The game has finished but the crowd have continued to roar as they leave. In fact, let’s start again from when the pitch was not even ready. Out come the grass cutters with their long sharp blades which cut the grass to a certain height, out come the white liners making each line as straight as possible. As the machines began to reach their finish line of 100 yards, next were the sprinklers spitting venom as if they were snakes in attack mode. As I look across the pitch, I don’t think I am able to establish a single piece of grass which has not been touched by the snake’s venom.

The pitch is now ready, out come the cleaners making sure every piece of litter had disappeared from the last game. Next come the clothes which cover the chairs which not only protect the chairs but give the cleaners an easier job and also to give you an extra hint for you to identify where you are. The pitch freshened and the stands cleared off the cleaners rush to make sure that the rich are made to feel rich.

The first hut has now opened and you can smell the oil burning, now it was time for business. The first spectator enters and before he could even find his seat he was checked by three different staff to ensure he was not breaking the law.

The stadium holds 76,000 but it feels as if the whole world had come along to see this battle commence. The darkness had now covered the sky and in domino faction on came the lights and as everyone waiting for the last light to make its entrance out came the referee with  both teams following him and the captains playing the role of the conductors with their fellow players as their orchestra. Anthems sang, twenty-two players counted and it was now time for the battle to get under way.

With a blow of the whistle of the ball went. five minutes past and chants had began to roar through the stadium, if you were outside you would have run in terror of the stadium collapsing. 3 minutes more and the small blue maestro had the ball at his feet and as he lifts his leg to stick the ball past the keeper, up to avoid the embarrassment comes the keeper but with no chance to stop it the ball is simply rolled past him and the crowd erupted.

15 minutes in and the battle was now a full-blooded affair and the diver as known to most, using his 160 pound Adidas boots he receives the ball and with a blink of the eyes the ball rips down the back of the net and the water emphasizes the finish. Half an hour of the ball going back and forth, great saves here, great saves their and people throwing their various weights around to make sure their team doesn’t lose. As my neck begins to strain , the balls hits the divers feet and he curls the ball to back post, as the crowd silence in astonishment  in comes the big monster using his hair to give him a few inches, but is not needed as his forehead sweetly connects with the black emblem placed on the center of the ball. The keeper watches in amazement as the ball fly’s into the roof of the net. The players have given their all and with the sharp blow of the whistle the game is now frozen and in a flash the players have disappeared.

The seats have now become deserted as the fans rush to make sure they fill their bellies before the players return to once again give their all. Luckily enough for me I am treated today as a king so I don’t have to wait for the staff to chop down their lines with each order. I have returned to my throne and to my delight next to me stood the real king of this palace, sir Alex Ferguson. As my body freeze, my lips are able to utter the words “may I have a picture” and with a nod of his head I am now able to move and I rush to remove my phone from my back pocket and quickly take the picture before he is able to change his mind.

20 minutes into the second half and the ball has reached the feet of the captain of the mighty reds and as he turns the little Spaniard’s opens his mouth to call and the captain in an instance the ball is now at the little man’s feet and in two magical touches the ball was now through the keepers legs. The stadium has now turned red, less than seven minutes down the timeline, the reds now have a free kick which was put straight in the box and up came the big monster but not the one with big hair but the one with low hair but big stature, the crowd was now ballistic because they the game is now won. The reds are down to ten with the big central midfielder holding a knock. The last-minute and to the delight of the blues striker the ball has now reached his feet and he has managed to squeeze it in the smallest gap possible but the game was already done and with the final blow of the whistle the game is now over.

We are now where we started and as I leave the stadium with the biggest smile on my face, in come the cleaners just have a brief look to see the task in which entails them when they return.

p.s what game was we watching?