Saturday 22nd May 1999 - Could not get any tickets for Wembley so decided to

go to Mick's Bar, 'Volleys' in Wimbledon to watch it. My wife Mandy & I left

home early to meet Liam & Colleen in the city before heading down to

Wimbledon for a Pre Match meal. Had a great feeling about this game - could

not see how the Mag's could win.

Arrived at the bar at midday, Mick was there. The start of what would prove

to be an UNBELIVABLE week had started. Magic, Mick had our tickets for

Barca. Had a superb meal & great wine - Lewis had done Mick proud. Mr T, Pen

Sang & the giant South African, Duncan all from the Thai Restaurant in the

City arrived. Mr T likes a gamble so it was off to Ladbrokes, via a few of

the village's watering holes. I fancied 2-0 & placed my bet.

Returned to Volleys where Gerry and Ash had arrived. Downed a few beers,

then it was Kick Off. Oh my god, what's happened to Keano? Had a moments

Relapse, but no, there was no way the Ruud Boys could slay the Super Reds.

10 minutes and United thanks to Teddy were one up. BIG cheers and dancing,

The Bar was packed with what seemed to be all Reds other than 2 guys whom

Were watching the Cricket World Cup on another TV. It was a stroll in the

grass for the Reds, what a good warm up for Wednesday. Scholesy made it 2 -

Treble Double Winners - Take that Gooners.

Gave Lewis my Winning Slip from Ladbrokes in return for 3 Bottles of

Champers. The party had begun. Mick's rendition of 'Don't Cry For Me Bayern

Munich' on the Karaoke was funny, but I don't think it will catch on.

Tuesday 25th May 1999 - 7:15 am Taxi picks me up & off to Mick's, then Barca

via Luton & Madrid here we come. Mick & me have been mates for about 25

years now since school. Followed the Reds together since then although

admittedly not as regular these last 3 or 4 years. Mick had managed to get

the tickets from a punter that uses his bar in Wimbledon. This punter Steve,

works for a firm that have Executive seats at The Theatre of Dreams. Steve

though had been in Sri Lanka on business and was going to meet us at The

Hard Rock, in Barca on Wednesday. At Luton we meet John & Phil also from

Volleys. Mick said he was going to get himself and me good seats on the

plane with plenty of leg room, as his foot was giving him jip. It wasn't

Gout but an old football injury he reckoned. It worked. We had great seats,

John & Phil looked cramped. The plane was full of Reds and the banter was

great.

Arrived at Madrid & a Taxi to our hotel for a quick shower & change before

exploring the Tapas Bars of Madrid. John lost the Spoof at the Café Valencia

and picked up the tab for our meal. The proprietors had had enough of our

custom by about 1:00am so we left to find another Bar before returning to

out hotel at about 4:00am. Wednesday 10:00am we all meet in a Tapas Bar next

door to our hotel for a hair of the dog to kick start the day then off to

the airport for our flight to Barca.

At Barca Phil phoned Steve to see where he was. His flight from Sri Lanka to

Paris had been delayed, and his flight from there to Barca was therefore

going to be tight. We decided to go to our hotel to shower & change. Phil

returned to the airport to wait for Steve, John went to the Café Zurich to

meet another guy, Mick & myself went to the Hard Rock. The atmosphere in

Barca was electric, Reds everywhere, very few Germans. In the Hard Rock I

met up with Paul Gallen from New York, where I spent St Patrick's Day with

him this year watching the United Milan game. Noddy from London arrived,

then Gerry and Ash. Paul introduced me to the Salford Lass. So many faces in

town for this UNBELIVABLE occasion. We left the Hard Rock at 6:00pm to make

our way to the Nou Camp. The crowd at the subway was huge so Ash said we had

better try and jump a cab. Luckly Ash's knowledge of the Spanish Language is

first class and he convinced the cabbie to take us. We were dropped off 3

minutes from the ground. Mick found a bar 'El Fussion' or Confussion as we

nicknamed it. We left there at 8:00pm and agreed to meet Gerry & Ash back at

Confussion after the game.

Got to Gate 4 by 8:05pm where there was about 500 Reds waiting to get in.

Some prick threw a bottle which hit a Police Horse then the Calvary

appeared. Mick & myself slipped off and got into the ground via Gate 3. Here

they scanned our tickets with a bloody Bar Code machine - no wonder things

were held up. Got to our seats in good time though.

What a terrible start. Towards the end of the second half I started to look

at the clock, 42 minutes, 43 minutes, 44 minutes. I resigned to the fact

that we had blown it - unlike Bestie though I stayed to the end.

But then 'OH TEDDY TEDDY, WENT TO MAN. UNITED & WON THE LOT' did the

business. The rest IS HISTORY.

After the match we returned to 'Bar El Cunfussion' & got blitzed with the

rest of the lads. Left there at about 4:00am for our hotel and a few more

beers before our flight to Madrid from Barca at 9:15am.

Got home to London at 7:00pm. Mandy had a superb 'Winners Dinner party'

waiting. All weekend I kept replaying & replaying the last 15 minutes of the

match. I have watched the full game about 4 times now. We didn't play as bad

as I thought we had at the time.

Paul it was great to see you at the Hard Rock. We'll have to get together in

New York soon for a pint to relive the experience. Unfortunately I did not

manage to get Quinner a programme. When I got into the ground I saw some

UEFA Offical & asked him 'Where can I buy some programs?' He said follow me

& preceded too take me outside of the stadium where I managed to buy 10.

However when I returned to 'Check Point Charlie' they refused to let me

re-enter at first. I managed to blag myself in - Lucky a?

I left the bag with the programs in under my seat & after the presentation &

singing 'If You All Hate Scousers Clap Your Hands' left the Nou camp without

collecting the programs from under my seat. I'm not sure though if after the

first goal I ended up in the correct seat.

It was truly UNBELEIVABLE - Cloud Nine is brilliant.

Richie Sroka