Why Manchester United?
A 10-year-old boy's tale of loss, resilience, and life lessons
The title could mean anything considering the present circumstances. Why are United playing such? Why are the Glazers not leaving? Why is Sir Jim Ratcliffe only acquiring 25%? Why is Ten Hag not implementing a style of play? But this post is not about any of the above.
This story is about why a little boy, age 10, living in a district in West Bengal decided to give his heart to a football club 5813 miles away.
It was 1996. Premier League was finally being broadcast in India. Manchester United (the boy supported United but had not started loving them yet) had started the season decently well, winning 4 and drawing 4. They started October by beating rivals Liverpool via a solitary Beckham goal (he would go on to win PFA Young Player of the Year).
Then began the nightmarish 3 weeks. United lost 5-0 to Newcastle, 6-3 to Southampton, and 2-1 to Chelsea right before the international break. United were 8 points off the top after 12 games, which was a big deal back then as the league used to be closely contested.
Normalcy resumed on November 16 (the weekend before the boy’s birthday) and United went on a 16-game unbeaten run to go top of the table but Liverpool were only 4 points behind with a game in hand. So, when United lost 2 out of their next 5 games, this is how the table looked.
United were to play Liverpool next and fans were tense but this little boy was experiencing a journey of his own.
Thursday, April 10, 1997.
It was the last day of the holidays before the new school session began (always began on a Friday). The boy got up post 9 am for one last time before school started, brushed his teeth, and idled around. The manservant went up to use the restroom on the terrace but forgot to ask someone to lock the door behind him.
And it happened.
Dada (grandpa) ran up the stairs. The boy ran after him but could not reach him in time. He saw it all. The climb, the jump, the darkness. This time he could not save him.
To date, the boy does not know what he could have done differently and whether would it have made a difference.
All he knows is he lost a person who loved him unconditionally, called him ‘Nilesh babu’ like he was a big man, celebrated the boy’s each small win like he won everything, and kept telling the boy about how important it was to save money.
And amidst all the trauma, Manchester United gave him hope, taught him about life, and became a part of his journey.
United beat Liverpool on April 19 and despite drawing their next 3 games, they won the league with 75 points which is the lowest points total for a Premier League title. The boy did not celebrate much but United’s season had taught him a life lesson - keep fighting till the last day.
He wished he could have taught Dada that lesson and with that thought, he gave his heart away to The Red Devils for life.
Sometimes he wishes he was not 10 but older and could take Dada to therapy (he took help earlier this year for his anger issues and that made him relive the 26-year-old trauma again). Sometimes he wishes he could turn back time and tell him that he loved him (no one taught him to say I love you to his family). Who knows what would life be like if Dada was still there but the little boy grew up faster than his age, and that helped him survive teenagehood, financial crisis, and more.
Zakir Khan, in his stand-up Tathastu, talked about how his grandpa said “teesri peedi mein baat banti hai ya bigadti hai” (things get better or worse in the third generation). The little boy wishes he could tell his Dada that teesri peedi mein baat ban rahi hai (things are getting better in the third generation).
In the words of Peter Drury,
This is how it used to be
this is how Old Trafford (Life) can be
this is Manchester United
who once upon a time were never beaten
and tonight (today) they (the boy) remembered how it can be
two down and going nowhere
suddenly they feel as though they may be going places
Will Manchester United get a third generation of success after the Busby Babes and Sir Alex Ferguson’s 26 years of reign? Will the boy ever stop dreaming about that Thursday? Time will tell but NEVER SAY NEVER.