All England and Ireland Self-Driving Guide (60) - Old Trafford Stadium
Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United and my memories continue to that red devils trip that I had a few years ago.
Today to fly back to the British island from Northern Ireland, it is another early flight, before 6 o'clock to the airport, the owner of the homestay where we stayed said that he could drive us to the airport before checking in, so we placed an order, but on the night of our stay, he said that he was going to go out at night, could not send us, and said that his home was very close to the airport, and it was not far to walk.
The experience of being cheated on staying in Northern Ireland and renting a car, as well as the not spectacular Giant's Causeway, the Aerial Cable Bridge and the Titanic Museum that closed early, made me feel that the Northern Lover was extremely unreliable, and perhaps this also made me understand why it clearly belonged to Ireland, but after Ireland rebelled against the success of its long-term colonization of its English independence, it left Ireland and stayed in Britain. Although there are small bumps in the journey, they are all experiences and part of understanding the world.
As the landing gear was lowered, I woke up from my dream and we returned to the British main island, looking high up, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution surrounded by green eyes, and we were about to complete the closed loop of the whole of the UNITED Kingdom road trip from Manchester.
Getting off the plane just happened to run into a group of rugby team kids ready to fly, although not the football team, but also excited my girlfriend companion, as a Red Devils fan, Manchester City is the holy place in her heart, so Manchester Our focus is on old Trafford, the home of Manchester United where Lord Ferguson worked.
Manchester City's car rental experience is the most comfortable for us in England, Scotland, northern Ireland three places, the staff from beginning to end are transparent and friendly, and finally let us feel the British people's rigorous style of doing things, but it can also be seen that the original people of the three countries even if they are integrated, but still maintain their own distinct personality, and usually our evaluation of the British actually refers to most of them are English.
Following the tone of google maps mechanical tablets through Manchester, the pioneer city of the old industrial revolution, the air has long been devoid of the smell of Dickens's "steam and sweat", in the world's first industrialized city based on cotton and based on textiles, the darkness and demise of the punk bands in the 1980s have long been mottled on the walls, replaced by novel buildings rising from the ground and red flames ignited by footballs.
Since the ancient red and blue CP, although it is just a joke in everyone's mouth, it is the color of the two British football clubs we plan to explore on this trip, but unfortunately we missed the opening hours of Chelsea clubs in London, and now in the territory of the Red Devils, we must pay a good respect.
Originally planned to go to Manchester City Hall before the stadium, but the one-hour late flight in the morning had to make us give up the first stop, the journey is like life, there are always trade-offs.
About half an hour's drive from the airport to Old Trafford, the second largest football stadium in England, known as The Theatre of Dreams, is also one of UEFA's five-star football stadiums, and the overall gray, red and green main colors look solemn and magnificent, and it has been expanding since it was built in 1909.
Parked, we were just at the north gate of the stadium, in front of the huge glass curtain wall against the blue sky and flowing clouds, the statue of Sir Alex Ferguson in a classic trench coat and holding his chest with both hands looking into the distance, a line of sir ALEX FERGUSON STAND (Sir Alex Ferguson stand) displayed high above the statue, which was a gift from the Manchester United club on sir Ferguson's 25th anniversary of coaching the team. For the first time in the history of Old Trafford, a personal name was used as the name of the stand in gratitude for the glory he had created for the team for more than two decades. When Ronaldo returned to Manchester United, he also said it was for Sir Alex Ferguson, and in an interview he also said: "Without Ferguson, there would be no me today." ”
Halfway from north to south, a statue of the Holy Trinity stands tall opposite the South Gate. 29 April 2008 was a day to remember for Manchester United, when the Red Devils lifted the first Champions League trophy in club history, notably Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, three great stars who scored a staggering 665 goals for United, between 1964 and 1968 All three of them have won the European Footballer of the Year award. They also have a name, which is "Babe Busby".
So on the opposite side of the Divine Trio, underneath the bright red Manchester United (Manchester United), sir Matt Busby, the creator of "Babe Busby", holds the ball in his left hand, and the statue with his right hand crossed at the waist gazes into the distance in front of the huge glass wall, the Scotsman who experienced the post-World War II revival and the Munich air disaster is definitely one of the greatest managers in the history of world football.
On 6 February 1958, a heart-wrenching day for Manchester United, a plane carrying the Red Devils players and coaches crashed in Munich, killing more than a dozen players and staff, including Duncan Edwards, known as the "Rising Star of England". Matt Busby was found in the rubble, who miraculously survived despite being badly injured and led the shattered United to rise back from the ashes of the crash and conquer the continent a decade later to win the European Champions League.
Sir Matt Busby has left Manchester United's most determined and brilliant memories, and it can be said that he shaped the character of Manchester United, and it can be said that he built the football of that era. Today, the legendary coach of English football silently watches over the Red Devils who have worked for him all his life behind him, and also receives the respect of all the visitors.
There is a souvenir shop on both sides of the south gate under the statue of Busby, and my fans and girlfriends are naturally very excited to buy and buy.
But we're not here today to shop, we're going to explore the interior of Old Trafford. Buy tickets at the ticket office and reserve a time for the stadium visit, which must be followed by the staff at the appointment time.
So while waiting to enter, you can just go to the museum on the other side of the North Stand, and visit the stadium from here.
The history of Manchester United from 1878 to the present day is recorded in detail in the 1998 museum, which is made up of three parts: the trophy gallery, the dream gallery and the Hall of Fame.
The portrait of Lord Foy, composed of signatures by everyone, shows how much everyone loves him. In the 27 years since Ferguson became the head coach of Manchester United in 1986, he has led Manchester United to 1500 matches, achieved 895 victories, won 13 Premier League titles, 2 UEFA Champions League titles, 5 FA Cups and other 38 titles, and helped Manchester United achieve the "Treble" in the 1998-99 season.
Looking at the trophies in this showroom, even if I am not a fan, my heart is very excited.
Several of the most weighty trophies, such as the Premier League champions, are in separate glass showcases.
Young C Luo in the photo. Cristiano Ronaldo was only 18 when he first joined Manchester United, and Sir Alex Ferguson was the most pivotal part of his career. He himself said, "For me, Sir Alex Ferguson was my father in football and he helped me a lot. We also have a very close relationship with each other, he is an incredible person and we are in constant contact. I really love him and for me, without Sir Alex Ferguson, there would be no C Ronaldo today, and that's why I'm back. I want to write new history for Manchester United again, help Manchester United win new honours, and write great moments together. ”
The 1958 Munich Pain is naturally an integral part of the museum, not only in football, but also in the history of sport. Busby, who returned to manchester United after six months in a hospital bed, vowed to recreate The glory of Manchester United and to use the title to comfort the undead of the Munich air disaster. He did, and although the road to rebirth has been a long way off, in 1963 Manchester United won the FA Cup, announcing the return of the king.
Five years later, on the 10th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, Busby finally won the European Champions Cup with Manchester United, and Busby raised the Champions Cup eight times, each time calling out the name of a player who died in the Munich air disaster. Bobby Charlton and other players cut their fingers, dripped blood into the Champions Cup, and then dripped on the court to comfort the souls of those who had passed away. At that moment, Manchester United achieved a complete rebirth after the Munich air disaster.
On the outer wall of the stadium's south stand there is also a "Munich Clock" commemorating the crash, which was permanently fixed at 3:04 p.m. on February 6, 1958, when the accident occurred.
People who have made outstanding contributions to Manchester United.
In the dim light, these are the glory of Manchester United along the way.
The jerseys and signature footballers who once shone on the pitch and were invincible.
There is also a video in the museum, and in the legendary Ferguson era, many classic moments have appeared and are constantly replayed, such as Bruce's two-time headers before the final game, Cantona's domineering side-leaking celebration after scoring against Sunderland, and so on.
There is also Lord Fo and Sir Fu sitting easily at work and chatting with you face to face, which makes people feel very kind.
After a spin, it was finally time for us to visit the interior of the stadium that we had booked. Before the visit, each person will be issued a visitor card, the slings are very red devils, this card can be taken away as a souvenir.
With the tour leader explaining the little brother, we came to the North Stand in Old Trafford, named after Sir Alex Ferguson, which has the largest cantilever roof in Europe. Looking at sir Bobby Charlton Stand South Stand opposite Sir Bobby Charlton,across the street from here, every time the players come out of the tunnel below, we'll go in a moment.
Looking to the right is Old Trafford, the most famous of which is its West Stand, also known as the Stretford End. This stand is home to United's die-hard fans and is the loudest cheer in the stadium during the game.
The East Stand on the left is also called the Scoreboard Stand because the scoreboard on the pitch is located in this stand, and the stands are the names of United's biggest sponsors.
Then the tour leader took us from the passage to the left and right and then to the lower level.
In the middle of the fiery red seats, the white seat spelled out "MANCHESTER UNITED", enthusiastic, resolute, even I, a pseudo-fan, was extremely excited.
The tour leader said very seriously and led us from the North Stand to the East Stand.
Old Trafford naturally has one of the safest systems in the UK and the best turf in the world, with 116 yards long and 76 yards wide lawn made of four different colours of grass, and a specially covered area near the goal called Grass Precocious Grass, imported from the United States, which is particularly resistant to trampling. The roofs of the four grandstands in the southeast, south, and northwest are designed with small transparent squares to ensure that the lawn can get enough sunlight, and even so, in autumn and winter and cloudy days, the yellow engineering vehicles we see provide heat and take good care of the players' battlefield.
The lawn is pruned three times a week from April to November, and once a week from November to March when the weather is cold and slow. Usually, except for the players and staff, the lawn is strictly forbidden to enter, and the away team can only enter the field 1 hour in advance to warm up. 3 underground fountains allow the lawn to be well irrigated even during the dry season. The underground is also paved with heating pipes that can be quickly thawed in case of frost or snow. In addition, the lawn drainage system is also superb to ensure that the race does not have to be postponed in bad weather.
Above the stands are leather chairs for VIP viewing, as well as family stands, private boxes and television studios with closed-circuit television for slow-motion or replay shots, with a dedicated attendant.
Little Fat Rooney sometimes celebrates wildly towards the away team fan area after scoring a goal, everyone thinks that he is deliberately provoking the away team fans, but in fact, it is not, only because his family's exclusive Box 7 happens to be above the away team fans, so he will often celebrate towards that area, this provoking opponent's pot, the little fat man's back is a bit wronged.
After visiting the stadium in the stands, the team leader led us into a room that could accommodate about 60 people, and then mysteriously told us that the slightly isolated room we were in now was the venue of Manchester United's press conference. This and the high-end atmosphere on the TV on the feeling is not a road number at all, every time the home game ends, the old lord with two players appeared in front of the reporter, and the place where the ceremony of signing new players, the screen looks very spacious and bright, but I did not expect to be such a small room. Perhaps because of the narrow size of the venue, the new player launch ceremony is not held here now. The first player to sign in the playroom was Dion Dublin, the second was the famous Eric Cantona and the last was the lamentable Diego Martin Forlan Corazo.
There is also this in the passage to the next stop, and the quiz is the most indispensable of all the fanatical competitions.
After walking through the corridor for a while, a street sign appeared on the front wall, "Manchester United Dressing Room", and my girlfriend's companion was already boiling with blood.
Sure enough, after passing through an ordinary door, I was greeted by a large, empty room with wooden walls and simple seats against the wall, a whiteboard with black lines drawing the layout of the football field, and silver hooks on the wall with the red jerseys of the current Manchester United players.
Without the need for a team leader to direct, everyone hula rushed into the room, grabbed their favorite player seats, and took crazy photos with the hanging jerseys. Of course, the team leader brother still let everyone sit down first, and after some explanation, he will give everyone time to take pictures.
In the eyes of a group of fans, the Red Devils dressing room is like a holy church, although it is impossible to get close to the real idols, but the meaning contained in the idols' battle robes has already broken through the sky, and we are reunited in the same space at different times, and it is also exciting to think.
Although I am not a fan, I have long been infected by the madness of my peer girlfriends, and I am also a pat on the back.
Then it's time to go to the away team's dressing room. I remember watching a game between Argentina and Côte d'Ivoire in Shanghai at the 2008 Olympics, when the stadium was bursting with Messi and everyone kept shouting his name.
I, a pseudo-fan, also fascinated Xiaobei for a while, when he was really handsome, and now I am sitting on the seat you sat in, leaning on your back, haha.
At that time, he had left Manchester United and moved to Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
After the crazy pat out, it is more exciting to appear in the ceremony. Every time the music of "Glory glory man united" sounds, the cheers of the mountains outside have already stirred up the atmosphere of the stadium, and the players will step into their battlefield from here under the leadership of caddies.
Following the leader's arrangement, everyone lined up in two groups, walking from the slightly dim passage to the bright and dazzling exit in front of them, experiencing the tension and excitement of facing tens of thousands of people.
Our girlfriends were already overwhelmed with excitement.
After coming out, I found that the player's exit passage was not in the middle of the stadium, the original old Trafford stadium has two passages, we just walked called the players' passage, next to it there is a central passage built in 1910, it is the only surviving part of the old stadium in the World War II air raids, the passage was used until 1993 to complete its historical mission. At that time, the inclination angle inside the passage was very large, and the slope was very steep, so that many players had developed the habit of jumping into the stadium, and now it has been changed to a staircase, but now the players do not play from this passage.
However, the seats of the home and away coaches and substitutes are still on both sides of the central passage, after all, this is the central point, this area ball has only been seen on TV before, and now it can have the perspective of the bishop's head, which naturally makes everyone very excited, especially the little boy with football dreams, leaning against the wall and dreaming about his future. There is also a white telephone hanging on the wall on the home team side, while the away team does not have this treatment.
In the past 100 years, the old stadium in front of us has staged countless classic games, such as the 1966 World Cup in England, the 1996 European Championship in England, the 2003 Champions League Final, the 2012 London Olympic Football Tournament, etc. Countless of the world's best teams and players have stepped on it, and every game is unprecedented. Not just British Manchester United fans, but fans all over the world regard this place as a land of dreams come true, which is why Sir Bobby Charlton calls it the "Theatre of Dreams".
More than an hour of Red Devils travel is over, my girlfriend is still reluctant to leave, simply to the RED CAFE in the stadium for lunch, although only a simple fast food, but watching a huge wall of huge screens 24 hours a day playing Manchester United wonderful shots, this must be my girlfriend thinks the most delicious meal.
Tips:
1. Opening hours: 9:40 - 16:30
2. Price: 18 pounds per adult
The next stop we go to Liverpool to see the Beatles. Don't want to follow the group! I don't want to travel poorly! How to enjoy the best experience during your trip at the most economical cost? For more comfortable and comprehensive self-guided tours and self-driving tours, please pay attention to the "gluttonous little lady" who walks between sensibility and reason.