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DEVOTED Manchester United fans from Bahrain enjoyed a ‘goal-den’ experience as they watched their heroes in the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ notch another victory over their great rivals Liverpool.
The party of 10 were whisked away from the kingdom to Old Trafford courtesy of telecom giants, Viva, as part of a sponsorship deal with the English Premiership leaders.
The fans won an all-expense paid trip to watch the big match after entering a raffle and purchasing a ‘one-of-a-kind’ Manchester United membership card.
They captured many of the highlights of their trip on camera and were happy to exclusively share some of their treasured memories with GulfWeekly readers.
They walked through the 100-year-old players’ tunnel on to the pitch, made a stop at the trophy room and sang along with the stadium full of delirious fans. Not only did they win the once-in-a-lifetime prize trip, the experience was enhanced by United’s 2-1 victory over their bitter rivals.
Overjoyed Hesham Mohammed Khalaifat, 29, from Manama, who works in a family business, said: “Thank you so much Viva! I appreciate everything I took away from this trip, especially the result! It was a worthwhile experience and I would love to win again.”
Hesham, who has been following the team since the age of 10, said: “What happened was that I got a few calls from a random number and I didn’t answer or call back. Then I got a text from a Viva representative saying: ‘Dear customer, congratulations on winning an all-exclusive trip to watch Manchester United and Liverpool’.
“I was so surprised. I called back and said ‘are you serious’ in case they had made a mistake!
“I was screaming with joy when it was confirmed. They always say expect the unexpected and that is exactly what happened to me!”
On day one of the three-day adventure, the group members dropped off their luggage at a Manchester hotel and wasted no time in making their way to Old Trafford, known by supporters as ‘The Theatre of Dreams’.
Hesham added: “It was a complete Manchester United-themed trip so on reaching there we went to the stadium and made stops at the United mega store to pick up some souvenirs in preparation for the following day’s big game.
“We all went back to our hotel rooms for an early night as we wanted to be as fresh as possible for match day.
“We arrived at the stadium two hours before the start and when we stood outside it was such a different atmosphere. It was full of people chanting and singing. It was unbelievable!
“I would have to say that my favourite part of the entire trip was watching the match and striker Robin van Persie notch his opening goal. He was right there in front of me on our side of the pitch. The crowd started singing – it was amazing to be a part of it. I was singing with them.
“I got a match day scarf and a Robin van Persie scarf that will always be with me from now on. The next day I even bought all the newspapers with headlines of Persie and the game as keepsakes. I will definitely go again and the next time I hope to meet the players.
“Good luck to all Viva customers that win one of the many competitions. It will definitely be worthwhile and, trust me, you will love the phone call when you get it!”
Shadi Mohammed is still pinching himself. The 29-year-old, clinical pharmacist, from Muharraq, said: “It was amazing. Words can’t express how it felt to watch United play up close.
“This is the first time I had ever been lucky in my life. I work in a hospital so I’m always busy. This was my first break from work and what a trip! When I stepped into the stadium I felt as though I was part of the team. The spirit was alive and you soon get involved with the crowd, no matter what.
“I have been following this team for the past 22 years when Manchester United would feature on Channel 55 on Bahrain TV.
“The best part of the trip for me was when I saw the fans screaming ‘United’ in the stadium.
“I have only watched the games on TV before and usually with Arabic commentary, so to hear everyone in the stadium singing and yelling ‘United’ was such an amazing feeling and made for a great atmosphere. There is no comparison to watching it on TV.
“If I was playing and I had all these people screaming my name I would feel like I was about to soar from the excitement of it all.
“When Van Persie scored our fans screamed and I turned to look at the Liverpool fans. They were silent and appeared to be in shock. At one point, I thought they were dead. The second goal was scored and again, silence on their side. Seeing their reaction was hilarious. You can never take a win from Old Trafford.
“After the trip I am now thinking of immigrating to the UK just to watch all the other matches live.
“I want to thank Viva for giving me this chance. I went to the UK and returned with ease. All winners should take this chance seriously and appreciate every minute of it.”
The win provided a hat-trick of happiness for Bahrain Defence Force Officer Nawaf Ahmed Al Tamimi, 33, from Muharraq, who has visited the stadium twice already. He said: “I have liked the team since 1995. My older brother Salah is an Arsenal fan and at first I just started cheering for Manchester United to get on his nerves. But then I fell in love with the team.
“The first time I went to Old Trafford was to watch a Champions League fixture against Barcelona and the second time was to watch them play neighbours Manchester City. This was my third trip and I still consider myself the luckiest person in the world.
“It’s such an amazing feeling standing in the ground. The entire trip was a memorable one and provided me with one of the best moments of my life.”
