WAS "THE GREAT ESCAPE" "WE CAME, WE SAW, WE SURVIVED"