Being a football fan can slowly
transcend being the follower of a team and the fan of a sport. It slowly turns
into a passion, a borderline obsession, and a relationship that few can
understand. Hardly anyone who doesn’t share the same fervour and zest for a
team will understand why you don’t want to go out on the weekend anymore, if it
means you can’t watch the game. If your other half doesn’t love sports, there
can be many an issue on that front too. All in all, it’s a relationship that
requires maintenance on a completely unique front, but one that is well worth
it.
One unique case of such a relationship
is that of Mackbert Fernandes, a resident of Anjuna. A die-hard fan of
Manchester United, he has been an official member of Manchester United for the
last four years, having been a fan of the club for more than 15 years now. His
wardrobe is full of Manchester United merchandise, which he claims to wear for
90% of the time. However, what may be one of his greatest moments as a fan, and
a moment of pride for all Goan footballing fans, was one that unfolded as
recently as last month.
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In May 2017, Mackbert found himself
being selected to be a part of the Chevrolet Fan Cup 2017, part of a
promotional campaign of the Chevrolet group, asking participants to show their
passion for Manchester United. The event saw a total number of 55 participants
from 12 countries, of which five were from India – one from Jaipur, two from
Delhi, one from Sikkim, and of course, Mackbert, from Goa. The event included
an all-expenses paid trip to Manchester for seven days, from May 19-26, 2017.
With much fervour, Mackbert recounts how
the event played out, saying, “We arrived in Manchester on May 20. Upon our
arrival, each participant was given a Manchester United goodie bag, which had a
sipper, a fan cup t-shirt, a name badge, a keychain and a football kit bag. On
the first day, we had a welcome dinner at the Imperial War Museum, where we
were welcomed by club legends Bryan Robson and Dennis Irwin. The best part
about this, for me, was that I did a Facebook Live video with Robson, an
ex-Manchester United player, in a brand new Chevrolet Corvette. Apart from me,
another Indian did a live video with the legends.”
The next few days saw Mackbert and his
fellow fans relax at the club’s various facilities, while they went bowling at
the All-Star Bowling Lane, before going to see the match between Manchester
United vs Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, (United’s stadium, also known as the
Theatre of Dreams) where the home team won the game 2-0. The visitors also participated
in the Chevrolet Go Kart Championship at Daytona, where the group with India in
it won the event.
However, coming to the business end of
things, on May 23, the group faced a training session with the professional
Manchester United Soccer School Coaches at Carrington (the Manchester United
Training facility), where they underwent a training session for about four
hours. The group was taught to pass, defend, attack, and go through training
drills. After that they went on to play foot-golf as part of a fun activity,
where teams were divided on the basis of which country they represented, all of
this being a part of the build-up to the last day, the big one.
“May 24 was the big day…match day. We
went to Old Trafford to participate in the Chevrolet Fan Cup. We were divided
into four teams. Among us were the four coaches who trained us at the training
facility, and also United legends Quinton Fortune and Ronny Johnsen. The match
lasted 30 minutes. We played two games, the semi-finals and finals, and my
team, Team Camaro, won the tournament, for which we were presented with medals.
We also got to spend some time with the legends so that we could take pictures
with them and get their autographs. In the evening, we were a part of a special
screening of the Europa League final at the Black Dog Ballroom – a match that
was all the more memorable as it was won by Manchester United, where they beat
Ajax 2-0,” Mackbert recounts with nostalgia.
Mackbert and his fellow travellers
departed from England on May 25. However, his tale is one that highlights how
even in a small place like Goa, fandom does come with rewards, and all of the
effort that goes into the process does really pay off.
