Red Devils in KL

the time has come, an event that all the Man United's fans in Malaysia, Singapore or even Thailand been waiting for.

Whole morning, I was checking ManUtd.com and MyManUtd.com for latest update about the team arriving. Not many of us went to airport to welcome them as been told they will directly get into the bus from plane. So, no chance to see them.

decided to go to Stadium Bukit Jalil at 2.00pm. Lynn D say I crazy, but there are some who reach there much earlier than me. I got the magazine William bought from Manchester and I went to buy a marker pen hoping to get some autograph. I can feel the excitement as LRT is getting closer to Bukit Jalil station, what more when almost the entire train was filled with peoples in red shirt.

food and drink stalls are set up along the way from train station to the stadium. Sponsors booth can be seen as well and there are few merchandise stores around.

from top left : Man United merchandise store, fans lining up at red gate under hot sun

from bottom left : rushing to get best seat to watch our heroes train, got very good seats right beside VIP's seats.

after syok for awhile as more and more people came in and sit behind us, a staff came and told us "sini untuk VIP Training Pass"

so all of us leave that section and went to normal training pass section. I happen to be right in front of 1 of the corner flag. Hoping to get the best view cause is first row. Book few seats for some friends but non came earlier, only Taw Kwang came. Others reach too late and is impossible for them to come in to the place we were seating, because some fans quarrel because some uncivilise acts.

stadium and fans.

after waited for almost 2 hours, Malaysia's national squad came on to the field for training. Despite everyone was there to watch Man United training, as Malaysian, all of us cheer for our national squad as well.

Malaysia team in training...

personal that get highest cheer is K. Rajagopal, the head coach. Another is Indra Putra Mahayuddin, 1 of the 4 senior players in the squad. Others are Under 23 squad.

around an hour later, after national squad end their training section, half of the stadium was full. Media all get ready on both side of the tunnel.

medias and eye catching fans...top left, girl wrote on board "will give my sister 4 picture with Owen", eventually got interviewed by MUTV and photos in everywhere including ManUtd.com. I was right besides them during that time, if I walk few steps more, I could be in that pic too.

after several false alarms from fans which confuse some of the media, then Paul Scholes came out alone, whole stadium went crazy.

followed by the entire squad with coaches...all of us shout out each player's name as we saw them walking to the pitch. I nearly lost my voice there.

main attention were on few players like Rooney, Giggs, Scholes, Nani, Ferdinand, Neville and of course the new signing, Michael Owen. After cheering for players, the whole stadium went crazy again when Sir Alex step out from the tunnel and wave to the fans.

sitting at the corner not really the best place, but we have the opportunity to see how top class keepers train. Most of the time, we try to catch attention of all 3 keepers, van der Sar, Kuszczak and Foster. We went crazy whenever they wave to us.

after a little bit of warm up, the outfield players went jog around the field as keepers continue their stretching and ball handling.

then the other players went stretching at the far side where I hardly see it. So, I just look at how the keepers train.

after stretching, they start doing the usual game we play back in school time. something like monkey. at the same time, keepers continue training on handling ball from every directions.

then is a training section that involve every players..more like an 11 a side game but without keepers, keepers are doing what outfield players do as well.

each touch were cheered by fans as we continue shout each player's name. From time to time, Glory glory Man United can be heard around the stadium.

after about an hour of training, it ended with few rounds of jogging as cool down section. The whole stadium continue cheering for the players as one by one went back to the tunnel.

kind of dissapointed because non of the players come closer to the corner I was in and of course, my marker pen was untouched.

so, sadly I left the stadium.

now, the merchandise stores are packed with fans. not really sure why they dont want to buy it before training when there are not many people, but choose to do it when everyone is doing it. oh well, eating chips alone is not as fun as when there is someone else taking the chips from you, somehow it taste better!

so, I also went in and get my There Is Only One United t-shirt for RM49.90.

there goes the first day as I was exhausted but next day will be the bigger and crazier one.