"ooo ahhh oooo ahhh ooo ahhh Cannttooona ooo ahhh Cantona"..
Obsession. Passion. Love. Football.
It's been with me since childhood, in the background of every thought, pulsating through the blood stream, deep in the genes of English and Irish heritage, an uncontrolable passion, posssesing my mind.
It all started as a six year old. At that age kids have a tendancy to follow the crowd. My best friend Charlotte was a Manchester United supporter, so naturally I followed suit. She had a reason for following the club, her dad was a Notherner born and bred. But I didn't have any right to support them, I grew up in a small suburb of London, Worcester Park. The closest football ground to my home would have been Sutton United or Kingstonian, but out of the big boys I had a choice of Wimbledon, Fulham, Palace or even Chelsea. I suppose this makes me a traitor. A glory hunter! A plastic Manc. I've heard it all over the last twenty something years ...
My Dad is a Chelsea fan, a season ticket holder, he has followed the club since he came over to England from Ireland as boy. It's his dads team, his cousins team and as he often tells me, apparently, it should be my team.
I think it was in 1992 -1993 that I got my first shirt. Dad reluctantly bought it for me, he had a Chelsea one in back up.
My first real memories of United come in the 93-94 season. A season that saw United win the domestic double in their 19th consecutive season in the top flight. It was a season that saw Eric Cantona score 25 goals in all competitions, with a series of dazling displays including a double against Chelsea in the fa cup final. It's a funny story, because my Dad was doing a lot at this time to put me off this "appauling" choice of football team. We made a bargain, the winner of the 1994 fa cup final decides my allegiance for the rest of my life... The first frenchman to take a penalty in a cup final vs. the 1st Russian goal keeper in a cup final. But can Eric make his mark ...Hughes ... yesss Mark Hughes again .. oh and on side it's Ince he's away and cross unselfish McClairrrrrr!!!!!!!! The rest is history.
It's a love affair that has blossomed over the years. My 12 year old self saw us win the fa cup at the old Wembley, treble season. The day England won the Rugby world cup I was at Old trafford watching a pretty dismal performance against blackburn, a Berbatov master class against fulham, several terrible performances at Stamford Bridge, observed by a very happy daddy. We've had some greats over the years Giggs, Scholes, Van Nistelrooy, Cole, Yorke, Sheringham, Solskjaer, Beckham, Neville, Irwin, Staam, Keane, Schemeichel, Hughes, McClair, Robson, Bruce, Ronaldo and not forgetting the legends Charlton, Best and Law to name a mere few. But who can forget the pure class of Cantona, the sublime passing, the arrogance, the brilliance of the finishing, there will never be anything that touches that class again, so i leave you with just that. Le King.
Obsession. Passion. Love. Football.
It's been with me since childhood, in the background of every thought, pulsating through the blood stream, deep in the genes of English and Irish heritage, an uncontrolable passion, posssesing my mind.
It all started as a six year old. At that age kids have a tendancy to follow the crowd. My best friend Charlotte was a Manchester United supporter, so naturally I followed suit. She had a reason for following the club, her dad was a Notherner born and bred. But I didn't have any right to support them, I grew up in a small suburb of London, Worcester Park. The closest football ground to my home would have been Sutton United or Kingstonian, but out of the big boys I had a choice of Wimbledon, Fulham, Palace or even Chelsea. I suppose this makes me a traitor. A glory hunter! A plastic Manc. I've heard it all over the last twenty something years ...
My Dad is a Chelsea fan, a season ticket holder, he has followed the club since he came over to England from Ireland as boy. It's his dads team, his cousins team and as he often tells me, apparently, it should be my team.
I think it was in 1992 -1993 that I got my first shirt. Dad reluctantly bought it for me, he had a Chelsea one in back up.
My first real memories of United come in the 93-94 season. A season that saw United win the domestic double in their 19th consecutive season in the top flight. It was a season that saw Eric Cantona score 25 goals in all competitions, with a series of dazling displays including a double against Chelsea in the fa cup final. It's a funny story, because my Dad was doing a lot at this time to put me off this "appauling" choice of football team. We made a bargain, the winner of the 1994 fa cup final decides my allegiance for the rest of my life... The first frenchman to take a penalty in a cup final vs. the 1st Russian goal keeper in a cup final. But can Eric make his mark ...Hughes ... yesss Mark Hughes again .. oh and on side it's Ince he's away and cross unselfish McClairrrrrr!!!!!!!! The rest is history.
It's a love affair that has blossomed over the years. My 12 year old self saw us win the fa cup at the old Wembley, treble season. The day England won the Rugby world cup I was at Old trafford watching a pretty dismal performance against blackburn, a Berbatov master class against fulham, several terrible performances at Stamford Bridge, observed by a very happy daddy. We've had some greats over the years Giggs, Scholes, Van Nistelrooy, Cole, Yorke, Sheringham, Solskjaer, Beckham, Neville, Irwin, Staam, Keane, Schemeichel, Hughes, McClair, Robson, Bruce, Ronaldo and not forgetting the legends Charlton, Best and Law to name a mere few. But who can forget the pure class of Cantona, the sublime passing, the arrogance, the brilliance of the finishing, there will never be anything that touches that class again, so i leave you with just that. Le King.
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