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View From The Stands: Spurs

K-Stand Red gives you her view of the Spurs match, from the fast food before the game to the post-match walk of relief. Her full blog was posted on our Talking Reds message board where new bloggers are always welcome...

This was a game that had a lot more pressure surrounding it than United vs Spurs matches usually do, due to the shaky start that the team have had. I had a tense feeling in the pit of my stomach...

We arrived around 1.30pm to a strange atmosphere. It seemed quieter than usual on the forecourt but there were still plenty of people milling around, and taking lots of photos. For lunch, we headed over to The Lowry which was predictably full of Reds. (The woman who kept serving us at KFC last season must wonder where on earth we are now!) We saw Jane up in the Food Court so we had a good chat about all things United whilst watching the Ipswich vs Crystal Palace match on the big screens and wishing it was Middlesbrough vs Newcastle! A guy was walking around in a Liverpool shirt - maybe he thought he was being clever but he was certainly getting dirty looks from all directions!

Usually the walk en masse to the ground is very upbeat and buzzy. This walk however, was not. It was very low key and it really started to make me think how much recent results have affected morale among the fans and in turn, how much it must be getting to the players. We got into the ground around half an hour before kick off (I'm still not used to the season ticket cards) and bought our programmes on the concourse (Keith, our programme guy, is on holiday).

After some time watching the plasma screens on the concourse, we made our way into our seats and looked around at the place bathed in August sunshine. It was a perfect afternoon - but would we get a result to match it?

Before the game kicked off, there were trophy presentations for Reserve Player of the Year (Kieran Lee) and Youth Player of the Year (Craig Cathcart) and the victorious Champions' Youth Cup winning team was also presented to the crowd who gave them all a standing ovation.

Looking around, with people now generally back from their summer holidays, we found a lot of familiar faces are still in K-Stand like the guys that sit in front of us, Royal Mail guy, the annoying people that sit next to my hubby that always leave way before the final whistle, Ian's MUFC mate (again, long story!) but still no Bolton Paul which is a worry. It would be such a shame if he gave up his season ticket as he was always such a vocal character in our part of the ground. The Yorkshires were nowhere to be found either.

The game kicked off and Keane's first minute shot that came crashing off the bar set nerves jangling straight away. The Yorkshires then started to filter in - Tall Guy first, grumbling about the '****** trams' followed by Little Guy and Quiet Bloke. Drunk Bloke made his appearance 12 minutes into the game, staggering in with his face aglow, and he had to be hoisted into his seat by the other lads. He seemed happily oblivious to all this though and kept a serene smile plastered on his face the whole time!

Back to the game - and the unusual atmosphere. Usually the fans start off feeling optimistic and if things don't go well, that may drop off a bit. Well this game was totally back to front. Everyone seemed to start on a pessimistic note which got even worse. It felt like everyone was on a collective downer and I would like to think that it was borne out of frustration, the desperation to get a result and for the love for the club rather than just being plain spoilt.

The away supporters, in contrast, were quite lively which is also unusual. I put this down to all of the happenings with Martin Jol and the fans wanting to show their support for him. Conversely, this happened to us down at Tottenham in an end of season game a few years back (I think it was 2002 but I may stand corrected on that!) where we were all trying to show our support for Fergie. Indeed, the whole United section sang "Now every single one of us loves Alex Ferguson" without a break for the entire first half. I think fans sometimes forget what a rousing influence they really can be.

The Spurs fans at Old Trafford, by the way, numbered 1800 instead of the 3000 allowed for away teams. This is something that has become more and more common over the past couple of years. Not long back, it would have been rare to see an away team not take up their full allocation at Old Trafford but I wonder now if this means that ticket prices are starting to take their toll? All too quickly, the half-time whistle went and we all streamed to the concourse to look at the highlights of the first half, of which there were few. People watched dejectedly and there was almost an air of resignation amongst the fans, as if we would never see a win or goal again!

After a quick flick through of one of the fanzines (in which my hubby, to his great amusement, found that he had a mention!) and the actually decent half time music of Snow Patrol and Keane, the second half kicked off. It actually started much the same as the first until the defining moment of the match - Rio's superb goal line clearance. That served as the catalyst both on and off the pitch as the players stepped up a gear and the fans most definitely did.

Belief suddenly coursed through us once again and the atmosphere became electrifying. Every pass between red shirts was met with a roar. Every attack was willed on from all around the ground. Eventually, Nani got the breakthrough and as soon as his wickedly struck shot hit the back of the net, the place erupted. Delirium spread from the pitch into the stands, and the cheers and shouts from every direction were rooted firmly in a massive sense relief. Relief that we'd scored. Relief that we could win. Relief that the players were matching the desire shown in the stands. Relief that we no longer needed to look at the league table and feel the humiliation which burned deep inside of being in the relegation zone. Relief that we were back.

The last few minutes were torture and the ground collectively held its breath until the final whistle went. The roar, no doubt, could be heard from miles around. That was it - the first win of the season was secure. As we all piled out of the ground happy, relieved and full of pride, U2's Beautiful Day was playing in the background. There couldn't have been a more appropriate song.

K-Stand Red, Old Trafford, 26 August 2007

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