FLAGBEARING FOR MANCHESTER UNITED Vs BARCELONA SEMI-FINAL

29th April 2008

Tuf*C was given the opportunity and privilege by Manchester United to give 22 young people the chance of a life-time to become an official flag bearer for the Champions League semi- final Manchester United V Barcelona game.

The 22 young people that were chosen by the staff of Tuf*C and were all local people from around the Old Trafford, Stretford and Partington areas of Trafford. All the young people that was chosen for the game was due to there involvement and participation in sporting activities, and their high attendance at Tuf*Cs Urban Leisure sessions.  

It would have been very unlikely to get hold of a ticket for the match, costing £350 a ticket on the black market, as it was a sell out. The day before the big match, all the young people had to attend rehearsals, this was the easy part as the stadium was empty, the next day there would be 75,000 spectators. The young people were given a free special limited edition tracksuits and Euro caps to mark the occasion, the delight of the 22 was clear to be seen. I’m sure the next day at school wasn’t going to be just another day.

On the day, 6 Tuf*C staff went along with the 22 young people to help them get prepared for the big moment. I’m sure the Tuf*C staff appreciated the free tickets in view of the price the tickets were being sold for outside the ground. At 7.37pm (the appointed time of all European championships matches) as nervous as they were, they lifted the flag correctly, which I am told is really heavy and carried out as rehearsed. The whole event lasted one minute which they thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. For the young people it was a massive achievement to be a part of such an important event, they felt proud to be in the middle of the pitch at a Manchester United game, it was very difficult not to be overwhelmed by the happiness of the young people and the feedback from parents was brilliant and very appreciative.