FA Cup 2006-2007: Reading Vs Manchester United , Feb 27, 2007

Brave Royals undone early on Manchester United struck three times in the opening six minutes to seal a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-2 win at Reading. Enjoy the highlights below :). 'It was incredible - I was preparing for extra time' Ferguson admits his side were fortunate but accuses Coppell's team of cynically targeting Louis Saha. Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that Manchester United almost blew their treble chance during a pulsating 90 minutes at Reading last night. The Premiership leaders raced into a 3-0 lead within six minutes of the kick-off and a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals appeared assured. But despite the Champions League experience of players such as Rio Ferdinand, Louis Saha, Gabriel Heinze and John O'Shea in a United team whose starting line up had cost more than £60m to assemble, United were not impervious. The resilience of the Reading second string - six of whose number had made fewer than five Premiership starts this season - ensured there would be several anxious minutes for the United manager. First Dave Kitson and then the substitute Leroy Lita pulled back goals. "It was an incredible game and I was thinking to myself I have to prepare for extra-time," said Ferguson. "I told Paul Scholes to get ready because I thought we'd lost momentum. We rode our luck. "Without question with us scoring the goals so quickly it gave us the impression this was easy. But football's not like that and in a cup tie anything can happen, of course. They got their goal when we defended badly from a corner kick; it just gave them a glimmer and the belief they could still be in the game. "In a cup tie it's never plain sailing. You have to go through a lot of different situations. But I think from a spectator's point of view it was a fantastic game." Even Steve Coppell managed to enjoy a match in which he had spent the opening period slumped in his seat. Each goal conceded appeared like a body blow to the Reading manager as he sought refuge behind his hands. But the manner of his side's valiant if vain comeback had the former United winger gushing about his team's capacities. "It's not often I say that there is honour in defeat but I can give that compliment tonight," he said. "They are warriors, they do not lay down and die, they keep coming back again and again and that is one of their best qualities. Sources: guardian.co.uk, teamtalk.com/

Know Our Old Trafford: United Won't Re-Lay Pitch

Recently, most fans concern that our Old Trafford pitch condition is not up to the standard 'for a team pushing for the EPL title'. The Reds' surface has become patchy and club officials inspected the pitch this week (after the Reading game) as they mulled over the possibility of bringing in the bulldozers. Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that the club have rejected the option to relay the Old Trafford pitch. The turf has been cutting up in recent weeks and the United boss revealed his concern after the Reds' 2-0 win over Charlton earlier this month. However, after much deliberation and discussion with groundsman Tony Sinclair, the club have decided to shelve relaying plans. "David Gill, myself and the groundsman had a long look at the pitch on Wednesday morning after we got back from Lille," explained the United boss. "We had to make a decision about whether or not we should relay it. "It's a difficult one because relaying a pitch doesn't always work, and doing that can sometimes be as big a problem than keeping the original. "We feel by the time our next home game against Lille comes round things will have improved. So we've decided to stick with ours," he added. "The weather is getting better, it's a bit milder and there is some growth in the grass at the moment, so hopefully we get enough back to ensure we have a comfortable pitch to play on." See the difference Just take a look at Arsenal's Emirates and see the difference. Why do Arsenal always has greener pitch than our Old Trafford. Anybody could brief the fans on this? Sources: manutd.com, arsenal.com, manutdtalk.com, manchestereveningnews.co.uk

EPL 2006 - 2007: Manchester United On Cloud Nine, Feb 24, 2007

We moved nine points clear of Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League after Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 88th minute to give the team a come-from behind 2-1 win at Craven Cottage. Fulham were on top from the start and took a deserved lead when Brian McBride pounced to score his ninth league goal after a mix-up between central defender Nemanja Vidic and goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar. United equalised 12 minutes later when Ryan Giggs volleyed his third goal in four matches following a far-post cross from Wayne Rooney. But it was Fulham who looked by far the more threatening side until Ronaldo's 88th-minute goal, the winger beating two men on the left before cutting in delivering a right-foot that deflected past keeper Jan Lastuvka Enjoy the highlights below Brian McBride 17' Ryan Giggs 29' Cristiano Ronaldo 88' After Match Reaction 'Smash-grab-win' - Reuters. 'To put it mildly...Fulham will feel very aggrieved at not winning the match' - Sir Alex Ferguson. 'Phew! that was really scary to say the least. Can we put that performance down to Euro blues? No need to get on anybody's back cause the whole team were woeful, but we need to praise the boys for even grinding out the win. Obviously the hardest game of the season for us so far and i agree with fergie on that notion. The only one brilliance from the match was Ronaldo's late winner. No matter how frustrating he is throughout the 90mins, all he needs is a second to produce a moment of magic.' - MMI, Manchester United fan. 'Someone call the police, there has just been a robbery! We stole three points from Fulham, and it is the second horrible performance in a row. Still, we won both. I believe this is the match we can look back at, and say won us the title. It was extremely important we won it, nothing less than that. If we had drawn or lost, then I would have gone back to hold Chelski as favourites. I assume they will win the rest of their matches, the only major doubt is when we meet them. Facing both Pool and Chelski, we simply have to win all the other matches. Believe me, a draw at either big face-offs, is a big bonus. Judging by the last two performances, we face a loss at Anfield. And taking a point from Stanford Bridge, will be extremely difficult. Those are 6 points. We must get our game together, or it will all change in 3 weeks.' - Badfellah, Manchester United fan. Source: teamtalk.com

Know Our Old Trafford: Stretford End

Finally, i have found the new image of West Stand with words 'Stretford End'. Here i share with all of you, my fellow Man Utd die-hard supporters. Following Manchester United's premature ending with the clubs sponsor Vodafone, the new sponsor, AIG will not be displayed in the seats and the 'Nike Swoosh' has been relocated to the East Stand and the words 'Stretford End' have been written on the seats of the West Stand. The legendary West Stand with words 'Stretford End' Image Courtesy: unitedonelove.blogspot.com

Champions League 2006-2007: Lille want rematch

Blame Game Rumbles On The hostility between Manchester United and Lille spiralled to new heights last night when it emerged that the French club have demanded that their acrimonious Champions League match on Tuesday be replayed because of the perceived “invalidity” of Ryan Giggs’s winning goal. Lille’s written request to UEFA, European football’s governing body, is almost certain to be dismissed at a meeting of three members of their control and disciplinary body today. It is more likely that Lille would be expelled from the competition because of a combination of their behaviour and the security situation inside the Felix-Bollaert Stadium, but by far the most probable outcome is a rancorous second leg at OT on 7 March. The whole protest by Lille is absolutely ridiculous "The Free-Kick Law: The referee only needs to blow his whistle if the attacking team ask him to move the wall back. Otherwise, the kick can be taken quickly, without warning." I think this pretty much says it all, I have come across this rule at my own team's matches. The ref only has to blow his whistle to call the foul, to stop the play there needs to be another whistle in case the attacking team wants the wall to be put in its correct place, for example. The whole protest by Lille is absolutely ridiculous, but then again, when have the French not been sore losers? - KingKanchelskis, Manchester United fan. An ugly, ugly scene It all started when UEFA allowed Lille to play the home leg of their Manny U Champions League match-up in an older, smaller stadium with more antiquated facilities. It was a raucous atmosphere from the start to be sure, and the game was intense. And then, in the 83rd minute, cheeky Ryan Giggs took a quick free kick before the referee's whistle and before the Lille keeper had set. He curled it into the right corner of the net. The referee allowed the goal to stand. And all hell broke loose. On the ensuing kickoff, Lille kicked the ball off the pitch, and it appeared that Lille coach Claude Puel brought his team off the pitch. He certainly called them to the sideline. Despite all appearances to ther contrary, Puel is denying he brought his players off, but Sir Alex Ferguson is vehemently claiming it was a pure attempt at intimidation of the referee. Puel explained that "In France the tradition is to make a protest at the first pause in the game and then after the match. It's not logical. The signal the referee gave was not clear for everyone, especially for us ... I don't understand. We could not express a formal complaint as we could not find a Uefa delegate." If this is the tradition in France, it's a crap tradition. It clearly only added to the anger in the stands. But on the second point, I can see where he's coming from. Even Wayne Rooney, who placed the ball for Giggs, looked confused by the kick. According to the game announcer, it is at the discretion of the refereee in soccer when to allow play to resume on a free. Some require that you wait for a whistle. Others do not. That's a mighty tough way to lose a home Champions League leg in the knockout round. And when the play continued after a minute, the stands had erupted in anger with Lille fans hailing objects towards Manny U players on the pitch. Gary Neville was struck in the head with something, and looked to be bleeding. Due to the less-than-modern facilities, and the hostile environment, when United supporters started feeling that they were being crushed, with "shades of Hillsborough" in mind, some started climbing the gates to get out, and were promptly pepper sprayed and detained by French police. Sources: sportsfrog.com, manutd.com, teamtalk.com

February 6, 1958: Death of the Babes

The all-conquering Busby Babes had a fabulous Teble in their sights when tragedy struck them on a Munich runway. Left to Right: Duncan Edwards, Eddie Colman,Mark Jones, Ken Morgans, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, Tommy Taylor, Bill Foulkes, Harry Gregg, Albert Scanlon, Roger Byrne. The last line up: European Cup match against the Yugoslavian team Red Star Belgrade, February 5, 1958. Victims: Manchester United players Geoff Bent Roger Byrne Eddie Colman Duncan Edwards Mark Jones David Pegg Tommy Taylor Liam Whelan Other victims Walter Crickmer - Club secretary Bert Whalley - Chief Coach Tom Curry - Trainer Alf Clarke - Journalist, Manchester Evening Chronicle Don Davies - Journalist, Manchester Guardian George Follows - Journalist, Daily Herald Tom Jackson - Journalist, Manchester Evening News Archie Ledbrooke - Journalist, Daily Mirror Henry Rose - Journalist, Daily Express Eric Thompson - Journalist, Daily Mail Frank Swift - Journalist, News of the World (also former England and Manchester City goalkeeper) Capt Kenneth Rayment - Co-pilot Bela Miklos - Travel Agent Willie Satinoff - Supporter Tom Cable - Steward A plaque at Old Trafford commemorating the Munich air disaster For more info, do visit: red11.org, wikipedia.org,

Champions League 2006-2007: Lille vs Manchester United, Feb 20, 2007

Manchester United flew home clutching a priceless Champions League lead and left behind a storm of controversy that included a furious Lille coaching staff, who attempted to haul their players off the pitch before the final Lille keeper Tony Sylva was still lining his wall up when Ryan Giggs calmly stroked his free-kick into the top corner seven minutes from time to secure a 1-0 win. The home players raced to Dutch referee Eric Braamhaar, clearly unable to comprehend how the official had allowed the goal to stand. But Braamhaar was not for turning and triggered a quite stunning reaction from the home bench, with the signal clearly going out for the Lille players to head to the sideline and end the game. Thankfully, sanity prevailed and the contest continued, allowing United to claim a victory in a game which, until those bizarre last few minutes seemed set to be remembered for the chilling security scare inside the visitors end where fans seemed to get crushed in front of a 10 foot barrier. Mercifully, no-one was injured in the incident, although that was hardly due to the actions of the riot police, who fired tear gas into the enclosure. - Lille Vs Manchester United - Full Highlights - What Punishment Should Lille Face for nearly walking off the pitch? 'Lille should be thrown out of the competition. I don't care for what reason it happened but in this day and age no fan should have to be worried about getting crushed!!! Absolute disgrace. Get them out!!! United should just get a bye through - end of story. If they can't handle the big games they shouldn't be staging them. ' - happyhughes, Liverpool fan. 'lille are disgracefull! throwing there dummies out cos man u scored, That was a brave ref tonight, I think the french idiots goal should have stood and I cant see anything wrong with Giggs goal, the quick freekick has been happening for many seasons now and if your need ready for it, then its your own problem, Kick lille out of the champions league!!' - charWHUFC, West Ham United fan. 'What a disgrace Lille are, they should be kicked out of europe and man u be given a bye, Lille should also be banned from all european competitions! ' - henryequalsgod, Arsenal fan. 'Good games tonight in the champions league. But i feel very sorry for Lille. Just when it looked like it was going to be a similar result to Uniteds CL away ties of the past two years, the referee supposedly gives a quick free kick and his back is even turned when Giggs curles a free kick(which was a very good one by the way) over the wall and in. Very unlucky.But what goes around comes around.' - ezra, Chelsea fan. Sources: teamtalk.com, soccernet.com

Ronaldo has nothing to gain by going to Spain

No Real Benefit In a Move 'Cristiano Ronaldo would not be better off if he left our Man Utd for Spanish giants Real Madrid. He wouldn't find better conditions there than those which he already has. Besides, he is part of the Manchester United family and can become one of the club's symbols'-Carlos Queiroz. Dennis Law: 1st King of Stretford End Eric Cantona: 2nd King of Stretford End Only Denis Law and Éric Cantona have reached the status 'King of the Stretford End' among the United faithful. The former for his formidable goal record, the latter for his on-pitch charisma and aura. If Ronaldo stays, there is no doubt that he will be our next great symbols. But the real prize is to be honoured as the KING OF STRETFORD END. Could he reach the status? Only time will decide!!!

Rolling Back the Years: Wednesday 26 May 1999 Part II

1999 Champions League Final Programme United's line-up for the final was as follows: GK Peter Schmeichel DL Denis Irwin DR Gary Neville DC Jaap Stam DC Ronny Johnsen ML Jesper Blomqvist MR Ryan Giggs MC David Beckham MC Nicky Butt FC Andy Cole FC Dwight Yorke Did You Know That... With the full 90 minutes played, United were losing 1-0 and the Bayern Munich colours had already been tied on the trophy. The UEFA officials, on their way to make the presentation passed by the watching Sir Bobby Charlton and commiserated with him on United's loss. The UEFA officials then went inside the Stadium to prepare for the presentation while the referee allowed just 3 minutes of extra stoppage time to be played. When UEFA's officials emerged from inside the Stadium for the presentation they could not understand why the 'winners' looked distraught while the 'losers' were celebrating. Their astonishment was shared by all who had seen what had happened. The answer of course was that in those three incredible minutes, Manchester United had made history. Sources: treble1999.co.uk, wikipedia.org, manutdtreble.com

Rolling Back the Years: Wednesday 26 May 1999

As the team is preparing for Champions League knock-out stage this Tuesday, let's rewind back the sweetest memory in 1999. During that night, where were you watching our team redefine the meaning of GREAT ESCAPE in 1999, by winning the cup in sensational style The Treble Season: Nou Camp, Barcelona The Treble Season: Pre Match, Nou Camp The Treble Season: North Goal, Nou Camp The Treble Season: United End, Nou Camp The Treble Season: Pre Match Show, Nou Camp The Treble Season: Just Before the Final Match The Treble Season: Celebrating Teddy's equaliser. The Treble Season: Yes, we'have won it!!! United had completed the come-back after Solskjær toe-poked the ball into the roof of the net. Extraordinary welcome from the people of Manchester the following day, Thursday 27 May 1999. United paraded the FA Premiership, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League trophies through the city of Manchester on an open-topped bus. A crowd reported to be over 1.5 million people lined the streets to cheer them on. That summer, David Beckham finished second in the European Footballer of the Year award and United's manager Alex Ferguson was knighted. References: manutdtreble.com, wikipedia.org, btinternet.com

FA Cup 2006-2007: Manchester United Vs Reading, Feb 17, 2007

Michael Carrick 45 Brynjar Gunnarsson 67 __________________________________________ A second-string Reading side came back from a goal down to force Manchester United into a replay in their FA Cup fifth round tie. The Royals had Brynjar Gunnarsson to thank for grabbing the equaliser after Michael Carrick had slammed the Premiership leaders ahead, and will now look forward to a replay at the Madejski later in the month. __________________________________________ Nothing really to complain about yesterdays performance i thought. It was dis-jointed, but that is to be expected when you replace the entire spine of the team. Other than that i thought we were good enough to win. Fair play to Reading though, who i have alot of time for. I'm sure that Fletcher, Silvestre and Park will come under fire but i dont think they would deserve it. I though Fletcher kept the ball well and seems much more determined to push forward nowadays. Although he faded in the second half, something that could be levelled at the rest of them, i thought Park looked one of our more threatening players. Good passing, seemed happy to run with the ball and got in good positions. He even seems to be quite good at winning the ball back. Shame he cant shoot. Brown impressed me in the first half especially, although he was probably at fault for the goal. Ronaldo was below his best i thought, although there were still moments of magic. I thought Saha looked rusty although his running was impressive, and Ole doesn't seem comfortable unless he is playing with Rooney. I still see him as a substitute than a starter. Still he has exceeded my expectations of him this year. Anyway, a unwanted extra game and i expect Fergie to field a similar team, maybe Rooney coming in. Giggs, Scholes, Rooney, Ferdinand, Neville and Evra were missing from the start and i think anyone would struggle to adapt without them, no matter who the opposition. FA cup is the least important, but i expect us to sneak past Reading in the replay. One thing i thought was obvious though, is that we desperately need a new attacking creative midfielder.-Adagio, Man Utd Fan.

West Stand: Stretford End

Old Trafford: The Legendary Stretford End The Stretford End, officially named West Stand, is a stand on the west side of Old Trafford. It took its name from the nearby town of Stretford, as it is in the direction of Stretford, looking from the centre of the pitch. The stand is divided into two tiers, and in common with the rest of the stadium, it has a cantilever roof. In 1993, the Stretford End was converted into an all-seater stand to comply with the Taylor Report, and its name was officially changed to West Stand, although it is still often referred to as the Stretford End. In 2000, a second tier of seating was added. As well as hosting a number of executive boxes, the first tier of the West Stand is now partly taken up by the family seating area which is one of the quietest areas in the stadium, a contrast to the old Stretford End. Beneath one of the corners are the players' dressing rooms, tunnel and lounge. Only Denis Law and Éric Cantona have reached the status 'King of the Stretford End' among the United faithful. The former for his formidable goal record, the latter for his on-pitch charisma and aura. Following Manchester United's premature ending with the clubs sponsor Vodafone, the new sponsor, AIG will not be displayed in the seats and the 'Nike Swoosh' has been relocated to the East Stand and the words 'Stretford End' have been written on the seats of the West Stand. Old Trafford: The Inside View of Stretford End. Notice that 'Nike Swoosh' was displayed there, before been replaced by the words 'Stretford End' Old Trafford: Stretford End View from East Stand

The East Stand

Old Trafford: The East Stand The East Stand was home to the diehard K-Stand United fans (many of whom have relocated to the Stretford End) as well as the away fans enclosure in the South-East corner and disabled section. It was formerly known as the Scoreboard End, so called because of the large scoreboard that resided until the late 60s, when an electronic one was installed. This scoreboard was recently replaced by four modern electronic scoreboards situated around the stadium. As part of a £30 million redevelopment to put a second tier at each end, in January 2000, the East Stand upper deck was opened creating a 61,000 capacity. On its outside is a large tinted glass front, similar to a modern office block. Below is the location of the huge Manchester United Megastore where every conceivable type of club merchandise is available. On top of the Megastore entrance is the Sir Matt Busby statue. Unveiled in May 1996 he gazes proudly over the forecourt adjacent to the road that bears his name, Sir Matt Busby Way. Off to the left side is the Munich Memorial plaque and the famous Munich clock commemorating the air crash on 6th February 1958 is at the South-East corner. Old Trafford: East Stand from the Outside Old Trafford: East Stand and bronze statue of Sir Matt Busby

The North Stand

The New North Stand Following the 1990 Hillsborough disaster, the Taylor Report recommended, and the government demanded, a move to all-seater stadia. This led to expansion in 1995-6 with the construction of the giantantic three-tiered North Stand, holding 26,000 and bringing capacity to nearly 56,000. The North Stand, reaching around 200 feet in height has four stairwell towers, several lifts and the largest cantilever single roof in Europe. Old Trafford: The North Stand Old Trafford: The North Stand View from South Stand Old Trafford: The North Stand View from Outside Old Trafford: The View from 3rd Tier, North Stand

Main (South) Stand

The South Stand is the smallest stand at Old Trafford but contains the managers bench area, the directors/ television/ police control boxes and luxury restaurants and executive suites. It is rarely seen on television as it contains the TV gantry, which looks North. The players tunnel used to be at the centre of this stand but in 1993 it was moved to the South-west corner. The old tunnel still remains and is opened for special occasions and stadium tours. The seating slopes at a different angle to the rest of the stadium, making it slightly lower than the other stands. The first 20 or so rows of seats around all four sides of the ground are below street level.

Know Our Old Trafford

Oldtrafford: 2001 Aerial View Oldtrafford: 2007 Aerial View Old Trafford: Grand Layout Old Trafford: Main (South) Stand Old Trafford: The North and West Stand Old Trafford: The East Stand SOURCES & REFERENCES wikipedia manutdzone yfh45.dial.pipex

Old Trafford is UEFA 5-Star Stadia

Luzhniki Stadium, like Old Trafford also has been rated as 5-Star Stadia by UEFA. 5-Star rating A 5-star rating enables a stadium to host the finals of the UEFA European Football Championship and UEFA Champions League. They can also host finals of the UEFA Cup. All have seated capacities in excess of 50,000 spectators (with the exception of Ernst Happel Stadium, which is being expanded to 50,000-plus capacity for Euro 2008) and meet a number of additional quality criteria. 4-star rated stadia (capacity over 30,000 spectators) may hold the finals of the UEFA Cup. Criteria for UEFA 5 Star rating Minimum capacity of 50,000 (5-star venues) / 30,000 (4-star venues) – individual seats with backrests. (Venues that still have individual seats without proper backrests will still continue to be accepted. In future, however, closer attention will be paid to this aspect, and which will influence the committee’s decision regarding the addition of venues to these list categories.) Pitch dimensions of 105 x 68 m. The field of play must be in pristine condition and be prepared accordingly for a final (quality of grass, irrigation, smooth surface, etc.). Protective fences around the field of play are not acceptable. Venues which have such installations will not be included on the list. For More Informations on the Criteria, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Stadia_List UEFA 5-star stadia in England Old Trafford will be joined by new Wembley Stadium - alongside the Emirates Stadium - as the only UEFA 5-star stadia in England.

Manchester United Stadium: Old Trafford

STADIUM INFORMATION Name: Old Trafford Nickname: Theatre of Dreams Inauguration: 1909 Capacity: 76,000 seats Record Attendance: 76,962; Wolves-Grimsby, 25 March 1939 Address: Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0RA DIRECTIONS Car: From the Clockwise M60 (increasing junction numbers): Leave the Motorway at Junction 7 to join the A56 Manchester bound. Remain on the A56 following the signs for Manchester United. Turn left into Sir Matt Busby Way. Car parking is on the right in front of the stadium. From the Anti-clockwise M60 (decreasing junction numbers): Leave the M60 at Junction 9 and join Parkway (A5081) towards Trafford Park. At the first island take the 3rd exit onto Village Way and remain on this road until the next island (controlled by traffic lights). At this island take the second exit and then join Wharfside Way. Turn right at the junction with Sir Matt Busby Way, car parking is on the left in front of the stadium. Metrolink: Station 'Old Trafford' Nearest Airport: Manchester International Airport (15 km) STADIUM TOURS Options: Daily guided stadium tours (+ Man Utd museum) Opening times: Daily: 9:40-4:30 Prices: £9.00 (museum only: £5.50) More information/bookings: Tel: +44 (0) 870 442 1994 Email: tours@manutd.co.uk Internet: http://www.manutd.com/oldtrafford/frmtourbooking.sps TICKETS (Man Utd Games) Prices: £26.00-£34.00 Buy (apply for) tickets: Tel: +44 (0) 870 442 1999 (Ticket sales) Email: tickets@manutd.co.uk Internet: http://www.manutd.com/tickets/