A dream has come true. Being a #PSVreporter with PSV to the match against Manchester United. What an adventure. The experiences of my unforgettable trip.
The beginning
The adventure began Tuesday morning at Eindhoven Airport with a drink with my PSV buddy Eric (Provaas ed.). At the gates we were welcomed by a PSV delegation who gave us jackets with the text #PSVreporter . The hashtag for the coming days, as we soon found out, because later that day we were already trending topic on Twitter! Back to the airport. Soon I spotted the first PSV celebrities: André Ooijer (a very nice man), Guus Meeuwis and Hans van Breukelen all walked by. Marcel Brands then came to shake our hands and Toon Gerbrands also came up to us. He naturally asked us about our strategy for the coming days. Supporters are also part of his Topsport climate. A joke on Twitter with Arnold Bruggink and André Ooijer because of my fear of flying set the tone for the days ahead: lots of fun and plenty of enjoyment.
Working
Soon we were able to get to work. We filmed and photographed the players who arrived at the airport. I also had a personal mission: Luuk de Jong to get my son's shirt signed. Fortunately, I succeeded immediately. This just goes to show how accessible and friendly PSV is. Funny, because everything was taken care of down to the last detail. So the trip went well. The first evening in England we attended the press conference at Old Trafford. I was able to report on this live via Periscope and the result was immediately visible in my Twitter timeline. The number of followers increased rapidly. Great! After that every #PSVreporter got to see part of the training and get a taste of the atmosphere at Old Trafford, an immense stadium!
Theatre of Dreams
This was also evident after practice. Via the catacomb we wanted to return to the hotel. But where was the exit from Old Trafford again? We walked through all kinds of corridors and saw pictures everywhere. Among them were those of our hero Ruud van Nistelrooy and, of course, world star Cristiano Ronaldo. What a big club it is, I thought, but nevertheless I went into Wednesday's match full of confidence. A point is possible, right? And that would be a great result!
Sampling the atmosphere
Before it came to that, first some work. On the morning of game day, we visited the headquarters of Umbro, PSV's shirt sponsor. Nice to get a look behind the scenes here. The Umbro employees themselves were also very enthusiastic about our visit, so we even got a sneak preview of their newest products. Also nice to hear that Umbro is so laudatory about PSV, the mentality of the club and that of us supporters. In the afternoon we got to go into town for an atmosphere report for Twitter. Looking for PSV fans. At Shambles Square our supporters were already celebrating beautifully. Quick filming. The reactions to my videos were great and were shared by many. The supporters in the city were also raving about what we were doing.
<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en-us"><p lang="en-us" dir="ltr">Well I was in the middle of it as <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/psvreporter?src=hash">#psvreporter</a>! What is this enjoyment... How much I love this club <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/manpsv?src=hash">#manpsv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/psv?src=hash">#psv</a> <a href="https://t.co/DOYl2oCxHt">pic.twitter.com/DOYl2oCxHt</a></p>— Brenda (@Brendaw1981) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brendaw1981/status/669567769650810880">November 25, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Dreams
In the evening we left by bus for Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams. Already on the bus I felt a slight tingling in my stomach. Nerves. Will it be one of those nights, I thought. Just before the match, the UEFA Champions League anthem reverberated through Old Trafford. Goosebumps, so beautiful to witness that! Then followed the well-known Come on PSV, Come on PSV and that didn't ease my nerves. When I realized I was at Old Trafford watching a PSV match, my heart rate rose to two hundred. For me, for a moment, it really was a Theatre of Dreams.
Creating atmosphere
And it still was two hours later. Throughout the match we, PSV supporters, made ourselves heard. What an atmosphere what a party. First half 0-0. Manchester got in front of the goal a few times, but we kept faith. And rightly so. After the final whistle we could really go wild. A point at Old Trafford! There was a huge party in the box! Guus meeuwis was allowed to sing a song and soon the supporters sang along. Suddenly Brabant echoed through an English stadium. The KoloYaya song completed the party. Great!
We love you PSV, we do!
A few days later, I still don't fully realize what I've been able to experience. I am still living a bit in the dream. PSV thank you! It was an honor to report this way. Followers thanks for all the nice comments! I would also like to thank my PSV buddy for letting me come along and I also had a great time with the other two reporters. I look back on a great experience. I have caught the awayday-fever. We love you PSV, we do!