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Posted by Barry on 2008-10-07 @ 2:09:56 -0600

Aalborg Match Report & IRISH RED Party by Barry Leeming
Dateline Monday 29th September Aalborg Aiport 12.45, the team landed, no Alex did not fly the plane but a full squad was there and only Gary Neville & Owen Hargreaves were missing. Three hundred or so fans had turned up & the TV cameras from TV2Nord were on my letter written to Sir Alex. There was a mad rush for Ronalso leaving the door open to say hello to many players and even chat to, among others, Sir Alex, Paddy Crerand, David Meek & MEN’s Reds reporter Stuart Mathieson . The two team bus was outside and drove the Manchester United & MUTV party to the SAS Radisson Hotel in the middle of town.

Later that day we were able to go in to hotel where all the Danish MUSCS gang were staying and were able to photograph players and generally chat to some of them. I chatted a few minutes with Sir Alex telling him about Aalborg and wishing him & the team a good stay. No camera, so I only got a photo with my mobile phone. Many of the MUSCS met players in the lifts and I heard that Ronaldo was not too good understanding English. Wes & Scholsey were extremely polite & signed autographs. I was in dreamland at this point. Imagine me Born & Bred a RED and now they were staying & playing in the town Aalborg where I have lived 30 years!

Dateline Tuesday 30th Sept The Irish House
Early up, I couldn’t sleep! I drove in the Irish House at 10am to start the non-stop REDS party all day long until match start. Pete Boyle was booked for 17.00 hrs. Highlights of that party were the English travelling REDS Stretford enders & East standers simply taking over the singing and with my wireless microphones a great time was had by all J. We had several bars, a stage & a BIG 5x5 meter screen set up for REDS without tickets to see the game.

When Boylie arrived the atmosphere increased & I estimate we were 200+ REDS in the open square with a further 100 or so inside the pub. DR1 tv news sent direct from the square and there many other TV cameras and reporters about. There were not very many MUSCS REDS at the party, mainly travelling UK REDS. The reason being that there were no match tickets available and it is fairly expensive + time consuming to travel from Norway to Aalborg by ship. The 800 ticket allocation went to OT and black market ticket prices were very high starting at 150 quid!

We had a personal Barce 9 year re-union in the square where “Michael Henrik Leo & myself [the 4 Aalborg Barce boys] joining up with Stephen Degorio & Mike Dobbin to make a cool group of 6 Barce friends. The whole day flashed by, you can see photos at this link
<A HREF="http://picasaweb.google.com/BJLeeming/ManchesterUnitedLandInAalborgSept29th2008">http://picasaweb.google.com/BJLeeming/ManchesterUnitedLandInAalborgSept29th2008</A>

20.00 hrs we walked to the stadium which was 20 minutes walk from the pub past the team Hotel. Arriving at the ground we were ushered into the North west corner of the ground where there was plenty of room to walk around whilst watching the game. I was pleased to see the team wearing the 1968 replica blue kit for the first time, not least because I was also wearing the shirt J The first half was UNITED attacking the far end, REDS were in fine voice and we all sang more or less non stop whilst on the pitch is was men vs. boys. Aalborg hardly had a kick after the initial 10 mins whirlwind start. Rooney struck with an easy goal after a through ball by Giggsy after 20 mins. Scholesy was stretchered off after a kick in the knee by AAB capt. Thomas Augustinsen but apart from that the first 45 mins was very positive for all J. Aalborg supporters at the other end held a big flag with the words “Welcome to Hell” errrr… not sure if that was correct?

2nd half started & we were treated to some slick United play and 2 goals from Dimitar Berbatov. The first was presented to him by a defensive error but the 2nd was a cracker blasted in from a Ronaldo right wing cross. Was there a song? YESS the travelling Reds sang a new Berba song about Dimitaer signing. Rooney pulled up injured on 58 mins and Tevez came on, Rafael was all over the park, if you ask me United were playinfthe whole match at 75% energy level, it was easy. My photos from The Irish House + match photos just behind the goal can be found here
<A HREF="http://picasaweb.google.com/BJLeeming/MUSCS2008AabVManchesterUnited30thSept#">http://picasaweb.google.com/BJLeeming/MUSCS2008AabVManchesterUnited30thSept#</A>

Back to the Irish House which was now packed with Danes who had watched the gam on the big screens. We closed the square as many travelling REDS were going home straight after the game so I had to pack all my disco equipment. A few drinks later we decided to go down to SAS Radisson & see if there was anything going on. Michael Henrik Michelle & Barry went into the hotel bar it was 1am and who was sitting there but Schmikes & Brian Laudrup from Viasat TV3 match coverage. They were relaxing and were tired bit we chatted anyway and we stayed there a hour or so! Peter told me that United would now be half back to Manchester so there were no more meet ups with players or MUTV team. We chatted about Barcelona & I proposed a toast to the four BArceboys “Michael Henrik Barry & Peter!” hehe. I was also able to tell Brian that whilst in Glasgow as a Dane all Scottish soccer supporters worshipped him and said that Brian Laudrup was the best player EVER for Glasgow Rangers, I think he knew but quite liked my stories from The Horsehoe pub in Glasgow. It was now late we all decided to pop over the road to Jomfru Ane Gade for a last drink before we took a taxi home 3 am or so.

Dateline Wednesday 1st October
Mike Dobbin was still in town so I was able to spend a couple of hours showing Mike’s party Mike Dobbin, Graham Castle, Alan Tyler & John O’Brian around central Aalborg including the Søgaards brewery J Mike’s photos from Aalborg can be seen here <A HREF="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikedobbin/sets/72157607690882787/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikedobbin/sets/72157607690882787/</A>

Work called and I had to say my RED goodbyes but not before we chatted about Manchester United past present & future at Duus’s Wine cellar in Jens Bangs Stenhus which was built in 1623!

AaB: Zaza, Bogelund, Olfers, Beauchamp (Caca 38), Pedersen, Augustinussen, Risgaard, Curth, Johansson, Enevoldsen, Saganowski.
Subs Not Used: Stenild, Due, Braemer, Sorensen, Kristensen, Ronnie Schwartz Nielsen.
Booked: Johansson, Zaza.

Manchester Utd: Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva (Brown 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes (Giggs 16), O'Shea, Nani, Berbatov, Rooney (Tevez 59).
Subs Not Used: Amos, Anderson, Park, Evans.
Booked: Rafael Da Silva.
Goals: Rooney 22, Berbatov 55, 79.

Att: 10,346
Ref: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal).

http://red11.org/mufc/GoToMatchReports.do?matchdate=2008-09-30

Posted by PaulJ on 2008-10-07 @ 1:51:14 -0600

Seeing the Real You at Last

We didn’t get a share of the few hundred tickets available for this one, so whilst Barry and the Danish contingent were partying in Aalborg I was on the road North to a family wedding in Newcastle. We stayed in Sheffield overnight and met up with Tom. We ate Turkish because it was Ramadan and they would be open and busy at first hint of dusk on a Tuesday night. We rushed the women through the meal so that we could get to a pub nice enough for them to be sat in the corner with their book and their magazine and their chocolate and their knitting, or whatever it is most women use to fill that gap in their lives where football ought to be.

We ended up in The Byron for a somewhat surreal night in a bar with the majority watching the Arsenal match, with commentary, and we two watching the United match (better picture, no commentary). Maggie’s 88 year old Mum was doing her best to follow the action but was a little confused when loud cries did not match what was on our screen. Given the result I am sorely tempted to consider the four hundred mile round trip to watch all our European matches in The Byron.

In contrast to our last Danish adventure, Ferguson took no chances and picked a version of the best team. Van der Sar was in goal; I noticed that Ben Amos was on the bench for this position, not Kuszczak, and I was really pleased that Rafael Da Silva was in at right back in an otherwise familiar defence. He did not disappoint. Even though Hargreaves and Carrick were injured I was surprised that it was O’Shea who was chosen to partner Scholes in the middle and that it was Anderson on the bench. Mr Dependable in for Mr Young and Visionary. Nani and Ronaldo were on the flanks, Rooney and Berbatov up front; perhaps Ferguson felt that the overall team balance was sufficiently mercurial and needed some old fashioned reliability. John served us well, as is usual; it’s just that Anderson would be nearly always in my team.

The Danes were no pushovers. There may have been a theoretical gap in class but we have seen before that this does not guarantee a win and the big question surrounded our recent inability to turn superiority into goals. Ronaldo looked lively in the early exchanges but it was his energy and enthusiasm rather than his skill which should have set us on the road when he charged down a clearance from goalkeeper Zaza. It rebounded high in the air and fell to Berbatov running in from the right; picking up from where he had left off on Saturday Berbatov volleyed it just wide of the target. When Paul Scholes got himself injured in a challenge with Augustinusson and was carried off; things did not appear to be going to plan.

Fortunately for us all, Wayne Rooney also picked up where he left off and when Ryan Giggs, on for Scholes, threaded a killer of a ball through, Rooney was on to it and clipped the ball confidently into the net from the edge of the area, I think via an appendage of the outrushing ‘keeper; 22 minutes 1-0.

All through the first half and into the second United were looking slick and threatening on the fast break with Rooney for me looking the most likely to cause most damage but when we went forward there were still a shade too many errors arising from lack of surety; Giggs, Nani, Berbatov and Ronaldo were all guilty of bad decisions or misplaced passes.

The press made much of the Aalborg attacks and a single goal lead is never a recipe for inner peace but there was no point when my heart was in my mouth, even though Van der Sar demonstrated again his preference for the wild forward punch over the safe clean catch. As the part time Gooners in the room were drooling over their team’s usual early season master class, this time against Porto, the drink in me necessitated the odd barbed comment in their direction whereas quietly I was beginning to wonder what Berbatov was actually for.

Then two Danish defenders did a fair imitation of those Scandinavian idiots in the 118118 advert. The square pass Augustinussen got from his left was not particularly welcome on the edge of the area but neither was it a suicide ball. I expect his team mate had noted that Berbatov was the only blue shirt in the vicinity and weighed up that no harm would arise. Silly boy.
Augustinussen displayed the ball control of a Tony Hately on a bad day and the cursed round thing pinged all over the place and fell into our Bulgarian’s path. From outside the area Berbatov rifled the half volley smartly and unerringly home, showing the finishing power of a Mark Hughes. So nonchalant was he about his first United goal and so apparently embarrassed about his earlier miss that the celebrations were muted and I assumed it had been disallowed. Not so; a turning point, maybe. It certainly settled this match and had the Gooners in the room looking over their shoulders at our screen and muttering about gifts; 55 minutes 2-0.

The question then became, how many could we score? The answer was significantly altered when Rooney started limping after the next attack; he went off and was replaced by Tevez. As one bundle of energy came on another went off. Rafael, who had played and contributed splendidly, limped off for Wes Brown. I like Carlos Tevez but his early season form when he was carrying much of the team has not really been given the chance to blossom since it has primarily been he who has made way for the languid new boy. The Argentinean buzzed around like a killer hamster forcing errors and increasing significantly the entropy of the universe. He had the ball in the net, too, but as the by now irritating Gooners gleefully pointed out the final control involved his arm and it was not allowed.

At the same time, though not because of Carlos’ presence; the Bulgarian came alive. He seemed more at one with the Bronzed Narcissus; they were at the centre of things when we swept forward and the best bits involved them both. Ronaldo, who had a quiet night by the standards of last season, glided down the right wing, hurdled the tackle and cut the ball back to the D. This was not a Denis Law or a Mark Hughes scissor kick, all energy and drama and a blur of action; it was a Dimitar Berbatov scissor kick. It still involves the highest skill and judgement, the horizontal leap, the contact is with the upper foot, mid-air, the ball still travels, first bounce, into the net, the goal is still a memorable one, but it is executed with a laconic indolence. The physics must be the same, but the execution is cool, man; 79 minutes 3-0.

The Gooners muttered something about crass goalkeeping and turned back to watch their lot construct a one-night video of misses of the season and I quietly hoped that we might catch up their four goal tally and shut them up. We should have done. Berbatov moved smoothly up the middle and provided the perfect ball for Ronaldo on the right. The European Footballer of the Year took it in his stride and drove it low and hard for the near corner and I leapt to my feet but, incredibly, he had missed; side netting, embarrassing me in front of the giggling Gooners.

After the draw with Villarreal and with the double fixture against Celtic on the horizon we started this game ill affording another slip, yet we finished it top of the group and in a healthy position with qualification an arithmetic likelihood if we can win our two home matches. The night has even greater significance if it means we are seeing the real Berbatov at last. If so I for one am glad the waiting is over.

Our night was, however, gravely soured by the emerging news of Paul Scholes’ injury and the likely ten week lay-off. At his age that estimate is unlikely to get shorter. Perhaps this will be the opportunity for Anderson to emerge as the force I believe him to be.

Posted by Barry on 2008-10-01 @ 13:20:18 -0600

Dimitar Berbatov got off the mark with a double strike as Manchester United cruised to Champions League victory against Aalborg in Denmark.

Wayne Rooney slid home a pass from Ryan Giggs - on for Paul Scholes after he was stretchered off with a knee injury - to open the scoring after 22 minutes.

Berbatov opened his goal account when he took advantage of a defensive mix-up to score 10 minutes after half-time.

He then volleyed in Cristiano Ronaldo's cross for his second after 79 minutes.

United outclassed Bruce Rioch's minnows, but injuries to Scholes and Rooney cast a shadow over the win, which leaves them with four points from their first two group games.

Scholes was left on crutches, while Rooney limped off in some discomfort just before the hour mark.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson kept faith with Berbatov, despite a lacklustre start to his Old Trafford career, but he made an undistinguished start with a dreadful miss after five minutes.

Aalborg keeper Karim Zaza's clearance ricocheted off Ronaldo straight to Berbatov, but he shot wide of an open goal.

Zaza then had to block a drive from Rio Ferdinand after Nemanja Vidic flicked on Nani's corner.

United suffered a blow after 16 minutes when Scholes was stretchered off with a knee injury following a challenge by Thomas Augustinussen. Giggs came on and demonstrated his enduring quality six minutes later with a perfect through ball into Rooney's path and he slipped home a simple finish.

Rafael had looked promising at right-back, and he almost showed his goal-scoring talent with a fine left-foot shot that was turned over by Zaza.

United needed to kill the game off, and they did so when Berbatov was gifted his first goal following his £30m move from Spurs in the 55th minute.

Augustinussen's dreadful control presented Berbatov with possession on the edge of the area, and he wasted no time in hammering an emphatic finish past Zaza.

There was another concern for United after 58 minutes when Rooney pulled up injured and limped off to be replaced by Carlos Tevez.

Tevez had the ball in the net almost immediately, but referee Olegario Benquerenca ruled out the effort for handball.

United were now carving out a succession of chances, with Ronaldo failing to take advantage of good work by Tevez and the Argentine shooting wide after cutting in from the left.

Berbatov got his second with 11 minutes left, showing great technique to hook home Ronaldo's right-wing cross.

The Bulgarian almost repaid the compliment with six minutes left when he set Ronaldo racing clear with a glorious pass, but he was unable to provide the final flourish to a comfortable win.

A job well done by United - but at what cost in terms of injuries remained to be seen as the players prepared to fly back to Manchester.

AaB: Zaza, Bogelund, Olfers, Beauchamp (Caca 38), Pedersen, Augustinussen, Risgaard, Curth, Johansson, Enevoldsen, Saganowski.
Subs Not Used: Stenild, Due, Braemer, Sorensen, Kristensen, Ronnie Schwartz Nielsen.

Booked: Johansson, Zaza.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva (Brown 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes (Giggs 16), O'Shea, Nani, Berbatov, Rooney (Tevez 59).
Subs Not Used: Amos, Anderson, Park, Evans.

Booked: Rafael Da Silva.

Goals: Rooney 22, Berbatov 55, 79.

Att: 10,346

Ref: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal).

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Manchester United's Wayne Rooney 8.22 (on 90 minutes).

bbc.co.uk

Posted by Barry on 2008-09-28 @ 13:49:51 -0600

GROUP E Aalborg v Man Utd Tues, KO 7.45pm, live on ITV4
Sir Alex Ferguson fears Bruce Rioch could hand Manchester United a Champions League nightmare if his team fail in Denmark this week. The European champions travel to face Aalborg needing a victory to put their campaign back on track after a home draw with Villarreal. With United set to face Celtic at Old Trafford next month, Fergie wants his players to ease the pressure by beating the team managed by former Arsenal and Bolton boss Rioch.

Ferguson said: "Having dropped two points in our first game it is important we get it right against Aalborg. Going to Villarreal for a win will be very difficult and the last thing we need is to be going to Parkhead needing three points to go through. "Aalborg were lucky to get a draw at Celtic but they will be at home against us - and my old mate Bruce Rioch will have them fired up. "They are playing Manchester United, they will have a sell-out crowd and the whole town will be up for it. Danish clubs are always battlers."

Posted by Barry on 2008-09-26 @ 1:51:51 -0600

There will be a RED SEA of support from Scandinavia & England for this game!

Approx 10,000 have tickets, MUSCS Support have arranged entertainment all day Tues 30th of course :) SEE YOU THERE?? theirishhouse.dk

THE IRISH HOUSE, Østerågade 25, 9000 Aalborg, Tel: 0045 9814 1817

"The Irish House"
Abningstider mandag + tirsdag 10.00 - last man standing ca. 04.00

* Entertainment starts from 10am Tuesday and Pete Boyle from Manchester will sing at the Irish House from 17.00 hours local time.

TV = 1 projector + 3 x 40 inch screens + 2 more screens 6 i alt
viser AAB - United - Scousers spiller onsdag heldigvis :)

Special offers are Carlsberg 30,00 kr all day until 20.00 hrs then 35,00 kr after
All UK pints op til kampen 40,00 kr - skifter til Carlsberg 35,00/Pints 45,00 kr efter kampen
Pint bottle of Magners 49 kr

The Irish House Aalborg lives for football and for what it stands for.
We give a great experience with our UK staff to make a unique atmosphere.
So come on down and enjoy an experience you will not forget a great night of LIVE football & music.
Our motto "The Irish House is a home away from home, eat drink & sleep football"
"Come on you REDS"
Slaint from all the crew at The Irish House

Welcome to the show,come inside, come inside, its the show that never ends
Manchester MANCHESTER UNITED bunch of bouncing Busby Babes they should all be knighted :)))))))))

Posted by Barry on 2008-09-08 @ 23:03:48 -0600

Eleven days have passed since the draw but as exiled Reds fan Barry Leeming explains, Aalborg in Denmark is still buzzing after the local team was drawn in the same Champions League group as United...

The match may be three weeks away but everywhere I go, people are asking me about Manchester United.

Even the postman came rushing up to my front door the day after the draw and said: "Have you heard? Manchester United are coming to Aalborg!" He knows my wife and I are United fans because we have a bright red letterbox and 'Birgitte and Barry, Manchester United No.1 supporter' painted on the front. I was born in Oldham but moved to Denmark about 30 years ago.

When the draw was made in Monaco I was at a Neil Young concert and could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I took it out to have a look and it was full of messages and missed calls from my other United mates over here. A few of us – myself, Michael, Henrik and Leo – all went to Barcelona in 1999 and we live here in Aalborg and get together to watch United on TV.

Since the draw my email inbox has been full of United fans asking for tickets, although I’m not sure how I’m supposed to help them out! The Aalborg stadium is tiny (just over 10,500 for European matches) so United won’t get a very big allocation. With that in mind, I went out and contacted everyone I know with a Season Ticket, which guarantees a seat, just in case I don't get one through the official channels. There’s no way I’m missing out on seeing United here.

Of course, I’m over the moon with the draw – finally, a European away trip on my doorstep! I’m used to travelling long distances to see the Reds, so this is a nice change. The ground’s only 20 minutes’ drive from my house!
The Aalborg fans have also gone mad. Sports-wise, this is probably the biggest event to ever happen in the town and even the mayor has been talking about it. The amount of money the club will make from this one game is probably as much as they’d usually earn in three or four seasons. Qualifying for the Champions League was such a big step. Only 120,000 people live here, but I think they could easily sell 60,000 tickets for the match.

As for what happens on the pitch, the AaB fans won't be too disappointed if United come to town and take their side apart. I think they just want to see some good football.

There's a lot to do in Aalborg, even though it's not a big city. I’d definitely encourage the United fans to visit Jomfru Ane Gade. It’s an incredible street – much better than anything in Copenhagen. There are about 25 discos and nightclubs on the street, so the fans should find something that takes their fancy. Certainly, I don’t think anyone will get bored.

There are also a few British-style pubs in Aalborg and I’ll be at The Irish House from lunchtime onwards on matchday. I’m a DJ and I’m hosting a massive Reds party that will last well into the night. We have room for 500 outside and another 500 inside the pub. Pete Boyle will be down there after the match to lead some singing, so we’re all looking forward to it.

See you in Aalborg on September 30!
The views expressed in 12 O’Clock Blog articles are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United FC.

If you want to see the RED postbox go to this link :))
http://mufc.dk/images/ManchesterUnitedPostbox.jpg

Posted by Barry on 2008-08-29 @ 0:51:10 -0600

Good morning from little Aalborg in Denmark where the population is 120.000 people

To ALL REDS
Good morning from little Aalborg in Denmark where there is a population of only 120,000 people!
We now will have Manchester United FC as our guests Tues 30th Sept 2008!

If you think about it there will be a chaos with a RED SEA of support from Scandinavia & England that day!
Approx 10,000 will get a ticket, MUSCS Support will arrange entertainment all day Tues 30th of course :)
SEE YOU THERE?? http://theirishhouse.dk/sports.php
IRISH HOUSE, Østerågade 25, 9000 Aalborg, Tel: 0045 9814 1817

Welcome to the show,come inside, come inside, its the show that never ends
Manchester MANCHESTER UNITED bunch of bouncing Busby Babes they should all be knighted :)))))))))

Maddane

30 Sep UEFA Champions League Aalborg BK A 19:45

This what I wrote before the draw!
At 18:50 28-08-2008, you wrote:

----- Original Message ----
From: Barry Leeming
To: MUFC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:17:57 AM
Subject: Re: [Mufc] Champions League Draw Later...

Aalborg is a little club in Northern Denmark where I live.
Crowd capacity 10 -14000. Fingers crossed we get them! :))

They beat Kaunas 4-0 on agg. last night
*their managaer is "Bruce Rioch" remember him, Derby County?

Maddane
Barry Leeming
barry@mufc.dk