WORST 90 MINUTES OF MY LIFE - AND THE BEST THREE
MANCHESTER United's jubilant Red Army began a huge victory
party in the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona last night as the
final whistle sounded. At precisely the same moment, the
team's home city dissolved into giddy celebration.
As despair turned to ecstasy in a few tumultuous minutes,
hardly a soul showed any sign of leaving the Barcelona
stadium as the final leg of the historic treble was
completed. The end of the match was the signal for the
45,000 United fans who managed to get tickets to go wild.
"Champions of Europe" they chanted, as their disbelief
faded.
The Nord Gol area of the ground, where the United fans were
grouped, became a seething mass of red and white. Victory,
snatched from defeat, completed an unbeaten run of 33 games
and brought United their third trophy in 11 amazing days.
Long after the game had finished and the opposite end of the
stadium had emptied of the 30,000 Bayern Munich supporters,
the United players remained on the pitch to receive the
deafening acclaim of their fans. As each hero in turn lifted
the trophy, there was another huge cheer.
The hundreds of pounds that supporters had spent on the
black market to obtain their tickets now seemed like the
bargain of the century.
David Wilson, 33, of Salford, summed up the feelings of
every United fan: "It's going to be the best night of my
life. I thought the treble was gone - I can hardly believe
it. We are going to have a massive party." His ticket cost
him £275. "It was worth every penny."
Ignoring announcements that coaches were about to leave for
the airport, the fans chanted for Alex Ferguson, the United
manager. Only when the players finally trooped off the
pitch, more than 45 minutes after the game ended, did the
first few gaps begin to appear in the stands.
Back home in Manchester, pubs and bars that moments earlier
had been mired in gloom erupted into uncontainable joy as
victory dawned. Fans streamed towards Old Trafford and the
city centre driven by the drama of the night.
Car horns blared, banners flew and every player in turn was
serenaded in song. Streets that for the best part of three
hours had been almost silent came alive with red-shirted
revellers, many of whom simply could not believe the scale
of what had just happened. "Amazing, just amazing," said
Martin Smith, 26, on Deansgate. "Never seen anything like
it. The worst 90 minutes of my life and the best three."
A fan who answered to the name of Keeno said: "We've done
it. Ferguson is the greatest ever. He knew how to swing it
and he did it."
When the clock ticked to 90 minutes, the atmosphere at the
Trafford Centre, where about 5,000 fans had packed in to
watch the action on the giant screen, was more wake than
carnival. Then pandemonium. Fans who had been urging their
team forward with exasperated desperation leapt for joy,
jumping into a decorative pool and embracing everyone in
sight. Seconds later, it happened all over again.
Children who had spent most of the second half in tears were
grinning. Staff were swallowed up in hugs. Once Manchester
has got over its hangover, half a million fans are expected
to welcome the heroes home today.
party in the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona last night as the
final whistle sounded. At precisely the same moment, the
team's home city dissolved into giddy celebration.
As despair turned to ecstasy in a few tumultuous minutes,
hardly a soul showed any sign of leaving the Barcelona
stadium as the final leg of the historic treble was
completed. The end of the match was the signal for the
45,000 United fans who managed to get tickets to go wild.
"Champions of Europe" they chanted, as their disbelief
faded.
The Nord Gol area of the ground, where the United fans were
grouped, became a seething mass of red and white. Victory,
snatched from defeat, completed an unbeaten run of 33 games
and brought United their third trophy in 11 amazing days.
Long after the game had finished and the opposite end of the
stadium had emptied of the 30,000 Bayern Munich supporters,
the United players remained on the pitch to receive the
deafening acclaim of their fans. As each hero in turn lifted
the trophy, there was another huge cheer.
The hundreds of pounds that supporters had spent on the
black market to obtain their tickets now seemed like the
bargain of the century.
David Wilson, 33, of Salford, summed up the feelings of
every United fan: "It's going to be the best night of my
life. I thought the treble was gone - I can hardly believe
it. We are going to have a massive party." His ticket cost
him £275. "It was worth every penny."
Ignoring announcements that coaches were about to leave for
the airport, the fans chanted for Alex Ferguson, the United
manager. Only when the players finally trooped off the
pitch, more than 45 minutes after the game ended, did the
first few gaps begin to appear in the stands.
Back home in Manchester, pubs and bars that moments earlier
had been mired in gloom erupted into uncontainable joy as
victory dawned. Fans streamed towards Old Trafford and the
city centre driven by the drama of the night.
Car horns blared, banners flew and every player in turn was
serenaded in song. Streets that for the best part of three
hours had been almost silent came alive with red-shirted
revellers, many of whom simply could not believe the scale
of what had just happened. "Amazing, just amazing," said
Martin Smith, 26, on Deansgate. "Never seen anything like
it. The worst 90 minutes of my life and the best three."
A fan who answered to the name of Keeno said: "We've done
it. Ferguson is the greatest ever. He knew how to swing it
and he did it."
When the clock ticked to 90 minutes, the atmosphere at the
Trafford Centre, where about 5,000 fans had packed in to
watch the action on the giant screen, was more wake than
carnival. Then pandemonium. Fans who had been urging their
team forward with exasperated desperation leapt for joy,
jumping into a decorative pool and embracing everyone in
sight. Seconds later, it happened all over again.
Children who had spent most of the second half in tears were
grinning. Staff were swallowed up in hugs. Once Manchester
has got over its hangover, half a million fans are expected
to welcome the heroes home today.