Mostrando postagens com marcador United. Mostrar todas as postagens
Mostrando postagens com marcador United. Mostrar todas as postagens

sexta-feira, 29 de abril de 2011

THE THEATRE OF DREAMS...OLD TRAFFORD

Source: Speak Up
OLD TRAFFORD


THE THEATRE OF DREAMS

THE HOME OF MANCHESTER UNITED

Manchester United for “Man Utd” is one of the top three football clubs in the world along with Real Madrid and Barcelona. The team know internationally as the “Red Devils” is one of the most successful in the history of the game but its origins were decidedly humble.

NEWTON HEATH

The club began life in 1978 as Newton Health LYR Football Club. It was formed by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway at its depot at Newton Heath in north-east Manchester. Originally an amateur team, in 1892 it joined the Fist Divison of the Football League (which had been formed in 1888), but was relegated to the Second Divison after only two season. The team now known  and loved worldwide almost never happened, because in January 1902, with debts of £2.670 (the equivalent to £210.000 in 2010, but nothing compared with its current debt of £520 million!, it was practically bankrupt. Fortunately for future fans, four local businessmen paid £500 each to buy the club, and then changed its name. On April 26th 1902. Manchester United was officially born and, following its first league title in 1908 and the FA Cup a year later. Old Trafford was named as the team’s future home United played their first match thee on February 19th, 1910, against Liverpool, who beat them 4-3 (today Liverpool, rather than Manchester City, are United’s most bitter rivals). Last  year marked Old Trafford’s centenary.

BOBBY CHARLTON

The original plan for Old Trafford included room for 100.000 spectators, but it was eventually revised to 77.000. on March 25th 1939 the stadium registered a record attendance of 76.962, no for a home team match, but for an FA Cup semi-final between Woverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town, which resulted in a draw. Old Trafford got its nickname when Bobby Charlton, one of Manchester United’s most famous players, called it “The Theatre of Dreams.” Fans may never get to play on the hallowed ground – they aren’t even allowed to touch it – but they come to see it from all over the world. “It’s the wow factor they get as they step out into the stadium and sees it live at the first time,” says Alan Bradshaw, one of the tour guides. “. “Most of them will have seen it many, many times on television but just to be in one of the stands or to sit in the manager’s box, where they’ve seen Sir Alex Ferguson sit during a match, is magical for them.”

Another bit thrill is the visit to the home team’s changing rooms, where shirts with each player’s name hang from hooks in the wall. Everyone wants to have their photograph taken alongside the jersey of a favorite player. Sadly the shirts are copies, but at least fans may dream.

MUNICH

The tour also acknowledges that tragic dy in the late 1950s when British European Airways flight 609 crashed on take off from Munich. On board were the “Busby Babes.” A nickname given of the young player because of their manager. Matt Busby (a Scotsman, like Ferguson). Of the 38 passengers, 19 died with another three dying later in hospital as a result of their injuries. Eight of the victims were players, including another United legend, 21 –year-old Duncan Edwards, although (20-year-old) Bobby Charlton survived. One of Old Trafford’s more touching monuments is a clock with features the date of the disaster, “Feb 6th 1958.”

For more information visit: http://www.manutd.com .

quinta-feira, 28 de abril de 2011

I WAS A BUSBY BABE

I WAS A BUSBY BABE





Source: www.speakup.com.br
Language level: C1 ADVANCED
Speakers: Jason Bermigham (American) Mark Worden (British accent)





A long with Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester United is one of the biggest soccer clubs in the world. Bobby Charlton, George Best and David Beckham are just some of the footballing icons who have worn the team’s famous red jersey.

Last year the club celebrated an important centenary, that of its first game at its famous ground, Old Trafford. To find out more about this great club, we met with Wilf McGuiness, a former player, coach and manager. Like Bobby Charlton, Wilf McGuiness was a “Busby Babe,” one of the young players signed in 1950s by the team’s famous Scottish manager, Matt Busby

Wilf McGuinness

(Standard English/Manchester accent)

I joined Manchester in 1953, after captaining Manchester, Lancashire and England Schoolboys, and I stayed with them for 18 wonderful years. I made my debut when I was 17, I won a championship medal at 19, I won a full England cap when I was 20, but when I was just 22, I broke my leg, finished my playing career, so I was taken on the staff as a trainer and coach. One of my happiest moments came when I was 31 years of age, and the great Matt Busby called me into his office: he said he was retiring and I was to be the next manager of Manchester United!

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Unfortunately, Wilf’s tenure as manager was short-lived but he stayed close to the club and today he helps out with its hospitality programmes. Certainly, Wilf McGuinness, who was born in 1937, played football in a world that was very different from that of today’s millionaire stars:

Wilf McGuinness

The actual feeling of playing on Old Trafford was brilliant, and we played a lot you know, of games, and we got great crowds with youth team games and reserve games, so even before we got in the first team, we…we got this buzz, you know, of the fans loving you and it…wasn’t s much “it’s just Manchester United,” these were out, like family, we were a family, and together, we worked together, played together, went out and enjoyed ourselves together, that’s how it was. But playing at Old Trafford, we felt, “This is the start of, you know, they’re a great club, this is what we’re part of.” When we were 17, that’s the earliest we could sign, the top wage we earned, or we could earn, until we were 20, was £6 during the season and £5 during the summer. In the ‘50s, in those days, because the wages you couldn’t change a club for better wages because the maximum was £20, we used to dream of maybe, if we earned enough money, we could be a newsagent or a landlord in a pub, you know, that sort of thing. That was our dream!

HAPPY MEMORIES

But he has loved every minute of his football career:

Wilf McGuinness

I’m so delighted, and I’m very lucky, more than anybody else, I think, because I was one of the “Busby Babes,” I was a trainer, I was a coach, then the manager, then I left, came back in 1992, and started going on tips and so forth with them, so it’s been wonderful. We just mix, and we mix with the fans as well which is wonderful.