The year I left Utd.. by Chris Day aged 23 and 3/4

Well, the day before I left England they beat Middlesborough in the cup.. just a couple of weeks earlier they had beat us, and I had been there to witness the defeat. The mercurial skills of Ricard and Deane beat us on that day. Brian Deeeeeeaaane, or Destroyer Deane as he's called. anyway.. then I came away for a couple of hard earned weeks (52) in the sun to relax from the hurly burly world of customer services, phew, it was tough I tell ya.. I started to feel suspicious when we sneaked a couple of lucky wins, 6-2 v Leicester, and then 2-1 v Liverpool (OK that actually was pretty lucky). Well, I was a bit agitated when they played in the semi final of the cup. everything seemed to be going well, you know shooting ourselves in the foot, keano deciding he wanted a shampoo rather than finishing the game, and then peter saved the penalty before extra time came in..

The boy Ryan picked the ball up in Birmingham somewhere before running past the entire Arsenal defence with his ball-tied-to-my-feet boots by reebok. well then we saw why he only wears T-shirt’s in winter.. but apart from that it was the beginning of the beginning.... so now we're in the FA Cup final and top of the league, so we play in Liverpool’s game of the Decade, a 2-2 all thriller with Manchester United - WOW... their little scouse hearts were racing, still suppose the crime rate was down for the evening. Well it looked like we'd thrown it away, well if we fluked it at least we were without Keane and Scholes for the trip to Barca.. but no, our old mates at Leeds did us a favor (sic) and beat the arse.. hahaha... so all we had to do was beat Blackburn.. DOH.

now spurs stood between us and the title, so there you go Mr. Ferninand.. but up stepped Becks and a good goal by Coley and bobs your preverb.. so that was that cheers at OT and Tears at Arsenal (Poet aren’t I?) well it broke my heart, next was Old Trafford South and the visit of Newcastle 5 minutes into the game and Mr speed did the only thing damaging to Man U in the last 5 years (notice it says 5 Leeds fans.. ) so here's Mr sherringham who’s suffered a fair bit of abuse - maybe even a bit from the author as rumor has it.. and the boy done good.... Scolesy managed to get a goal even though racked with the flu.. then to Europe.. no Keane or Scholes, centre mid - mm tricky, remember the big squad.. so play Becks, and Giggs out of position and young nicky in he middle. and give them 90 minutes start.. .even let them make a couple of subs in the last minute to waste a bit of time, then Ffergi rings the bookies and backs utd to win... peter comes up for the corner, it bounces to giggs who hits it goalward for teddy/// 1-1.. the germans are gutted.. then the center, cant remember what happened in between for some reason we had another corner, maybe it was because a bayern player kicked it out but that’s just silly talk.. beckham again, sherringham and OLE...

.. Why do we have to always do it the hard way... ? cos its exciting for the neutrals and its a master plan to drum up support? has Edwards got shares in Valium or is fergi a gambling maniac with nerves of steel.... ?

Needless to say I'm a very happy bloke at this moment in time. So when people ask me where I was when Utd won the European cup, or teddy scored THAT goal, I'll hold my hand on my heart and say .. I was there,, no sorry, I'll say, Alice bloody springs... and I got up at 3.30am to watch it, but as I cheered as those goals went in I hope we woke a few people up..

next time lads, I'll be there...

Yours a homesick red

PS. It is not funny watching utd win the European cup and then having breakfast and going to work... but its been a bloody good day.. even if they do keep calling it soccer on the news.

PPS. I am having a good time its just not nou camp standards..

PPPS. All that’s left now is to go home and watch the game again with Madaline, I’ll make her into a red yet..

See ya.

Will be putting more pics on this shortly....

cheers