On Sunday 4th November,
seven of Sale United’s Under 8s
squad were specially invited to Manchester
United’s Cliff Training complex
to play five-a-side football against seven
other teams comprising of Manchester United's
Pre-Academy players from all around the
North West. Sale United were the only
grassroots club invited.
The emphasis on the day
was just to “play” and for
the children to express themselves and
try their tricks and skills in a match
without any pressure of winning. In fact,
the Manchester United Academy staff went
to great lengths to emphasis that no one
would be keeping any scores. The idea
was for each side to score as many goals
as they possibly could.
Stewart Heywood, Sale
United’s Head Coach said,”
this is a great experience for our boys,
competing against players of such high
ability, and I’m glad to say that
our boys have taken it in their stride
and never looked out of place.”
He added, “ this day is a supplement
to Sale United’s current coaching
strategy where we promote small sided
games, free expression and many touches
of the ball. Manchester United have been
very cooperative in allowing our boys
to compete at this level and it is the
second such opportunity for us.”
Each team played against
each of the seven other teams in short
matches. The boys were told that they
would referee their own matches and basically
just left to enjoy themselves.
The boys were presented
with a current Manchester United pennant
and invited into the changing rooms where
they were told that they were sat in the
same seats as Manchester United’s
famous ‘Treble’ winning squad
of 1999 who met there before all the key
games that won them the famous accolade.
Frightening to think that none of the
60 boys in attendance were even born when
Manchester United achieved this piece
of history.
