Manchester United – The theatre of dreams
What is a dream? What makes up a dream? Does the story of an unheard of, 17 year old Italian boy, making his debut in front of seventy six thousand people and scoring a goal that will long live in the memory of millions of people worldwide, qualify as a
dream? Or does the story of a veteran pro, written off by many and having to prove himself again, scoring in extra time to get a win against local rivals make up a dream? Or is it the countless other stories of superhuman efforts, overcoming gargantuan tasks
and being admired by all and sundry, achieved while playing a simple game of football for ninety minutes every week? Possibly, or it could be part of your job description while playing for one of the biggest football clubs in the world, Manchester United.
One of the most successful British clubs taking into account its history and its current dominance, Manchester United are the most instantly recognizable brand in world football. Where to start? Three European cups, eighteen league titles, eleven FA cups
among others adorn the trophy cabinet at Old Trafford, the home of the team affectionately called United by its fans, making it the most successful team domestically in England. They also possess the most decorated coach in English football, Sir Alex Ferguson,
who has been at the helm for more than 20 years, winning a plethora of titles and invoking the wrath of countless other managers along the way, while also acting as a father figure to his players and enabling the team to play the ‘Manchester United way’ of
being aggressive, attacking and enjoyable to watch and also solid at the back with resolute defending – demonstrated in consistently high goal difference totals at the end of the season. And if that’s not all, they also possess one of the world’s most recognizable
football stadiums and the biggest stadium of any club in the English top flight with over 76000 seats being filled by passionate fans week in, week out, in Old Trafford which has been given the popular moniker, ‘the theatre of dreams’, truly a place where
dreams are fulfilled.
Although from time to time, United has bought world-class players at staggering fees in millions of pounds, the club has always focused on its youth and giving the chance to youngsters who have been trained at the club’s academy and brought up under the
Manchester United philosophy of playing football and respecting the club and its traditions. Whether it was under Sir Matt Busby, the second longest serving manager and the pioneer of the traditions now deeply entrenched in the club, with his Busby Babes or
now under Sir Alex Ferguson, United have always focused on bringing forward young players and giving them a chance to excel on the stage provided by the club. And the results have been fruitful, with players like Sir Bobby Charlton, Duncan Edwards, George
Best, David Beckham, Paul Scholes among others lining up for Manchester United and winning top honors for the club.
One of the trademark qualities of the club is its never-say-die attitude which is characterized in its ability to keep working until the final whistle sounds, a quality which has won the club matches throughout its history and resultantly won European cups,
domestic leagues and FA cups. The attitude can be traced back to the Munich air disaster of 1958 when returning from a European match, the team plane crashed after takeoff taking the lives of several players and coaches, and despite such tragic losses, United
still fielded a team to play the following week’s league match and completely re-built the side to win titles again as is the Manchester United way, the never-say-die attitude which has made the club from Manchester, one of the most loved and respected clubs
around the world and truly, a theatre of dreams.
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