Do You Remember The First Time?

I'll never forget my first time - I was doing it with 58,000 others at the time!

Do you remember your first time? I do, as if it was yesterday. The build up to it was memorable as well. It started with me wearing my school uniform . . . I'm talking of course of going to a game for the first time (what did you think I meant?!)

A pal of mine at school by the name of Dave McNulty had asked me if I wanted to go to Old Trafford to watch United. They were to play Everton in the F.A.Cup.

Naturally, I was excited. I'd only ever been to Old Trafford to see England schoolboys on a school trip two years previous. That was memorable in itself, seeing the ground for the first time.However, this was to see my team . . . we were talking big time stuff here!

Anyhow, I was told that I'd be accompanying him, his brother and his mates to the game. All I had to do was get my own bus ticket. The local bus company, Bostocks, ran buses to every home game back then. Sounds good. One problem - how to get round the big obstacle that was my dad.

He loved his football, was a half decent player as a schoolboy - even represented Congleton back in the 1930's. However, he did not like the prospect of his eldest son getting into mischief. He didn't want me wandering off with a group of lads anywhere. A recipe for disaster in his eyes. I think he remembered his own schooldays a bit too well I think. There was a solution. There was someone who knew about how to handle my dad in the best way possible - my mum!

The plan between my mum and myself was hatched. Dad was told that Dave's dad was going to take us all. That sounded good. Then, a few days later, Mr.McNulty's car was going to have problems (wink wink) and we would have no choice but to go and get our bus tickets from Bostocks in order to go to the game.

Now, my dad has been dead for over 25 years now. I miss him very much. He was a very clever, street wise feller. Yet somehow the plan worked like clock work! Dad took it. So, one day after school I was allowed to walk down town and get my bus ticket. Here's where my happy memory of  my school uniform comes in!

Feeling proud to go and get my bus ticket, I was even prouder when I got home and told Mum and Dad that I had been addressed as "Mr. Kennedy" even though I was wearing my school uniform! It makes me smile thinking about it now, nearly thirty years on.

So, the day of the game. Saturday March 12th 1983. I had to be there at 12 noon. Dave had my match ticket. It only cost a pound back then! My times have changed! We set off. I was excited. I remember we had to go to the Bostock's Bus depot in Macclesfield as well.

We got there just before two. The bus dropped us off by the docks. We walked up to Old Trafford. I sense it now . . . and therre we were. Our tickets were in the famous Stretford End. Old Trafford then was nothing like it is now. Our tickets were for the standing area. It was an area that I wasn't very well prepared for.

I bought my programme inside the ground. It cost 30p to buy. Today, they cost 3 quid (aboout $4.50) . . . again, how times have changed! The programme is something I have cherished ever since and I still have every programme I have bought from a game I have been to. My Mum has been very kindly looking after them for me since I've been here in the States. When we go back I'm looking forward to getting them back. Here's what the first programme looked like

One of my most treasured possessions!

I'll never forget the view as I walked up those steps on the left side of the Stretford End as the magnificent stadium appeared before me. Along with my first view of 7th Avenue in New York, the view of Old Trafford was amazing. To see something you've only ever seen on the telly is breath taking. What I wasn't ready for was the pushing and shoving of thousands of people all crammed in tight in the ground.

The noise swarms around you as you slowly try to decipher what songs are being sung. I quickly learned that it was important to stand halfway between crash barriers as when there was an exciting moment in gthe game the crowd would surge forward. If you were near the barrier you'd feel the full force of people moving down towards you. I did my best to stay near to Dave, his brother and his friends.

The game kicked off. It was an F.A.Cup Quarter Final tie against Everton. The atmosphere soon sucked you in and you were hooked! It wasn't long before I was singing along with everyone else. I could tell my voice was getting hoarse. (I would catch a bad cold as a result of the singing and have the following three days off school; Dave said when I saw him on my return that he thought the experience had killed me off!)

The game was won by United, Frank Stapleton scoring the only goal of the game. It was scored with five minutes to go. Apparently, Dave's elder brother Andy had lost sight of me and turned to see where I was and missed the goal! Sorry! I was happy I'd seen United play for the first time live and the adreanaline buzz was still whizzing around relentlessly in my head.

I got home safe and sound. I would go to watch United on Bostocks several more times while Dad was around. The plan continued to work, with Dad being told that it was deemed more appropriate to go via public transport in order to protect the car - it was still the era of the "football hooligan" so Dad was OK. He would later say to me that he was glad I went to matches and not those "bloody pop concerts"!

That Saturday night, after being fed the usual Saturday night fare of Steak and Chips (never complained once and never will when given that meal!) Dad asked me about the game and even read the match programme. It was the beginning of a ritual that would continue for what turned out to be the remaining two and half years left Dad had on this earth. It was nice looking back; a bonding moment you could say. His work as a self employed Plumber meant that Saturday was a work day. I only attended one match with him. It was a friendly between Congleton Town and Sheffield United. I think the attraction was an ex-England World Cup star playing for "The Blades": Sheffield is known as "The Steel City" because it's where cutlery is famously made.

Saturday night also saw the highlights of the game being shown on TV. It was fun seeing the game again and piecing together what you had seen. There are times when it's hard to remember stuff that happened because the game goes by so quickly. I remember going to see England play in 2008 when Linda and I were back visiting. We got back from Wembley in time to catch some of the highlights. I soon dropped back into my old routime . . . like the song says, "old habits die hard"!

I've been to many games since that day in March 1983. In some ways I take it for granted now, going to a game. Having Linda with me when we went back was wonderful for many reasons but it also reignited my enthusiasm for attending games. The look on her lovely face as she saw Old Trafford for the first time made me realise that you should never take moments like that for granted. It's a wonderful expereince going to a game. We've seen the New England Revolution whilst we've been over here a few times and that's been great. We saw a friendly between Brazil and Mexico . . . now that reminded me of home with it's vibrant atmosphere! Soon, we'll be making what will be our last trip to Foxborough to see "The Revs" play against some team from Manchester . . .yup, my beloved Reds. I can hardly wait. It'll be a memorable night for certain. They always say you don't really realise how much you miss something until it's taken away from you. I have loved my time in the USA but the chance to see United . . doesn't get much better than this! I'm so excited about the game, it feels like I'm 15 again!

Enjoy your football and if you can take someone to a game who's never seen one before, do it! You'll help them to have memories that'll stay with them forever!

Ed

PS United went on to win the F.A.Cup in 1983; they beat Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0 in a replay of the final after drawing the first game 2-2.

The Gold Standard and Other Stuff!

Spandau Ballet love this stuff!

Morning All!

I've been watching The Gold Cup lately. I've followed the United States' progress with interest. It's been very interesting for me to view the continued evolution of the team and of the perception of the sport in general here in this country.

The team have not been outstandingly brilliant, but outstandingly hard working. I've been impressed by the collective spirit shown by the team. The celebrations displayed by the team when Clint Dempsey scored what proved to be the winning goal in the game against Panama yesterday were wonderful. The acknowledgement shown by Dempsey to Landon Donovan for the pass hit with perfect pace across the face of the goal was very reminiscent of all the great Championship winning teams. However, the pass from the recalled Freddy Adu wasn't too bad either!

A United States team - united

 The team hasn't set the world alight but they've got the results. At the end of the day, that's what tournament football is all about. It sounds like I'm speaking the obvious, but tournament football is about doing all that's necessary. A 1-0 win here, a draw there: getting out of the group stages is all that is needed. If you can get out of your group as the winner then great. When you get to the knock-out stages its all about taking the chances that you get. Last night we did. Confidence breeds confidence. That's why the 2010 World Cup was a "coming of age" party for the USA team. Now they have that experience and it shows in the matches that I've seen. They're in the final against Mexico. I'm looking forward to the game on Saturday. The ideal result would be an exciting, close fought game with the US winning with Chicharito scoring Mexico's goals!

The Boy Wonder!

Talking of Senor Hernandez, the boy cannot stop scoring! He's the top scorer in the tournament. He's been a wonderful signing for United. His knack of being in the right place at the right time is magnificent. To score over 20 goals in your first season is fantastic. If I could afford the new United shirt (which is very smart by the way!) I'd have his name put on the back.
If I have to make a constructive criticism of Hernandez's play is that he needs to work on the timing of his runs. He caught offside too many times for my liking last season. However, I have to say he's a wonderful talent and I hope he's a Red for years to come.
Talking of English football, 25 years ago this week England played Argentina in the World Cup Quarter Final. It turned out to be one of the most memorable games of all time. Diego Maradona scored the best World Cup goal and also the sneakiest. The infamous "Hand Of God" goal.

Great Player - cheating sod!

 I mention the England team because four years later we had the best World Cup I've ever seen and the best since 1966. Italia '90. It is as vivid as if it was yesterday. The drama of the semi final against West Germany . . . Gazza's tears, the penalty misses by Stuart Pierce and Chris Waddle and the dramatic quarter final against Cameroon. David Platt's 120th minute winner against Belgium. Glorious memories. Yet it started so slowly.
We played Eire in the opening game. That was a 1-1 draw. The other games saw us draw with Holland and a narrow 1-0 win against Egypt. There was dissension in the ranks. It is alleged that the players approached manager Bobby Robson to change tactics.
A team grows throughout a tournament. You don't get to play for your national team and qualify for a tournament without being any good. All teams need hard work, skill and good luck to win a trophy. England sadly ran out of luck in 1990 at the completely wrong time, sadly, but all in all it was a great showing. We haven't done as well since.
The American public need to get behind the team and watch the game on Saturday night on the Fox Soccer Channel. It'll be a great game.

Enjoy the summer of football

Ed

Bless Me Father for I have . . . smashed it in the back of the net!

Surely a mistake?

Football and religion don't mix - do they? It sounds almost heretical doesn't it? It's not possible to compare something as deeply serious and meaningful as religion with something which to all intent and purpose is just a game. . .

Yet there may be an element of truth in this statement. History has shown how a team can bring together a town or indeed a country and unite them in a common "good". Football has shown this on numerous occasions. In England, football teams were formed in the heartland of working class areas of the Midlands and the North as a means to entertain the people and offer an escape from the drudgery of the mills and the mines.

In modern times, the escapades of a team, especially a national team, can make people feel elated or indeed deflated. The mood in England during World Cup and European Championship times is almost uniformly euphoric, with more flags on display than at any other time of the year.When the penalty shoot out is over, it's flat to the point of morbid sadness/anger . . . oh well, there's always next time.

The point is football does bring people together, it truly does. It is probably the only sport that does in any meaningful way. It is a mirror of life that no sport is able to match. Religion shows us that we have to be tolerant towards one another and work together to achieve a common good. It also teaches us that there are highs and lows in life. Religion offers us a means of coping with life. A place of worship brings people from all walks of life together. So does a football stadium.

The New York Times highlighted this excellently recently with an article describing football and its meaning in Israel.  It talks about Bnei Sakhnim, the only Arab Israeli team in Israel's First Division. Manchester United has the power to bring together Catholics and Protestants in a way the top two teams in Glasgow, Celtic and Rangers, could never do in a million years. I'll write about Celtic and Rangers in a future article.

I remember seeing DVD called "Beyond The Promised Land" about Manchester United. The opening scenes showed people from Northern Ireland who were big Manchester United fans. There were catholics and protestants in the bus en route to the ferry. Catholic next to Protestant. It can be done.

We can get carried away with football's significance at times. The media deify players. Fans do the same. People have been known to change their names to match their heroes. Most bizarrely of all, there's the Church in Argentina devoted to Diego Maradona. This was the most unique example of adoration of a footballer I have ever heard of. The Guardian's article from 2008 is bewilderingly fascinating.

At the end of the day a football player is just a person like you and me. What he does on the football field is great but does not warrant the astronomical wages being paid today. I've always backed footballers from getting as much as  they can but today things have to change. When you hear of clubs spending 107% of their total revenue on wages you have to question the mentality of this in these troubled times.

A football player is just a small cog in the giant machine that is the beautiful game. The beautiful game is just that - a sport that gives meaning and hope to millions of people. It brings people together. Religion has its place in society; in my opinion more so than ever. Our society has lost its way a little. We need vehicles that bring people together and show that there is such a thing as society and togetherness is OK, contrary to what Mrs.Thatcher and her ilk said all those years ago and like to think is still the way forward. It is not. We need as many ways as possible to help people achieve togetherness. Football and religion do just that.

Ed

Football is a Service to the Community

“Football Is an honest game. It's true to life . It's a game about sharing. Football is a team game. So is life.” Joe Namath

It is . . . trust me and millions of others!

Have you ever heard of Mitchell and Kenyon? My guess is you probably haven't. I came across them in the early part of the new millennium, when the BBC showed a series of films marvellously restored from the beginning of the 20th century.

These films chronicled the lives of the working class people of the North of England. It truly is a remarkable DVD and I am certainly glad that we have it. It is an invaluable resource to have at our disposal. We can learn so much. When we think we are having it rough it should be compulsory to watch this DVD and see what life was like for people, especially young children working in the mills and the factories. Here's a clip showing people coming out of a factory near Oldham Lancashire in 1901 . . . 

 Sport has played a big part in the working class lives of people, both here in the USA and in Great Britain. If you want proof, here's what is believed to be the first footage of a rather famous team that means a lot to both my wife and myself . . .

 

 

 Why do I mention this? I am moved to defend the heritage of the game I love after reading a recent article in The Daily Hampshire Gazette (Tuesday 24th May 2011) written by a gentleman called Nathaniel Reade. He made what for me were some very valid points pertaining to an attitude that still persists in American society regarding the game loved by 208 countries (the membership of the game's governing body FIFA)

He highlights the problems faced by the Northampton Soccer Club in securing access to the Oxbow Marina. Now, before I continue, I have to declare something of an interest in this subject as the President of the club is my friend Tim Stokes. He was my co-presenter on "Match of The Day The USA Way"

There seemed to be continued objections, restrictions imposed on the club and the regional team Western United on playing there and primarily objections raised by the residents of Island Road, the road leading to the Marina. I have it on good authority that at one stage during the discussions Tim was asked "Western United have managed to find another venue elsewhere, can't you?"

Western United are a regional team - Northampton Soccer Club, are, well guess what, a team representing NORTHAMPTON!

It really did expose the hypocrisy that is prevalent in the town of Northampton in my opinion. I won't go into that just now, suffice to say the town prides itself on being diverse and a town that encompasses all cultures yadda yadda yadda yet unbeknown to itself shows a very narrow minded and blinkered attitude to a game that is gaining in popularity with each passing year with 3 million children registered as players. Let's not forget to take into account the ratings for last year's World Cup, which were the best ever by all account. My wife and I attended a game being shown at a restaurant in Northampton and the place was full to the brim.

I can't help but wonder what the attitude would have been if the game being played at The Oxbow Marina had been baseball, a  game perceived to be "America's game". I'm sure the attitude would have been completely different, because. let's face it, we have to promote something that is uniquely American and not "foreign" don't we? It reminds of that line "If it's not Scottish it's crap!"

There seems to be a deep suspicion of anything that isn't perceived as being American. Well, I have something to disclose. I am thankful I own a book entitled "National Pastime - How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer" written by Stefan Szymanski and Smith College Professor and one time guest on our show Andrew Zimbalist.

There's a fascinating picture of the father of King George III, Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales. The book quotes him as being a fanatic of cricket, and that in 1748 he wrote about "playing base ball" . There is also documented evidence of a game of baseball being played at Lord's Cricket ground in London between Boston Red Stockings and the Philadelphia Athletics in August 1874.

Here's a picture (below) likely to send some Americans into a rage - an Englishman playing baseball. The cheek of the limey! The point of all this is that football, and sport in general is universal. Irrespective of where it comes from it should be championed. Sport brings people together. It promotes togetherness and teamwork. It really does mirror life in many ways. It provides an outlet for people to make something of their lives. It gives a sense of pride in having taken part in some physical activity. You have memories that last you a lifetime.  The memories that those young people have in representing Northampton will never go away. Let's hope Northampton doesn't have to find a venue in another town and adopt another name. The club isn't a franchise that can be moved anywhere at a whim. It's a club that belongs to the town and should remain so.



Harry Wright - an English baseball player for Boston Red Sox

Enjoy your football, wherever you watch or play it

Ed