Manchester United fans around the world dream of making the pilgrimage to Old Trafford someday.
One traveler from Sierra Leone — known as “Moses” — came oh so close to experiencing that rite of passage only to be foiled by a bomb scare.
United’s match against Bournemouth — scheduled for the final day of the Premier League — was postponed due to a suspicious looking package mistakenly left on the grounds after an evacuation practice drill. Fans already inside the 75,000-seater left in an orderly manner before the device was detonated.
But just as Moses was working out how to explain his bad luck to his friends back home, the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) came to the rescue, pulling together to rearrange his flight and provide him with a ticket for the FA Cup final this weekend when United play Crystal Palace.
MUST’s vice chairman Ian Sterling said the decision to rally around Moses was not difficult for the supporters.
“The poor lad was distraught, being so close to the ground and not being able to go in, not knowing when he might get this chance again,” Stirling told the Press Association.
“We had a quick discussion between us and we’ve agreed to rearrange his flight, so he’ll fly home next week instead of tomorrow, and sort him out with a ticket for the FA Cup Final.
“A couple of friends will put him up in Manchester as well.”
United will be looking to hoist its 12th FA Cup, its last dating back to 2004.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, is still in search of its first Cup victory. This will be its second final, the first occurring in 1990 — when it lost to Manchester United 1-0, after drawing 3-3 in the first leg.