A football trip... with a difference

For me, travelling is not a hobby but an addiction. It's like an insatiable crave, the more you have of it, the more and more you want.

My passion for football only adds to the seductive power of travelling, especially when Manchester United play in the Champions League.

Yet, up to a few weeks ago, I was adamant not to fly again before the turn of the year as I had done my fair share of hopping from one country to another throughout the previous 11 months.

My resolve, or rather the lack of it, was immediately put to test. Michael Abele, general manager at Mondial Holidays, rang to float an interesting suggestion. His fondness for his home club VfB Stuttgart had him eyeing the December 9 Champions League Group E clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

My name was on the four-man travelling party as Michael knew that the prospect of a trip to Manchester would definitely tempt me. No prizes for guessing my response to his offer.

Blackpool, in north-west of England, was pencilled in as the base for the duration of our stay. I had been filled in by friends like Michael, a travel guru always on the look-out for interesting destinations, about the charm of Blackpool but as I had never been to this seaside town before, I was still unsure whether it was a good idea to book an apartment there. Normally, I stay in hotels in the centre of Manchester whenever football is the only reason for my presence there.

The plan was for the four-man group - Carmelo Borg, Paul Galea, Michael and I - to fly out to Manchester on Sunday, December 7 but important work commitments on Monday left me with no option but to seek alternative arrangements.

We, the football-loving fans who regularly commute between Malta and Manchester, are blessed to have our national airline, Air Malta, offering no fewer than six flights weekly to our favourite destination.

So, to cut it short, it did not take much effort to amend my flight itinerary and on Monday evening, I joined the 90-odd travellers, mainly English, on the trip to Manchester.

Driving into Blackpool after a three-hour or so flight, my first impressions were positive.

Even if December is not the best month to visit Blackpool what with the biting British weather, I could immediately see that the town has so much to offer. It is distinctly different from the traditional English towns and villages and yet, its centre is typically British.

The Eiffel-like tower is Blackpool's main landmark. Offering all the amenities and attractions one normally associates with Mediterranean cities, Blackpool is dotted with hotels, restaurants and tourist places ranging from marine exhibition centres and a Luis Tussaud wax museum to the Las Vegas-style Coral Island.

For gambling aficionados, big amusement centres and casinos abound in Blackpool. Most of these tourist magnets are found in the strip around the central beach of the promenade, popularly known as the Golden Mile.

Strolling along the promenade on a cold and dull Tuesday morning, I was struck by the sight of the steely slopes of a huge roller-coaster arching above the town's landscape.

For the young sorcerer with a fondness for drink and dance, the centre of Blackpool, known as the English capital of entertainment, is replete with night clubs.

"There's always something going on here," Michael remarked as we made our way towards the car, our hands clasped in the pockets of the jackets to reduce the impact of the night chill.

So Blackpool boasts all the attractions you would expect from a tourist-entertainment resort but is it a good-enough option for the football tourist who wants to explore some of the stadia in the north of England?

My answer is yes.

Within a radius of around 70km from Blackpool, you can reach traditional football cities like Manchester, Liverpool and Bolton. My friends touched down in Manchester in the early hours of a Sunday and by late afternoon, they had already done a good chunk of driving around Blackpool and also had ample time to set on a one-hour drive to Liverpool.

Once in Liverpool, Goodison Park, the home ground of Premier League club Everton, became their focal point. Everton were due to meet Southampton that day and the presence of ticket touts along the way to the stadium meant that the opportunity to see a Premier League match was theirs for the taking.

Bolton Wanderers' impressive Reebok Stadium also lies a few kilometres away from Blackpool.

A large, brightly-illuminated square sits at the side of the Reebok Stadium, offering stadium-goers and other visitors a host of retail warehouses. Definitely not a bad proposition for the Maltese given our shopping reputation.

Other popular destinations like Lake Windermere, arguably the favourite spot for tourists discovering the Lake District, are also not far from Blackpool.

As our return flight to Malta was scheduled for 8.50 p.m., we wanted to make our time out count on Wednesday. It must have taken us just over an hour to drive from Blackpool to Windermere.

The evening before, the trip from Blackpool to Old Trafford, the famous home to Manchester United, was even shorter than to Windermere.

On matchdays, Old Trafford, aptly called the Theatre of Dreams, can be seen from some distance away with its bright glass façade.

Although United and Stuttgart had already booked a place in the knock-out stage of the Champions League, the game was to decide which of the two teams finished top of Group E. Top spot in the group was perceived as a big advantage as the first-placed teams were to be kept apart in the draw.

"Manchester United are going to win this game," was Paul's hopeful prediction.

"I have an inkling that the match will finish in a draw, 0-0 or 1-1," Karmenu responded to Paul's forecast.

"Pawlu is mad," reacted Michael.

"Stuttgart will beat United."

"Stuttgart have been playing well this season but no way they will beat United at Old Trafford," I commented.

"Not only that, United have a score to settle with Stuttgart after they inflicted the only defeat on them in the away match."

Our drive to Old Trafford was unusually hassle-free as Michael had secured excellent parking facilities as UEFA guests.

There was a lot of activity around, the Stuttgart fans waiting to be admitted into the East stand under the watchful eyes of the horse-mounted police officers.

A stream of queueing fans was forming outside United's packed Megastore.

It was there where Michael recognised a smart man wearing a grey suit and coat as being former Inter striker Hansi Muller. Muller acceded to our request to have our picture taken with him.

After that short 'picture stop' we agreed it was time to make our way into the stadium.

Another full house at Old Trafford for the match but although the United fans outnumbered the 4,000-odd Stuttgart followers, it was the latter who earned the plaudits for their vociferous support. Roy Keane's prawn-sandwich jibe at United fans never seemed so justified.

The noise from the United faithful slowly picked up as the game progressed. Ruud van Nistelrooy's opening goal on the stroke of half-time swung the pendulum in favour of the home team at the end of a balanced first half.

United seized the ascendancy in the second half, adding another goal courtesy of Ryan Giggs who made the most of van Nistelrooy's defence-splitting pass which ensured that United's path would not cross that of the likes of Real Madrid and Juve in the next stage of the competition.

"It was important that we score first against Stuttgart and we were fortunate to get a goal before the break," Ferguson said in the post-match news conference. "That made it very difficult for them.

"Stuttgart are a good team and it says all about Manchester United that we have hit two goals against them. I'm very pleased with that."

Ferguson was full of praise for England midfielder Paul Scholes who started his first match after seven weeks on the sidelines.

"His passing, composure and vision remind you of what you missed for the last seven weeks," the United boss remarked.

"He's a great player and great players are always missed."

High spirits

A very good night for Manchester United also ensured that I left the stadium in high spirits in the knowledge that I will soon be back here to watch another match.

The sight of me walking towards our agreed meeting point wearing a broad smile triggered an instant reaction from my mates.

"We have seen the two best teams in the competition and we will meet in the final," Michael groaned.

"United were lucky but it does not matter."

"United lucky? You must be joking," Paul answered. "I bet we would have beaten Stuttgart by four goals had Ferguson not withdrawn Giggs and van Nistelrooy."

Karmenu was more philosophical in his analysis.

"United got their lucky break with that goal before half-time. That set them nicely on the way to victory and all in all they were deserved winners."

Disappointment and joy - this is football. In spite of the delusion Stuttgart's upset that night brought to Michael and Karmenu - he is an Inter fan but sided with Stuttgart - there was a general consensus that if United drew one of the giants of Europe in the quarter- or semi-finals, we will be back. And rocking Blackpool will be our base.

By the way, before I wind up, as we drove out of Blackpool via Fleetwood on the Wednesday morning, I stopped at Ladbroke's to collect £30. The day before, I placed a £5 punt on United beating Stuttgart 2-0. Not a big net but it felt good to have guessed the result... free drinks for my friends before we descended on Malta.