As you probably already know, I’m a big fan of sports so on one hand to say that Peter Schmeichel is my all time favourite sports idol wouldn’t be very accurate but he does represent a significant time in my life. You see he was the captain on the night in 1999 where Manchester United became the first English club to clinch the Champions League title (after the change in format). There was a lot more to that night thought because for the best part of the match, United were not playing well.
Somehow as if it was destiny, they managed to win the game in the final 3 minutes to complete a historic treble. And that’s why I love the team so much because they seem to come up with these “miracles” in the dying moments of a match. Sometimes I compare my own life to a Man Utd match, I have these bad spells and then suddenly out of nowhere I manage to come up with a moment of “greatness”….then again it’s probably just blind luck.
The current crop is some way off compared to the old guard from 1999….even till today I still love that team more. Heck even when I play football manager I tend to look for a patch that features the team of 1999, so you can guess how I felt when I came face to face with the living legend Peter Schmeichel. Just looking at him I suddenly started to remember all those goals he saved, some from impossible situations. Then shaking his hand I started to realise why so many strikers were intimidated when they faced a one on one situation with him.
I had a nice chat with him as i asked questions about his thoughts on this season and he talked about how he liked the current squad of young new players mixed with experienced heads. What especially stood out for me was when he said he’s still very much a part of Man Utd and that though he has played for Man City, that was during a very different time of their history when they posed no threat to Man Utd whatsoever. You sort of could understand that the guy just enjoyed playing football.
We’re currently 2nd placed on the premiet league table behind city by goal difference with 2 games to go. Doesn’t look too good and this ain’t no team of 1999. In a way we’ve done that to so many teams before, broken their hearts in the dying minutes of the game and now it’s our turn to face it. I suppose that’s life, that’s football…..maybe I’ll say the same words in my next blog post just under different circumstances. You never know in football.
E Danker
Editor of POPCulture Online
Follow Elliott on twitter @ElliottDanker
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