the 80th birthday treat
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 10/4/05
A great stadium in a friendly capital, which is why we cose it for dad's 80th birthday treat. The stadium is impressive, but I don't think any more than others in Europe, including the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Too many steps for the 80 year old, but it took a freiendly local to sort out a trip in the lift - albeit the stadium staff were frienly enough. Being 'visitors' we were high up with the gods, close enough to make-out the Becks haircut and the Zidane swerve. Nobody, including the goalie, saw the two Roberto Carlos blasts! I think I saw Ronaldo break sweat, but I am not sure.
Dad didn't stand up with the rest when the four goals went in, but there was a grin and smile - after all not everybody gets a trip like this, let alone at 80.
Becks did his best to liven up the crowd, and the cheers at the end were testiment to an hour and a half of effort and skill. It is surprising that the loudest noise of the night was the whistling off of an opposition player for demonstrating his 'Henry Cooper skills'.
All in all a night to remember, and the stadium emptied quickly to enable some flash photography as momentos.
Oh yes, it seems that Spanish refs are no better than the ones in the premiership - or at least that lot behind the goal seemed to think so. Ah well, some people are never happy!