Fireman Bruce Lee Man-kei's job training has prepared him for most scenarios but he was taken aback by the wild emotions he experienced on seeing his first game at Old Trafford.
'I was so excited and happy to be at this match,' said the 25-year-old in the car park outside the stadium after his beloved Manchester United beat Chelsea 1-0 on November 6.
'I could not believe the intensity of the crowd and the amazing noise they made. It was so loud. It's great how the fans keep singing. At times when the fans got angry with the ref and when they were trying to lift United some of them got a bit scary. They were standing up, shouting and making wild gestures. I felt a bit worried by some fans because they seemed to be out of control.' Lee, an easygoing character who works at Tsing Yi fire station, was one of a dozen prize winners from Hong Kong who got to sample the atmosphere at the home of the English Premier League's most successful club, sitting in the East Stand of the famous stadium in the biggest match of the season so far. And he was delighted the winning goal was scored at his end.
'When Fletcher's header went in right in front of us it was fantastic. There is only one team for me - Man United,' said the Tuen Mun resident, who earned the trip by accumulating user points in Smartone-Vodafone's Football Express service, which offers data, match alerts, special reports and video clips for the soccer fan with dedicated coverage of United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. The trip to the Carrington complex to watch a United training session and the chance to meet goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar was a highlight for Lee. 'I did not realise how good even the training pitches would be and how skilful these players are until I was right in front of them,' Lee said.
