First viewed : Uncertain
We're now into the Premier League era . Sky bought the rights to screen live matches and have never relinquished them to this day. We never considered getting a dish so until last year I never watched any of those matches in my own home.
My friend Sean's family bought one straight away and I was always welcome to go round there to watch a game on a Sounday teatime. I can't say for certain which was the first one I saw. The Manchester derby on 6.12.92 which was Eric Cantona's debut for United seems like a good contender but having just viewed the highlights there was nothing that rang any bells . I used to enjoy going round there. I'd always been a bit wary of their dog Floss and she asserted herself by placing her snout on my thigh and demanding a stroke. If I stopped, there would be a little snort so every game carried a risk of repetitive strain injury until Sean's mum Beryl chased her away.
I've also seen games at other friends' houses and pubs over the years. The most memorable occasion was on 2.4.1994 . Dale played Scarborough at their place, losing 2-1 and we stopped off at a pub in Malton on the way back to watch the evening match between Blackburn and United. I struggled to find parking so dropped them off at the pub while I found somewhere to park. When I came in Sean whispered to me "Be careful what you say , I think they're all United fans here". So we kept quiet until Shearer scored when the whole place erupted. If they were United fans, they had a funny way of showing it.
I also recall seeing the Blackburn v Liverpool game at my friend Carl's house when Blackburn limped over the line to the Premiership title with a little help from Andy Cole's incompetence against West Ham ( not the first time they spiked a United title bid )..
Little bit harsh on Cole, as viewing the game back, I wouldn't consider the chances he didn't take as absolute sitters and their keeper did well. A tough one to take at the time, but it perhaps gave Ferguson the conviction to ditch some players to make way for others.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the first live Sky game I watched was United beating Leeds 2-0 in the Autumn of 1992, at a family friend's house. I found their glitzy presentation a bit much after years of ITV's more sedate Brian Moore-fronted approach.