6.1meg   4.05v masterfan_final_paul2.rm REAL-VIDEO Paul's Final round & Victory! in the final 3.3meg   2.10v masterfan_final_stephen.rm REAL-VIDEO Stephen's final round in the final 4.4meg   2.56v masterfan_final_paul1.rm REAL-VIDEO Paul's 1st round in the final 218k  3.21 final_round_masterfan.rm  Final Round on the 93/94 Season recorded from MUTV

+ 988k  Real Video 3min film Paul winning the 1st rnd:   Paul_Hinson_Masterfan_1999.rm

Real Audio "sound only" : Listen to Paul in a prelim round
13mins: paul_hinson_masterfan.ra    870k  WEBSITE stats expert Paul on MUTV 1st rnd
0:30secs  paul_hinson_masterfanclip.ra    35k   Short clip 30secs Paul mentions the website & internet
+  Clip 2 from Semi final 70k

Paul answered a perfect 15/15 in 90 secs on 1974/75 season!

The Jaap Stam Story!

   "Presentation of the Masterfan Trophy Thursday 6th May"

By Paul Hinson
The taxi picked us up from work as arranged,and soon we were weaving our way through Salford and then the building site formerly known as the front of the East Stand at Old Trafford. Preparations for the extension, including Sir Matt Busby Way being re-sited and the concourse dug up have already started.

Whilst waiting at Reception, Paddy Crerand and Bill Foulkes were hanging around - Granada TV are preparing a documentary about the 1968 Euro success whilst will be shown the night before the Barca Final. It seemed appropriate to pay homage briefly to Sir Matts statue, and wish him a joyous Birthday on May 26.

We met the TV reps and were taken to the entrance from where we gained access to the edge of the pitch. 'Nobody' is allowed on the sacred turf between games.

After the cameras were set up the United Press Officer appeared with Jaap Stam. Obviously it being the day after the Anfield 'robbery' I first asked him about it. He told me the players were ushered quickly into the dressing room at the end, so that the 'boss' could confront the referee himself! Jaap is a really nice bloke, and in his civvies is not the imposing and scary sight you see during a match.

The run-through was easy, I was to walk onto the pitch, and Jaap was to congratulate me and then ask a question (MasterFan has to be tested once again!). The question was, against who did he score for United against this season? After a quick moments thought, I figured out it was at Leicester. Then he handed me the MUTV MasterFan trophy to hold aloft. Fans on the Stadium Tour looked on, thinking, "I think I know that tall bloke, but who is the one with the silverware?" My fiancee Anne snapped away, whilst the official photographer jockeyed for position.

After the rituals were over, I managed to chat with the great man briefly. I told him, that in my opinion, in watching United for 31 years, he would be in my all-time best eleven, partnering Martin Buchan. I added that one or two more senior supporters, i.e. 'Old Farts' would agree with that statement. He is a quiet and modest man and was quite proud of that.

The United lads don't get any scores at half-time, that is forbidden. The anger at the Liverpool travesty may spur them on even more in the final games, and the manager is emphasing the need for goals. Finally, he loves playing for us and thinks the support of the fans is fantastic.

Then, the show was over. The footage will go into the MUTV programme of the MasterFan Final which will be shown in June. An article is going into the official Man United Magazine in the future.

Mr Stam bounded away, shaking everybodys hand and we departed to the Red Cafe. It beats being at work!

                                         by Paul Hinson Thursday 7th May 1999

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 17:31:47 +0200
: "Manchester United Football Club (soccer)" <MUFC@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Subject: Announcement from the "Theatre Of Dreams" MUTV Masterfan 1999 is "PAUL HINSON"

Public Announcement to -PAUL HINSON-
         from the Team at the Theatre Of Dreams:

"CONGRATULATIONS are in order for becoming this years
"MASTERFAN 1999 on MUTV"

The program may well be broadcasted on national digital MUTV around mid May. Webmasters Barry and Bill have received this story today Wednesday 28th April from "Website Stats-Administrator" - Paul Hinson:

"Todays QUOTE" here from Masterfan himself! :
>>>>>>>>>>
The first shock last night was finding out that Martin, the 1998 Champ, had been ousted the previous night. From what I heard he chose a tough subject, United FA Cup Semis, and was a little too cocky. So whilst I waited for the last Semi-Final to be completed, I wondered how good was the guy who beat him...

After the two-hour chilling out process in Hospitality, finally I met the guy. His name was Stephen Airley, and was in his 60's. He had been a match-going Red since 1957. The other opponent was also somewhat older than me, and I reckoned it was going to be a tough old contest. Two guys with a vast knowledge of United going back a lot further than mine.

I had been calm and relaxed all evening, Tony Wilson asked me how I was feeling and I said fine. Just 10 seconds before we began I felt the tension, we all did.

What a contest. The first Round, plus the supplementary (which for me was about Jimmy Nicholl) saw us ALL on 9 points. Nobody was giving anything away. In the Fuzzy Faces Round I managed to pick out Gary Nevs hair and Greenings eyes, The others only managed 1 point, so I held a narrow lead of 1.

The Video Round again was deadlocked. Only the specialist subject left, and I was last on. They shortened the 90 seconds to 75 as we had all frightened them in earlier nights by getting too many right! Stephen had United in the 50's, and rattled up 10. He jumped in too soon on just one, they asked who replaced Ray Wood in the 1958 FA Cup Final - he answered Blanchflower thinking it was going to be in the Final, but if he had waited would have answered Harry Gregg.

The other guy had The Busby Years and scored 7. So when I moved back to the chair, it was a tough requirement on my subject, the 1993/94 season.

I began ok, but with time running out was given a weird question: Against who did Eric score his ONLY League goal against? I queried the question as he knocked 18 in - and eventually Tony Wilson realised it should have been League CUP. This put me at a complete disadvantage, and I got it wrong in the haste of trying to puzzle it out and answer it. Then they asked who did Robbo score his only League goal against, and I said Norwich. They said Chelsea.

At that stage my time was up, and I had 8 points. Obviously there were doubts about the Round, and a conference was held in the Control Room, out of earshot. The muddled question had been typed incorrectly. Also I asked about the Robson answer.

The tension was even worse now - ten minutes it took until they made a decision. I was offered a drink of water and eagerly took it! After consulting the Video Tape, they decided (1) Because of the duff question they were to give me 12 seconds extra, but a maximum 2 questions only, this was what they calculated I had lost because of the error. (2) My score went to 9 when the Researcher admitted his error. Robbo scored in the first game of the season at Norwich, he couldn't have scored against Chelsea as they beat us 1-0 home and away.

So now I had 12 seconds to end the series. I was still a point behind and Stephen knew in the event of a tie he was Champion on most points in the last Round, which was the decider.

Who equalised against Blackburn at Old Trafford in the dying minutes to save Uniteds long unbeaten record?

My brain seized up, but somebody said Ince. It was correct. One question to go.

Schmeichel missed the last two League games, who stood in for him? Gary Walsh. Surely it wasn't that easy?

I won by a point. What a finish. I was given a trophy replica and they are trying to arrange for Jaap Stam to meet me at OT and do a presentation of the big trophy. It might not be possible, but anyway it was a great experience.

--------------------------------------

RECAP OF PREVIOUS QUALIFYING ROUNDS:

Wed, 10 Feb 1999

Well, it was nerve-wracking to say the least. Due to "technical problems" we had to wait 2 hours before we began shooting. Tony Wilson (Factory Records boss & a keen Red) was the quiz-master. Of the 3 contestants, they only put me in with the reigning Masterfan of 1998 ):

Anyway, with my specialist subject of the League Cup, I stole the contest by 1 point, but with the various cock-ups eg one question was gobblygook mid-way through a 60-second round so I had be to given an extra question, they decided to treat the show as a 'pilot' and the 3 of us will return at a later date, separated so we have different opponents to do battle again!

Paul

----------------------------------------

First Round: First recording of the series. Tony Wilson made several cock-ups. Reigning Champ on. Beat him by 1 point after 15 points in 90 secs on 'United in League Cup'. Due to 'technical' probs show not fit to broadcast. All of us invited back to try again on separate nights.

First Round again: Paul stumbles on Schmeichels previous club (Brondby)- mental block. In trying to claw the answer out, runs out of time on venue for ECWC FInal 1991 (Rotterdam). Trailing badly with one Round to go. Again pulls out 15 straight on '1974-75 season'.

Semi-Final: Major failure in Video Round. No points out of 5! Trailing again with one Round to go. Another 15 points on '1975-76 season. Win by 3 points.

Final: as above Phew! I am going to have a quiet day now, getting back to normality. I might even change my mail signature tomorrow! Paul

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Barry"
Thanks for the run down Paul it sounds quite nerve racking!
More will appear on the website, watch this space :))

MASTERFAN 1999 Paul Hinson (email p.l.hinson@salford.ac.uk)

"Theatre Of Dreams"
MUFC Hon. Executive CP Cheah
Webmasters: Barry Leeming & Bill McArthur
Graphics: Sam Hayward Stats: Paul Hinson
Site Design Diana Low
Webmaster Mail: BArry@mufc.dk
Url: http://Red11.org