Watching Manchester United playing at 'Theatre of Dreams' Old Trafford

Manchester The 201415 English Premier League season is almost upon us The fourth Test at Old Trafford ended in less than three days leaving enough time to pursue a simple task ndash watch Manchester United play at the Theatre of Dreams especially with the hallowed football ground just a stones throw away from the cricket stadiumMembers of the Indian team werent the only one enticed by this prospect After all a match featuring the Red Devils with tickets costing only between pound20 and pound30 for adults hardly needs a second invitation Perhaps that was the thinking for a majority of Manchester residents as people converged to watch them turn out in action against Valencia on Tuesday eveningIn fact it was a highlight of the evening that much of the watching crowd was made up of firsttime visitors to the ground There were serpentine queues with people lining up to collect their Internetbooked tickets having availed of the unique opportunity The eager fans lined up three hours before the game and once they had collected their tickets went on to regale themselves with the choicest English snackfareThe road leading to this worldrenowned stadium is lined with pubs and bars some of them bearing the Manchester United or Red Devils moniker Of course many matchday food trailers are parked on all roads leading to the ground selling the choicest of snacks You can take a pick from sausagechips or the double cheeseburger spiced up with fried onionsOne outlet in particular did brisk business as it sold barbequed burgers a sureshot hit with the gathered fans The other notorious presence on these streets is of merchandise peddlers You can hear them hollering matchday scarves for five pounds as soon as you jump off the tram or bus from citycentre This is not authentic Red Devils merchandise and seems quite the bargain until you enter the big Manchester United store on the ground level of the stadiumThe entry to the store is regulated by stewards so that each set of fans read customers can take their time in choosing what memorabilia they want to own And it stands for good reason because once you enter the store there is no coming out emptyhanded The vast space of the store has enough goodies for adults and kids men and women to entice everyone to come out with a shopping badThere is a lot to choose from ndash newseason jerseys to fullkit ensembles caps scarves jackets tshirts all bearing the United hallmark Then there are accessories ndash magnets keychains cufflinks beer mugs etc to choose from You can also get your initials imprinted on the back of your purchased jersey or indeed get a newsprint to showcase that you are the latest highprofile signing of this great clubBut heres the lowdown The Glazers know how to do business Only on matchdays select merchandise is available on discounted prices and these hot deals squarely beat the unofficial lowcost stuff available outside on the streets if you are willing to shell just a couple more bucksThe festive atmosphere outside doesnt compare an inch to the rousing chants once actually seated inside the stadium Tuesday night was a special occasion on two counts ndash it was the first time Manchester United were playing at home this season finishing their run of friendly matches under the annual Reunited tour at home As also this marked the first appearance of new manager Louis van Gaal at Old TraffordWhen the Dutchman walked into the stadium for a first time he was greeted with the loudest cheer possible signalling the start of a new era in the clubs history The United fans have already taken a liking to him He greeted many whilst walking in during halftime stopping to shake hands with fans and this drew admiration from those watching from the other endNot to mention the small fact that United have looked impressive in their preseason and prepared for their first game this coming weekend with a 21 win over Valencia on the nightThe expectations are not overbearing though Hardcore fans want to see their team return to the topfour More importantly they want them to play like only Manchester United can and that is the least expected of van Gaal