Sharmistha Gooptu in Manchester
If you’re in Manchester, you’re inside the football! RevSportz team members who are either supporters of Man City or Manchester United – have already made their respective trips to bow their heads at these pilgrimages of the game since their arrival here. For myself, checking into my accommodation here yesterday was more than enough.
Hotel Football, my home for the next eight days, is literally the house next door to the Manchester United Football stadium. The Sir Alex Ferguson stand is overlooking the road in front of the hotel. Co- founded by Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, together with Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Phil Neville, this boutique hotel is just a ten minutes stroll from Old Trafford stadium where India will play England in the fourth Test of the ongoing England versus India series. The hotel, as I gathered, is quite a landmark – the taxi driver who brought me here from the Manchester Piccadilly station, had dismissed my efforts to give him the address saying, ‘I know that place, lady!’
Crossing over to the other side of the road with cars zipping past at top speed, I walked by the Sir Alex Ferguson Way to explore the neighbourhood. You can walk right up to the very serene waterfront, and it being a Sunday, was fairly deserted. This was the area around the Manchester docks and I stood to marvel at a magnificent piece of giant art, symbolising a ship’s anchor, installed across from the 1932 Liverpool Warehouse.
On returning, I made my way to the restaurant in the hotel for a bite, and what else could it be called – but Cafe Football! Silhouettes of Messi, Maradona, Ronaldo and such other titans stand against the glass windows across from where I sit and order my bruschetta. The ice-cream menu on the wall behind me has the scoop flavours marked as footballs. I asked one of the cafe staff if I could take pictures and he happily escorted me to the other side where entire walls are adorned with portraits of star footballers – Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Giggs, David De Gea.
From the main reception to the room decor and even the pillow covers – with ‘Dreaming of Victory’ embroidered on them, this stay is an experience! Even the welcome candy in the room is in the shape of little footballs.
Truly, when in Manchester, one is in the football! And in the history of this place. That is, until cricket takes us over again!
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