ManUtd.com´s Face in the Crowd was delighted to see the Premiership trophy returned to its rightful owners on Sunday - and chuffed to see the players adopt his favourite chant...
“We’ve got our trophy back, we’ve got our trophy back, we’ve got our trophy back, we’ve got our trophy back.”
All week long I’d had these words running through my head. Over and over again. Like most Reds I’d been on cloud nine ever since Mark Viduka’s goal had secured the title for United. I’ve been bursting with pride that my team, our team, has won the Premiership title again. Eight Premiership wins in eleven years and 15 titles overall, now only three behind Liverpool.
Yesterday was a day of celebration as we headed off to Goodison Park to see the team presented with the Premiership trophy. United fans drinking in the pubs near to Anfield, the Arkles pub being packed with Reds before and after the match, were in celebratory mood. The words that have been indelibly planted in my brain all week were sung proudly by fans all through Stanley Park as they made their way to the ground. Once there, supporters were then required to show their ticket at a police cordon in order to get near to the turnstiles and then three times more whilst entering the stadium. It was clear that Everton Football Club were certainly prepared for any fans attempting to get to get into the game with fake tickets or through forced entry.
All week long there had been uncertainty over whether the Premiership trophy would be presented at Goodison at all. The Merseyside club citing ‘safety reasons’ for why the trophy should possibly have been presented back at Old Trafford. Sanity prevailed though and the home club agreed with the Premier League that the presentation could take place in front of United supporters after Everton had done their lap of honour.
Their concerns over safety centred on the fact that relations between the two sets of supporters are not good. The whole Manc-Scouser antipathy burns fiercely, though not with the same intensity as between Liverpool Football Club and ourselves, but concerns remained that any presentation might cause disorder or problems with ticketless Reds. The only antipathy on show inside the ground was verbal banter flying back and forth between the rival fans.
It came as a surprise when Everton took the lead after seven minutes but it hardly affected the great mood in the United end. Kevin Campbell’s header merely prompting a chant of “Champions”. The home fans were delirious believing they were on the verge of qualifying for the UEFA Cup. United supporters remained confident their full strength side would take one of the many chances they were creating. Sure enough the goal duly arrived. David Beckham, from a position that was hardly suited to one of his right foot curled free kicks, stepped forward and beat Wright in the Everton goal. He then ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the away end. Players and fans were United in joy.
“Out of Europe and out of work,” chanted the Red Army as the second half got underway ( a somewhat unfair reference to the stereotype that Merseyside has an abundance of unemployed people). Attention then returned to the play, Wayne Rooney missing two good chances to give his side the lead before United also missed chances through Ruud, Scholes and Beckham. Then came the winner, the Champions being awarded a penalty for a foul on van Nistelrooy. From where I was sat, side on to the incident, Stubbs clearly took a hefty tug at Ruud’s shirt, although the Everton fans didn’t quite see it that way. With boos ringing in his ears the 43-goal Dutchman stepped forward and slotted home number 44 for the season, in the process becoming the Golden Boot winner and equalling his own Premiership scoring record of finding the net in 10 straight matches.
After five minutes of the United players playing keep ball, to shouts of “Ole” from the away end, the final whistle blew. Everton fans again booed the referee as he left the pitch then roused themselves out of dejection at missing out on Europe to applaud their team on their lap of honour. Showing that the sportsmanship United fans displayed in applauding Ronaldo from the pitch was not a one-off, the whole away end rose to show appreciation of David Moyes and his players. It seemed to go down well with the home fans, many of which repaid the gesture by staying to watch the trophy presentation.
It was the moment players and fans had been waiting for. The Premiership trophy would finally be lifted by Roy Keane. A stage was set up in front of the visitors’ section in the Bullens Stand and the players retook the field to chants of “Bring on the Champions”. Then up stepped Keano. In one swift movement he flung the trophy aloft and tickertape shot into the air behind the stage. The away end erupted as if they’d just seen a goal. Champions again. It’s two years since we last experienced this but it felt a lot longer.
“We’ve got our trophy back,” sang the players after they’d taken it in turns to collect their medals. “We’ve got our trophy back,” joined in the fans. Briefly the retiring Laurent Blanc was carried on the players shoulders before they all did a lap of honour around the pitch. In the region of 1-2,000 Reds were in the home ends all around the ground, a ‘champions’ flag was unfurled in the Main Stand. A large number of Everton fans remained to applaud the best team in the country.
At the end of the lap the players were held back from the away section but Rio, then Ruud burst through stewards and threw their shirts ( and boots) into the crowd. They were clearly loving every minute of it and so were United supporters.
Yesterday was a great day and a great end to a great season. The Reds hung in there when Arsenal were flying, then found their own form and ultimately overhauled the Gunners in the title run in. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s goals were instrumental, our young defence with the brilliant John O’Shea was the best in the top flight, Keane, Giggs and Beckham came good and Scholes just maintained his season long brilliance.
There were also plenty of times over the past 10 months when the season didn’t feel great. Like the away day back on November the 9th when I wrote, “Manchester United are not the team they were. Our squad is simply not strong enough. Too many of our players are living on past glories and no longer have the hunger necessary to achieve success.” Looking back now that criticism looks ridiculous, not to mention harsh. But back then that was exactly how many United fans felt. The 3-1 defeat to Manchester City was a result that hurt and one that was not good enough.
Six months on the Premiership trophy is back at Old Trafford and the Maine Road derby defeat looks like one of our most important results this season. That loss had to happen. It re-focussed the squad on their objectives and catapulted them towards better form and better times. Times like yesterday at Goodison.
So now for a summer of celebrating the fact that we’re Champions again and no doubt a couple of months of having the words, “We’ve got our trophy back” going through our heads. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
