12 years is a long wait for anything. But for me, waiting 12 years to go to my first Manchester United match at Old Trafford felt like eternity. When you wait so long for something you wonder if it will be meet the expectations that have been built up over the last decade or so. But for me, there was no question that seeing my favorite football club in their famous stadium would not only meet my expectations, but surpass them.

Indeed it did.

I remember watching Manchester United when I was young. I remember my fascination and my immediate love for the club and all its players and most of all, I remember wishing that I would one day be able to witness them play. The years went by and my love for the club only intensified with every season and with every match, but my wish remained the same.

Recently I was finally able to accomplish my dream and make that wish come true. As soon as tickets had gone on sale for the Manchester United vs. West Bromwich Albion match on October 16th I purchased tickets and on day before the match I made the much-anticipated journey to Manchester, England. Less than an hour after arriving at the train station I arrived at Old Trafford – a Mecca for all United supporters. I stopped and admired the stadium I had seen hundreds of times on TV and for a moment, I even had to pinch myself. Being there simply seemed too good to be true.

Indeed it was.

Before I knew it, I was standing next to the pitch my heroes play on every week as part of a guided tour of the entire stadium. Minutes later I found myself sitting in the players’ dressing room where famous names such as George Best, Bryan Robson and David Beckham have sat… the same room where Sir Alex Ferguson gives his team talks and where the champagne is popped after a cup triumph. Some of the most famous athletes in the world occupied the same room on a frequent basis.

Following the tour of the stadium I walked through every room inside the museum, admiring all of the trophies and awards on display. With over 100 years of rich, unmatched history on show, I found it hard to make myself leave. Finally, after more than two hours inside the museum and an additional hour in the stadium’s Mega Store, I forced myself to move on. I suppose it helped that I would be back inside the stadium the following day as Manchester United hosted West Brom.

If I thought touring the stadium and its museum was something special, I was in for the experience of a lifetime on the day of the match. After bumping into a group of United fans who had made the journey down from Ireland, we hung out a supporters’ pub before the match as we counted down the hours until kick-off. We arrived at Bishops Plaize at 11:00, four and a half hours before kick-off, and astonishingly by this time the pub was already packed with supporters socializing and belting out chant after chant about their beloved club. It didn’t take long for me to join in.

The time for the match finally arrived and by then I was already hoarse. My voice would suffer further impairment as I spent the entire 90 minutes of the match participating in the numerous chants that rang around the stadium. Never before in my life had I experienced such a remarkable atmosphere at a sporting event. This was an experience of a lifetime, not just for me, but for most of the 75,023 fans inside the stadium. Despite the match ending in a 2-2 draw, I was still incredibly satisfied with the experience of being at my first Manchester United match. More than anything though, I was already plotting my return to Manchester for another taste of one of the most incredible experiences the world has to offer me.

Footage of the pre-match traditions: Bishops Plaize Pub