September 19, 2020
"GOALLLL!"
The roar may not have erupted from the stands of Old Trafford, but it still sent shockwaves across Manchester — from living rooms to pub corners, from WhatsApp groups to quiet backyards lit only by fairy lights and flickering TV screens. There were no scarves waving in the wind, no stampede of fans on Sir Matt Busby Way. This wasn't a normal matchday.
It was COVID season. The stadiums were silent, the streets half-empty, but the hearts of Manchester United fans thumped just as loud as ever.
In a different kind of theatre, the Theatre of Homes, the rituals lived on. Fridges were stocked with cold beers. Wings sizzled in ovens. Children wore oversized United kits and bounced on couches while parents argued about the starting eleven. Windows glowed with the soft pulse of pre-match broadcasts. The city was alive — not outside, but within.
