Manchester

A weekend visit to Manchester, the world's first industrial city, to see "my football team" play.  No, it's not Manchester United or Manchester City, but FC United of Manchester, a club started from scratch a few years ago by the disgruntled fans of Manchester United.  Everything about FC United screams anti-establishment, right up to the anti-fascist punk bands they had playing in the member's only lounge before the match.  Yes, my friend Heath and I are voting members of this low-level, semi-professional football club.  We led 2-1 at halftime, but ended up having a man sent off and losing 3-2 in the final minute when a non-call of a push in the box allowed Chester FC to score the match winner.

 






Manchester itself is an interesting city.  It is home to over 100,000 students at four universities and boasts over 20 Nobel Prize winners.  It also houses the largest collection of drinking establishments I have ever seen.  Drinks are actually advertised not by brand or price, but by their alcoholic content.  There must be a lot of unhappy people around here because never have I seen a place where the main goal of an evening is to solely to get drunk.  I'm somewhat glad that I was still a bit under the weather and spent most of my night talking to Australians in my hostel and catching up on my sleep.

Manchester Cathedral, the Wheel of Manchester, and downtown skyscrapers

Outdoor viewing of the Rugby World Championships