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| Outside Stadium Luzhniki on the day of the match |
I have
written about this new found website where a person can monitor his bucket list
in my previous posts. It’s an interesting website and it is inspiring me with a
lot of new ideas. Well it occurred to me that even though I am keeping track
with my bucket list using that particular website, it wouldn't hurt to post my
completed items here in this blog too.
So,
first in the list would be one of my childhood dreams. Ever since I started
supporting Manchester United, which I don't quite remember since when, I have
dreamed of watching them play live. My dream came true in 2008 and the way it
came true makes it one of the happiest and most memorable day of my life. Yes, I
was there in Stadium Luzhniki, Moscow on the 21st May 2008 when the Red Devils
were crowned as the Champions of Europe and hoisted the famous trophy for the
third time. Only 67,310 football fans from the whole wide world were there to
watch the game live, and I was one of them.
It all happened like a dream; like a roller coaster ride; it was fast, it was exciting, exhilarating and it was rejuvenating. I remember it as if it had happened yesterday. I was doing my final year in Moscow, and only during the knockout stages of the Champions League did it properly sink in to my mind that the Champions League finals will be played here in Moscow, in Luzhniki Stadium. I really wanted to go even though it wasn't decided yet who will be in the finals. But who cares, this is the Champions League finals 2008, I would want to watch it even if it was Shalke 04 vs Olympiacos.
But what are the odds of getting a ticket. Lining up to get a ticket at the ticket counter when sales start would be utterly impossible. I still remember when England played Russia for the Euro 2006 qualifiers; the queue was so long that it stretched a few miles. People were camping outside the counter a day before. So it was totally out of the question. As my heart and will desired to go, my brain was cracking itself to come up with a solution. That is when I was made aware by a friend about the lottery system for the online ticket sales. Little did I know that lady luck was already smiling at me at that precise moment.
The process was quite simple. All you have to do is login into the UEFA website and register yourself to make a bid for the Champions League Finals ticket. Anyone can make a bid as long as they have a valid credit card. Each bid is entitled to win two tickets. The bidding period is open for three weeks. Once the bidding has been closed the system randomly picks 5,250 applicants where each applicant will receive 2 tickets each making it 10,500 tickets to be given away all together. The chance of getting a ticket is really difficult. But my initial problem was making a bid to begin with as I did not have a credit card.
That minor problem was solved when I and my friends decided that we should pair non credit card holders with credit card holders since 2 tickets are being given away for each bidder. I was to be paired with my block mate Ajed (Faizal Nazli) who is also a Manchester United supporter like me. The only thing left to do was to wait for the bidding to open, submit our applications and hope for the best. The first day of bidding finally came and we placed our bid one hour after it opened and we were already the 7,060th applicant. 6 hours after that another one of my friend registered and he was number 75,000 and above. By the next 24 hours, the bid had reached more than 200,000 bids and it will continue to be open for the next three weeks. Our chances seemed slimmer by the day.
But I kept on hoping, I kept on believing. And finally the day of the lottery came, a confirmation email will be sent to those who are successful. We came back from class and straight away checked my friend's email. Unfortunately he didn't receive any email from UEFA. Disappointed, I hit the bed straight away; once again my brain was cracking itself to find another way to get the tickets. Frustration made me tired and I dozed off. Maybe my dreams will bear a solution for my problem. I wasn't sure how long I was asleep, but I was woken when my friend, Ajed was jumping on my bed like a mad child. He kept on screaming "We won! We won!” I was too sleepy to register what was going on. I looked at him and said with my sleepy voice, "Yes, yes, I know, I know". He gave a weird expression and went back to his room. I was dozing off to sleep once again when my brain finally processed and registered what had happened. Was it real or was I dreaming?
It was true, it did really happen, I have won the ticket, and I’m going to the Champions League Final 2008. Now I have to wait patiently to find out who will play in the finals. By the time the bid results were announced the Champions League was already in the 1st leg of the quarter final stages. The best news was Manchester United was still there with 7 other teams in the quarter final which were Arsenal, Liverpool, AS Roma, Schalke 04, Barcelona, Fenerbache and Chelsea. Manchester United was playing against Roma, but it was not that hard for them to go pass the Roman Gladiators. But they hit a brick wall in the semi finals. Barcelona awaited them in the next stages. The Red Devils had quite a trouble beating them but I was unable to watch the matches as something else came up and I had to go back to Malaysia. That will be foretold in a different post.
When I came back to Moscow, I was greeted by the amazing news that Chelsea will be playing with Manchester United in the finals here in Moscow, and I had the tickets to go and watch them. My dream was coming true; I will be finally watching them play live. But I never knew that the game will turn out to be one of the most exciting matches I have ever watched. The wait for the finals was exactly 21 days from the day of the semi final result. The days seem to move really slowly but I didn't mind as the build up to the final was amazing especially the last three days before the finals as they held the Champions League 2008 exhibition in the Red Square. It was filled with many booths; UEFA, Manchester United, Chelsea, Vodafone and many more. A lot of games were there to win prizes, competition to win tickets, video presentation of the Champions League history and also the famous trophy which was on display for every fan to take picture with it. Even though the queue was always a few miles long, I didn't miss my chance.
The day of the finals finally came, 21st May 2008. It was going to be played at 10.45pm to match the normal kick off time according to Central European Time which was 8.45pm. All those who had the tickets both from my hostel, Kahovskaya and the other hostel, Spartivnaya got ready and were off to the Luzhniki stadium. Not all of us had tickets; some were following along to see whether they could get tickets from people who will be selling it near the stadium grounds with increased price. Some were original tickets, some were fakes, and you have to be careful when you buy from people like these. I didn't have to worry about that, I had my official ticket and my seating was in the Manchester United half with my Red Devil brothers.
We were in the stadium quite early, watching the fans from all around the world gathering and cheering for their teams be it Manchester United or Chelsea was great. There were still some games going on for fans to play, some face painting for the fans and many other exciting things. As we went around the stadium we met lot of different type of supporters and we also ran into the famous "Punjabi Red Devils Fans" who were always seated behind Sir Alex Ferguson in Old Trafford. We even took pictures with them. After all the excitement outside the stadium, it was time to go into the stadium for the ultimate showdown. We got to our seats; it felt like home being surrounded by so many Manchester United fans who share the same passion as me for the club. We mixed around with crowd, took a few pictures, there was the opening ceremony and then it was time for the kick off.
It all happened like a dream; like a roller coaster ride; it was fast, it was exciting, exhilarating and it was rejuvenating. I remember it as if it had happened yesterday. I was doing my final year in Moscow, and only during the knockout stages of the Champions League did it properly sink in to my mind that the Champions League finals will be played here in Moscow, in Luzhniki Stadium. I really wanted to go even though it wasn't decided yet who will be in the finals. But who cares, this is the Champions League finals 2008, I would want to watch it even if it was Shalke 04 vs Olympiacos.
But what are the odds of getting a ticket. Lining up to get a ticket at the ticket counter when sales start would be utterly impossible. I still remember when England played Russia for the Euro 2006 qualifiers; the queue was so long that it stretched a few miles. People were camping outside the counter a day before. So it was totally out of the question. As my heart and will desired to go, my brain was cracking itself to come up with a solution. That is when I was made aware by a friend about the lottery system for the online ticket sales. Little did I know that lady luck was already smiling at me at that precise moment.
The process was quite simple. All you have to do is login into the UEFA website and register yourself to make a bid for the Champions League Finals ticket. Anyone can make a bid as long as they have a valid credit card. Each bid is entitled to win two tickets. The bidding period is open for three weeks. Once the bidding has been closed the system randomly picks 5,250 applicants where each applicant will receive 2 tickets each making it 10,500 tickets to be given away all together. The chance of getting a ticket is really difficult. But my initial problem was making a bid to begin with as I did not have a credit card.
That minor problem was solved when I and my friends decided that we should pair non credit card holders with credit card holders since 2 tickets are being given away for each bidder. I was to be paired with my block mate Ajed (Faizal Nazli) who is also a Manchester United supporter like me. The only thing left to do was to wait for the bidding to open, submit our applications and hope for the best. The first day of bidding finally came and we placed our bid one hour after it opened and we were already the 7,060th applicant. 6 hours after that another one of my friend registered and he was number 75,000 and above. By the next 24 hours, the bid had reached more than 200,000 bids and it will continue to be open for the next three weeks. Our chances seemed slimmer by the day.
But I kept on hoping, I kept on believing. And finally the day of the lottery came, a confirmation email will be sent to those who are successful. We came back from class and straight away checked my friend's email. Unfortunately he didn't receive any email from UEFA. Disappointed, I hit the bed straight away; once again my brain was cracking itself to find another way to get the tickets. Frustration made me tired and I dozed off. Maybe my dreams will bear a solution for my problem. I wasn't sure how long I was asleep, but I was woken when my friend, Ajed was jumping on my bed like a mad child. He kept on screaming "We won! We won!” I was too sleepy to register what was going on. I looked at him and said with my sleepy voice, "Yes, yes, I know, I know". He gave a weird expression and went back to his room. I was dozing off to sleep once again when my brain finally processed and registered what had happened. Was it real or was I dreaming?
It was true, it did really happen, I have won the ticket, and I’m going to the Champions League Final 2008. Now I have to wait patiently to find out who will play in the finals. By the time the bid results were announced the Champions League was already in the 1st leg of the quarter final stages. The best news was Manchester United was still there with 7 other teams in the quarter final which were Arsenal, Liverpool, AS Roma, Schalke 04, Barcelona, Fenerbache and Chelsea. Manchester United was playing against Roma, but it was not that hard for them to go pass the Roman Gladiators. But they hit a brick wall in the semi finals. Barcelona awaited them in the next stages. The Red Devils had quite a trouble beating them but I was unable to watch the matches as something else came up and I had to go back to Malaysia. That will be foretold in a different post.
When I came back to Moscow, I was greeted by the amazing news that Chelsea will be playing with Manchester United in the finals here in Moscow, and I had the tickets to go and watch them. My dream was coming true; I will be finally watching them play live. But I never knew that the game will turn out to be one of the most exciting matches I have ever watched. The wait for the finals was exactly 21 days from the day of the semi final result. The days seem to move really slowly but I didn't mind as the build up to the final was amazing especially the last three days before the finals as they held the Champions League 2008 exhibition in the Red Square. It was filled with many booths; UEFA, Manchester United, Chelsea, Vodafone and many more. A lot of games were there to win prizes, competition to win tickets, video presentation of the Champions League history and also the famous trophy which was on display for every fan to take picture with it. Even though the queue was always a few miles long, I didn't miss my chance.
The day of the finals finally came, 21st May 2008. It was going to be played at 10.45pm to match the normal kick off time according to Central European Time which was 8.45pm. All those who had the tickets both from my hostel, Kahovskaya and the other hostel, Spartivnaya got ready and were off to the Luzhniki stadium. Not all of us had tickets; some were following along to see whether they could get tickets from people who will be selling it near the stadium grounds with increased price. Some were original tickets, some were fakes, and you have to be careful when you buy from people like these. I didn't have to worry about that, I had my official ticket and my seating was in the Manchester United half with my Red Devil brothers.
We were in the stadium quite early, watching the fans from all around the world gathering and cheering for their teams be it Manchester United or Chelsea was great. There were still some games going on for fans to play, some face painting for the fans and many other exciting things. As we went around the stadium we met lot of different type of supporters and we also ran into the famous "Punjabi Red Devils Fans" who were always seated behind Sir Alex Ferguson in Old Trafford. We even took pictures with them. After all the excitement outside the stadium, it was time to go into the stadium for the ultimate showdown. We got to our seats; it felt like home being surrounded by so many Manchester United fans who share the same passion as me for the club. We mixed around with crowd, took a few pictures, there was the opening ceremony and then it was time for the kick off.
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| In Stadium Luzhniki before the kick-off |
But before the kick off, when the Manchester United
players were coming into the stadium every fan in the Manchester United side of
the stadium were asked to hold up a red or white A4 sized plastic material.
When we did this we would be spelling out the word "BELIEVE" for the
players to see. It was amazing. The game started and it was spectacular, both
teams were defending well and hit hard on the counter attacks. It was end to
end attacking. We were singing cheers and chants for the team and also for the
individual players which I have learned from the Bobby Dazler Manchester United
Bar in Moscow where I use to watch important matches. Every minute was so nerve
wrecking and finally the deadlock was broken on the 26th minute, the Red Devils
scored and who else to do it then the top scorer for the Champions League 2008,
Cristiano Ronaldo. The stadium erupted, at least on one side; the blue side of
the stadium were silenced. We are here and we are taking the trophy back with
us.
But the celebration didn't last long, around 20 minutes after we opened the score, Frank Lampard equalized in the 45th minute putting the ball pass Van Der Sar. This time the noise came from the blue half of the stadium, we were silenced. The half time whistle blew, and we were tied 1-1. We were restless and I am sure the Chelsea fans were feeling the same. We had 45 minutes to put the game to bed. The second half started and it was intense as the first half. Both teams had equal chances with Chelsea hitting the bar a few times. Ryan Giggs came in as a substitute for the club record of 759th appearance. The game ended with the score still being level on 1-1. It was time for extra time; the tension was building, looks like I was getting my tickets worth to watch a full 120 minutes of the game. It will be worth it as long as we emerge victorious at the end.
The clock was ticking away in the extra time and there was no goal to be seen as fatigue started to creep into the players. The second half of extra time brought a turnaround of events when Didier Drogba was sent off for slapping Nemanja Vidic. Chelsea was down to ten men, but the time left was too short for the Red Devils to capitalize on the extra man advantage. The final whistle blew, 120 minutes; score still 1-1, off to the penalties. My heart was already pounding so hard, I wasn't sure if I could handle this. It was a nail biting nerve wrecking experience. Finally the players were ready, with Manchester United taking the first kick. Carlos Tevez stepped up for United and scored. Then Ballack for Chelsea, Carrick for United and Belletti for Chelsea, all scoring keeping the score level at 2-2.
Next came Cristiano Ronaldo for the Red Devils, he missed. Silence throughout the Red half. Waves of cheers and roar came from the Chelsea fans. The player that put us in front has put us on the back pedal. But he can't be blamed. We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him. We needed Chelsea to miss now to level the scoring. Lampard for Chelsea, Hargreaves for United, Ashley Cole for Chelsea and Nani for United, all scored. John Terry was stepping up for the last kick, the kick that will hand Chelsea the trophy. All hope was lost, we came this far and John Terry was ready to put an end to Chelsea's Champions League title drought. Terry took the shot and Van Der Sar went the wrong way but it didn't matter as the ball missed the goal. Terry had missed as he slipped during the kick.
For a split second we didn't know what had just happened. We were still in the game, we still had a chance, and the Red half roared their lungs out. Chelsea almost had the title in their grasps. But now it was anyone's trophy. The shootout will go on until someone misses and the other team scores or the other way around. Anderson for United and Kalou for Chelsea both scored. Ryan Giggs for United and he scored with ease. Nicholas Anelka for Chelsea, Van Der Sar was ready, he took the shoot and Van Der Sar jumped the right way parrying away his shot. It was over, United fans cheered to bring the roof down, players were running towards Van Der Sar, it was over. We were champions; we were champions for the third time. We were cheering our lungs out, players were celebrating and I still couldn't believe it, we were Champions of Europe.
The celebration went on; we were singing cheers for the team and players. We were excited and hugging each other, known friends and unknown strangers, it didn't matter as all were our United brothers and sisters. The players were celebrating on the field. Chelsea fans had already left and it was time for the trophy presentation ceremony. Chelsea players went to receive their medals first, they played well, a hard fought battle but it wasn't their day to be. Then it was the Champions turn, United's turn. Medals were given out to our heroes, and the famous trophy was hoisted. It was one of the best sights I have ever seen, seeing my team, Manchester United lift the Champions League trophy right in front of my eyes. Post celebrations went on until all the players left the field.
Then it was time for us to leave. But the cheering and singing didn't stop. We cheered and sang as we left the stadium, it continued on the streets as we walked to the Metro station, and it continued in the Metro station as we waited for our train, and it didn't stop even when we were inside the train. It just went on and on as we reached our Metro station, as we walked on the streets back to our hostel and until the inside of our rooms where we joined by other friends who couldn't be with us at the stadium. The celebration went on for days, talking about the match over and over again, downloading the match and watching it over and over again, we just couldn't stop.
The day I watched Manchester United play live was one of the happiest day of my life. Not only I watched them play live, I watched them play live in the Champions League finals, I watched them play for the full 120 minutes, I watched them play the penalties and I watched them hoist the coveted Champions League trophy. The feeling was just amazing, it was unbelievable, it was exhilarating, it was just too good to be true but it was. No words can explain the joy and excitement that I felt. Bucketlist #01: Watching Manchester United Play Live - Checked.
But the celebration didn't last long, around 20 minutes after we opened the score, Frank Lampard equalized in the 45th minute putting the ball pass Van Der Sar. This time the noise came from the blue half of the stadium, we were silenced. The half time whistle blew, and we were tied 1-1. We were restless and I am sure the Chelsea fans were feeling the same. We had 45 minutes to put the game to bed. The second half started and it was intense as the first half. Both teams had equal chances with Chelsea hitting the bar a few times. Ryan Giggs came in as a substitute for the club record of 759th appearance. The game ended with the score still being level on 1-1. It was time for extra time; the tension was building, looks like I was getting my tickets worth to watch a full 120 minutes of the game. It will be worth it as long as we emerge victorious at the end.
The clock was ticking away in the extra time and there was no goal to be seen as fatigue started to creep into the players. The second half of extra time brought a turnaround of events when Didier Drogba was sent off for slapping Nemanja Vidic. Chelsea was down to ten men, but the time left was too short for the Red Devils to capitalize on the extra man advantage. The final whistle blew, 120 minutes; score still 1-1, off to the penalties. My heart was already pounding so hard, I wasn't sure if I could handle this. It was a nail biting nerve wrecking experience. Finally the players were ready, with Manchester United taking the first kick. Carlos Tevez stepped up for United and scored. Then Ballack for Chelsea, Carrick for United and Belletti for Chelsea, all scoring keeping the score level at 2-2.
Next came Cristiano Ronaldo for the Red Devils, he missed. Silence throughout the Red half. Waves of cheers and roar came from the Chelsea fans. The player that put us in front has put us on the back pedal. But he can't be blamed. We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him. We needed Chelsea to miss now to level the scoring. Lampard for Chelsea, Hargreaves for United, Ashley Cole for Chelsea and Nani for United, all scored. John Terry was stepping up for the last kick, the kick that will hand Chelsea the trophy. All hope was lost, we came this far and John Terry was ready to put an end to Chelsea's Champions League title drought. Terry took the shot and Van Der Sar went the wrong way but it didn't matter as the ball missed the goal. Terry had missed as he slipped during the kick.
For a split second we didn't know what had just happened. We were still in the game, we still had a chance, and the Red half roared their lungs out. Chelsea almost had the title in their grasps. But now it was anyone's trophy. The shootout will go on until someone misses and the other team scores or the other way around. Anderson for United and Kalou for Chelsea both scored. Ryan Giggs for United and he scored with ease. Nicholas Anelka for Chelsea, Van Der Sar was ready, he took the shoot and Van Der Sar jumped the right way parrying away his shot. It was over, United fans cheered to bring the roof down, players were running towards Van Der Sar, it was over. We were champions; we were champions for the third time. We were cheering our lungs out, players were celebrating and I still couldn't believe it, we were Champions of Europe.
The celebration went on; we were singing cheers for the team and players. We were excited and hugging each other, known friends and unknown strangers, it didn't matter as all were our United brothers and sisters. The players were celebrating on the field. Chelsea fans had already left and it was time for the trophy presentation ceremony. Chelsea players went to receive their medals first, they played well, a hard fought battle but it wasn't their day to be. Then it was the Champions turn, United's turn. Medals were given out to our heroes, and the famous trophy was hoisted. It was one of the best sights I have ever seen, seeing my team, Manchester United lift the Champions League trophy right in front of my eyes. Post celebrations went on until all the players left the field.
Then it was time for us to leave. But the cheering and singing didn't stop. We cheered and sang as we left the stadium, it continued on the streets as we walked to the Metro station, and it continued in the Metro station as we waited for our train, and it didn't stop even when we were inside the train. It just went on and on as we reached our Metro station, as we walked on the streets back to our hostel and until the inside of our rooms where we joined by other friends who couldn't be with us at the stadium. The celebration went on for days, talking about the match over and over again, downloading the match and watching it over and over again, we just couldn't stop.
The day I watched Manchester United play live was one of the happiest day of my life. Not only I watched them play live, I watched them play live in the Champions League finals, I watched them play for the full 120 minutes, I watched them play the penalties and I watched them hoist the coveted Champions League trophy. The feeling was just amazing, it was unbelievable, it was exhilarating, it was just too good to be true but it was. No words can explain the joy and excitement that I felt. Bucketlist #01: Watching Manchester United Play Live - Checked.
