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July 22, 2003
| Let the festivities begin |
Post Alley is crawling with green and white stripes. A group of young men dressed in Celtic green just came down the alley singing the praises of their beloved squad. A quick walk through Kell's produces mostly what is visible from the outside: Celtic colors.
But fans of Manchester United are few and far between at the lively pub. They are greatly outnumbered, but it's of no consequence, as the mood here is jovial and bright. Men, women and children alike are broadcasting nothing but smiles and enthusiasm as they wait for the big match.
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| Posted by Jim at 01:56 PM |
| Kickin' it with the fans |
Squeezing between the mass of humanity at Kell's, two red shirts and green shirts sit side by side. The fellas are drinking Guinness and Corona and discussing, through thick accents, some of the finer points of life, mainly soccer. The sun is beating down now and the guys have wisely found some shade, next to the honeybuckets.
When asked about why they've traveled all the way to Seattle to root for their favorite teams, the replies are simple:
"I've supported Man U since I was 5," says Brian Conneely, 29, of Galway, Ireland. "I can't explain it. I support Celtic too, but Man U is my heart and soul. I've been with them in good times and bad."
On the flipside...
"I was born and raised in Glasgow and have been rooting for (Celtic) since the day I was born, and I'm 35," said Martin Monaghan. |
| Posted by Jim at 02:30 PM |
| Searching the perimeter |
After going through Kell's more than once, I'm writing from the sanctity of "The Perennial Tea Room" which sits right next door. I couldn't find a spare table or spare spot at the popular pub without knocking over a few beers or risk shorting out the laptop by putting it down in a puddle of spilled beer. Needless to say, the atmosphere is a little more relaxed in the tea room, but people are still flooding the small shop.
Just around the corner at Pike Place Market, one of Seattle's biggest tourist destinations, the walkways are packed. Throw in an international event like this and you can barely squeeze though all the people. |
| Posted by Jim at 02:57 PM |
| Everybody is a winner |
"The sales have been incredible over the past two days," says Lucille McAleese, who works with Kell's and is selling Celtic memorabilia. "The crowds have been terrific, on both sides. It's been great."
On one last walk through Kell's, the crowd is getting a bit louder and everyone is sweating from the mass of people stuck inside this one little bar. But all have some sort of cold beverage to cool them down. A rousing Celtic rallying song comes over the speakers and the entire place starts to clap, stomp and sing along.
Overheard between a group of fellas wearing both jerseys, "it doesn't matter who wins tonight, we're all the same, it's only bragging rights." |
| Posted by Jim at 03:40 PM |
| Moving on... |
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Downtown is really starting to back up. Earlier in the day, on First Avenue, the team jerseys were out there, but few and far between. But now, closer to Seahawks Stadium and around Pioneer Square, they are everywhere.
People in all shapes and sizes are coming out for this one. Some with foreign accents, some without, but all are flocking toward the stadium. Cars are backed up everywhere. |
| Posted by Jim at 04:39 PM |
| Down at the Square |
| It seems whoever wasn't at Kell's is at Fado, an Irish pub on First Avenue. It's wall-to-wall people with a line going outside and around the block just to get in. Among a sea of Man U jerseys sits a veteran named Dave Shields from Manchester.
He's 54 and has been a fan since birth, his favorite all-time player being George Best. "My top moments were in 1968 when we beat Ben Fica in the European Cup and in 1999 when we beat Bayern Munich in the European Cup."
He just got into Seattle today and describes the city as "top drawer." Besides tonight's big match, Dave plans on catching a Mariners game and going whale watching because "we don't have too many whales in Manchester." |
| Posted by Jim at 05:32 PM |
| Inside the stadium |
Members of the press have slowly begun to wander into the air-conditioned press box, settling into their stations to test their equipment. The box, overlooking the now empty seats of Seahawks Stadium, is located about 20 feet to the right of midfield.
Rosters are expected to be announced about an hour prior to kick off. |
| Posted by Robert at 05:40 PM |
| The gates have opened |
And people are finally beginning to head in. At every gate around the stadium, antsy people have waited patiently for the six o'clock opening. A rousing "Yeahhhhh" was just heard at the northwest gate as a flock of fans make its way in.
At first glance, the red shirts seem to outnumber the green ones around Seahawks Stadium, which is the complete opposite of what I've seen so far today. The true test will come when the stadium is seated to its capacity: Then we'll know who brought the most fans. |
| Posted by Jim at 06:10 PM |
| Players warming up |
It's about 30 minutes until the start of the match, and an anxious crowd roars as three Man U players jog onto the field.
At this point, the stadium's about 30 percent full, with many fans probably still stuck in traffic. The red team colors of Man U dominate, but Celtic's green-clad fans are sure to make a big showing.
Coming soon: tonight's starting lineups. |
| Posted by Jim at 07:41 PM |
| Full squads make entrance |
| The Bhoys, dressed in black workout jerseys, charge the field as the chanting begins. Manchester fans have gathered around the stadium tunnel anticipating their team's arrival.
The crowd has awakened as the Red Devils dressed in gray trot onto the field. Fans are on their feet cheering, waiting for the game to kick off in about 15 minutes. |
| Posted by Robert at 07:45 PM |
| The starting lineups |
Manchester
2 - Gary Neville, defender
3 - Phil Neville, defender
5 - Rio Ferdinand, defender
6 - John O'Shea, defender
8 - Nicky Butt, midfielder
10 - Ruud van Nistelrooy, forward
11 - Ryan Giggs, winger
13 - Roy Carroll, goalkeeper
15 - Quinton Fortune, midfielder
16 - Roy Keane, midfielder
20 - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, forward
Celtic
1 - Magnus Hedman, goalkeeper
6 - Bobo Balde, defender
7 - Henrik Larsson, forward
8 - Alan Thompson, midfielder
9 - Chris Sutton, forward
10 - Jamie Smith, midfielder
16 - Ulrik Laursen, defender
17 - Didier Agathe, midfielder
18 - Neil Lennon, midfielder
19 - Stilian Petrov, midfielder
23 - Stanislav Varga, defender |
| Posted by Robert at 08:03 PM |
| Taking the field |
The stadium is nearly filled to capacity. There is no doubt that supporters of Ferguson's Red and White Army outnumber Celtic fans for tonight's match — but you can be sure both sets of fans will be loud.
The crowd erupts as both teams walk onto the field. Celtic players are wearing a green and white striped jersey while Manchester wears its traditional red and black shirts. Boos and cheers drown out the announcement of players over the PA system.
Teams head to their respective sides as the match begins with Man U kicking off. |
| Posted by Robert at 08:19 PM |
| Back in the day... |
Talk about your old school fans ... . A guy named Charlie, from Seattle, told me about the 1982 match when the Sounders beat Man U 3-0.
"I'm a huge soccer fan, so I know their history. So to be part of something like that was really cool. The Sounders dominated the whole time, it was really unusual, considering how good Man U is now."
Charlie also said everyone was really rooting for both squads and he also caught Manchester when they were in Vancouver in 1978. |
| Posted by Jim at 08:21 PM |
| Man U takes 1-0 lead |
Details about the first score of the game coming soon ... |
| Posted by Robert at 08:27 PM |
| Sights and sounds around Seahawks Stadium |
Red seems to be the dominant color around the stadium, but everyone is showing their true colors, be it Man U or Celtic. Some of the more notable fans and scenes included:
A man dressed in a Celtic jersey, with a Canadian flag as a cape.
An enormous bagpipe band, complete with drums.
A street tuba player playing Black Sabbath's "Iron Man."
Six young men kicking a ball around on a grassy field just outside the gates.
A shirtless Man U fan with a tattoo of a heart — over his heart — that read "Busby's Boys."
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| Posted by Jim at 08:30 PM |
| The scoring play |
The pulling of jerseys and shoving of shoulders begins between teams. Like Sir Alex says, there are no 'friendlies' being played here. Celtic continues to push the ball into Man U's field, but can't penetrate its defenses.
In one of the few attacks, Manchester sneaks one past Celtic goalkeeper Magnus Hedman, scoring the first goal in the seventh minute. From outside the penalty box, forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer passes to Ruud van Nistelrooy, who muscles Celtic defender Stanislav Varga, and forces the ball into the goal.
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| Posted by Robert at 08:34 PM |
| Celtic pressure |
| Celtic continues to put the pressure on Man U's defenses. With a direct shot to the goal, Celtic midfielder Stilian Petrov is fouled inside the box by Roy Keane, earning a penalty kick.
As flashing bulbs pop throughout the stands, Celtic Alan Thompson lines up for the shot that could tie the score — but misses his opportunity, as the ball soars over the goal posts. |
| Posted by Robert at 08:41 PM |
| A little bitter? |
When asked about who he was rooting for, one rowdy soccer fan named John said "Well, the first year I played in the men's Seattle rec league in the early '80s, we played Kell's Celtics. It was my first game and I was ready.
"So this guy from the other team totally cheap shots me out of bounds. We had a bit of a scuffle and I got the red card. I was out for the next three games."
So he finished: "Needless to say, I'm rooting for Man U." |
| Posted by Jim at 08:41 PM |
| Man U's second goal |
The Red Devils have matched Celtic on the number of attacks.
Ruud van Nistelrooy receives a breakaway pass from deep inside the Man U side, putting only the Celtic goalkeeper between him and his second goal. But goalie Magnus Hedman blocks the United forward's shot as Celtic reinforcements arrive.
Getting the rebound, van Nistelrooy recovers the ball and kicks it back to teammate Ryan Giggs, who shoots and scores the second goal in the 28th minute.
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| Posted by Robert at 08:57 PM |
| It's all red: 3-0 |
The face of Celtic goalkeeper Magnus Hedman said it all. In the 39th minute, United forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer converts a pass from teammate Gary Neville for the third goal, leaving Hedman stunned.
Celtic coach Martin O'Neill responds by having three of his reserves warm up along the line.
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| Posted by Robert at 09:02 PM |
| Halftime: Man U 3, Celtic 0 |
Head referee Kevin Terry calls the end of the first half. While Manchester has given Hedman a beating, Celtic players have vented their frustration by physically handling and fouling Man U players. |
| Posted by Robert at 09:07 PM |
| On the upside |
A thunderous roar comes from the Man U side as the Devils take a 3-0 lead. Commenting on the lead, Becky O'Neill, from Portland, said "This is great, we're elated. But (the score) was inevitable."
Not to be outdone, Becky's friend Teresa Shank added "Celtic has this thing with Man U because they've beat them before. Well, they aren't gonna do it tonight."
Becky and Teresa traveled with a group of 60 from Portland to catch tonight's big match, saying "we wouldn't have missed it." |
| Posted by Jim at 09:16 PM |
| Back in action |
| And with the blow of the whistle, the second half begins.
There are several substitutions made for the second half. The list of names should be coming soon.
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| Posted by Robert at 09:22 PM |
| And then there are the Celtic fans |
Sitting dejected on a bench on the third level in all their Celtic gear, Pat and Marie Smith say they are "very disappointed."
Pat, along with the rest of his friends in the Celtic fan club from Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, gets up at 5 a.m. to watch Celtic play. He said about the trip: "This has been fantastic; we've met people from everywhere and had a great time visiting Seattle."
Marie said that even though her team is losing "it's great to see them live." |
| Posted by Jim at 09:28 PM |
| Getting physical |
Celtic seems to have regained control of the ball as they did during the beginning of the game, completing short passes and slowly putting pressure on United's defense.
Midfielder Nicky Butt felt too much of the pressure at the 54-minute mark, fouling Celtic's Shaun Maloney, a sub for the second half. Butt's use of brute force earned him the first yellow card of the game.
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| Posted by Robert at 09:35 PM |
| A deserved rest |
United coach Sir Alex Ferguson decides Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ryan Giggs have put on enough of a show to deserve a rest. Diego Forlan and David Bellion come in as subs for the players. |
| Posted by Robert at 09:39 PM |
| Big crowd |
Tonight's attendance of 66,722 surpasses that of any Seahawks games from last season, including the Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers, which brought in 66,420 people.
Tonight's match sets a new Seahawks Stadium attendance record, and surpasses any soccer game attendance in the U.S. since the 1999 Women's World Cup. |
| Posted by Robert at 09:50 PM |
| Frowns from the Celtics |
With their team down 4-0, Celtic fans all share the same the glum expression. Their spirits rise just a bit as their team moves quickly downfield, but like the rest of the night, the opportunity is missed by Celtic.
The stadium is still alive and energetic, though. Fans scream and moan on every change of possession. The game may be out of reach, but you wouldn't know it by listening to the noise in the stadium. |
| Posted by Jim at 09:56 PM |
| Man U continues domination: 4-0 |
Despite the constant pressure from Celtic, Manchester still manages to control the game.
From inside the penalty box with nearly no angle on the goal, David Bellion, who came in as a sub, shot for the far post to score the fourth goal of the night in the 77th minute of the game.
Both teams have been making wholesale changes — so much so I can't keep up. The most notable has been the substitution of Celtic star Henrik Larsson, with David Fernandez (12) taking over. |
| Posted by Robert at 09:57 PM |
| The green guys? |
While most of the fans filling the stadium are die-hards, there still are a few of the casual fans hanging around just enjoying the atmosphere. Julie and Kelsy got tickets from their boss, who owns a coffee shop.
Julie is rooting for "the red guys" while Kelsy is an adamant "green guy" supporter.
Though they admit they aren't the biggest fans, Julie admits that it was great "to be around all the happy, go-lucky fans who are enjoying themselves. Isn't that what it's all about?"
Another note to really prove we're in Seattle: Fans attempted unsuccessfully to get the wave going. |
| Posted by Jim at 10:05 PM |
| Welcome to professional soccer |
And he's off… . A shirtless, lone fan charges the field, making it into Celtic's penalty box before being cornered by a team of security guards that quickly escorts him off the field. |
| Posted by Robert at 10:07 PM |
| It's a done deal: Man U 4, Celtic 0 |
In the first match since the departure of David Beckham for Real Madrid, Manchester United overpowers Celtic, winning the match 4-0. Ruud van Nistelrooy was named Man of the Match, scoring the first goal and making an assist for the second.
Amid a sea of cheers, the Red and White Army marches around the field waving and thanking its fans. |
| Posted by Robert at 10:17 PM |
| The crowds file out |
Celtic and Manchester fans slowly file out of the stadium, all with big smiles and in seemingly jovial moods. Chants and songs can be heard everywhere around the exit ramps.
A Celtic fan from Seattle named Chad Haggard said "It was a great game. There's obviously a big difference between English and Scottish professional leagues, but it's just nice to finally see some quality soccer in America." |
| Posted by Jim at 10:42 PM |
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