Everyday I am proud to tell people that I am indeed a Man Utd die hard fan. One of the reasons I opted for Leeds University mainly because of it is just a stone throw away from Manchester. Old Trafford is not an old dream but more like a revolving day to day dream.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating the 6th August 2008 with excitement. A friendly match between Man Utd v Juventus at the Theatre of Dream. As the day approaching, I bought a used Man Utd Shirt 96/98 ‘SHARP’ logo from ebay just to grace that special moment with perfection. Yes, I want to be a bit fashionable and stylish to be in the Old Trafford stadium. I’ve never been this fashion conscious before in my life, not even when attending official functions and the Penerimaan Bintang ceremony at the Istana Negeri last year. During my wedding, it is a bit different since everything was aken care by my then fiance (now Mrs. Rocky Julkarnain) and my role was just to say OK. I always believe in one thing ‘once you are a good looking chap, you will look good in whatever attire!!!...’

The shirt did not come easy. The day it was delivered to my place on 5th August, no one was available to receive since it is a ’signature required’ parcel. Thus, I decided to go to the Royal Mail delivery office on the next day (6th August)before heading to the Leeds Train Station in the afternoon. Fortunately, when I called a friend to show off that I will be in the stadium with that Retro Man Utd shirt, he told me the delivery office will be closed at 12pm and it was already 11.44 am then. Without a shower, I just grabbed whatever things necessary and took a bus to that place. I should say the bus timing was so perfect that day and then, I had to run as fast as I can from the bus stop to the delivery office but I felt my run was in a slow motion mode maybe due to the excess baggage. I reached the place by 11.59am just in the nick of time in with heavy breathing. Alhamdulillah, the shirt is just perfect and worth all the troubles. Old Trafford…here I come in style.

By the time I reached outside the Old Trafford stadium with a friend Bro. Nasri, I was feeling like a small child who eagerly excited to enter a ‘Fun Fair’ for the first time. That was surely the same feeling. I was smiling and giggling all the
way as I walk inside. I used to see some girls in Malaysia jumping and shouting
‘haaaahhhh!!! before…and I kind of menyampah to see those mengada-ngada attitude. But the time I walked inside the stadium, I was mesmerized and I felt like wanting to jump and shout like those girls, ironically speaking. Maybe now I know what the meaning of excitement is. I used to say winning court cases always give me some kind of relief and excitement, but this one is different, very different as it was something more than that. The environment inside the stadium especially the fans, the players on the pitch and most of all the “Mexican Wave” moving around the stadium were hard to describe. I can’t really illustrate those feelings into words, I wish I could but I really have no idea how to describe those. Simply amazing!!!

I wished the time move slower that day so that I can enjoy that moment a little bit more. I remember wishing the same thing when ‘keluar dating’ with my girlfriend then (now Mrs. Rocky Julkarnain) just to share more the beautiful moments with her. Surely, most people experienced the same moments in their lives and wish the same wish too.

Walking out from the Theatre of Dream was shattering bit and bit of my beautiful dream. As I am typing this story, I can still feel that electrifying one moment in time that surely will remain immortally my Old Trafford Theatre of Dream...a never fading dream.

Regards,
Rocky Julkarnain Esq.
Beeston, Leeds.
9.08.08
23:28pm