On Thursday 12th December, 37 Pembroke students and 8 members of staff set off to the bustling yet rain covered city of Manchester to watch the famous Manchester United face off against Dutch opponents, AZ Alkmaar.

We set off as rain steadily poured down, the weather doing its best to dampen spirits but inside our coach; only laughter and spirited chatter could be found. Mr. Bibby fired off a couple of jokes, Miss Whelan fielded every single ‘are we nearly there?’ With a smile and Mr Cooper expressed his displeasure at a particular Nat King Cole Christmas tune (which only resulted in the coach driver raising the volume and sticking the Merry jingle on repeat!).

After we spent some time feasting on various foods and perusing the brightly lit shops in the Trafford Shopping centre; we headed towards the stadium!

The majestic Old Trafford Stadium towered over us as we walked towards it, and once we were inside, the magic of football started to wrap itself around our bandy group. The first half, however, failed to excite many of us and the teams went in 0-0 at half time. A quick queue for some snacks and drinks; Manchester United suddenly roared into life, scoring 4 goals within 25 minutes in the second half that gave all of us plenty to cheer about!

We were complimented at the end of the match by a passing fan who said we were simply ‘an adorable school with some lovely students.’ It’s safe to say that every student showed plenty of passion during their time in Manchester and were very generous in their behaviour; always showing the utmost respect to those around them and ensuring that everyone remained safe!