Inside Man United Faces a Tiny Dressing Room of Beige Tiles and Peeling Plaster and Temporary Stand-
- 3 months ago
The half-and-half scarves were already on sale on the walk to Rodney Parade. The little boy perusing the club shop after the victory over Wrexham wrapped his around his neck, one-half amber, the other half red. Newport County on one side, Manchester United on the other.
There was still a week to go until Newport faced the English giants in the fourth round of the FA Cup but even on the day their Hollywood rivals Wrexham came to town, a woman from Cardiff was out flogging scarves on a pop-up stand along the high street.
'Was up all night knitting them,' she joked.
She travels the country selling them for different games and different grounds. United coming to South Wales is big business.
It certainly is for Newport fans. Hundreds queued for hours at Rodney Parade on Thursday to get their hands on a golden ticket. Some didn't make it to the ticket office before the shutters came down and had to return the next day. One arrived on Friday at 4 am to make sure he was first.
They've hosted big clubs Rodney Parade in recent years, Tottenham in 2018, and Man City the following year. They took Brentford to penalties in the League Cup this season.
United still hits differently. It's turned a visit of their fierce Welsh rivals in the league for the first time in over a decade into a warm-up act. Newport's 1-0 win over Wrexham in front of a rocking, roaring sell-out crowd proved the perfect rehearsal.
Cynics scoff these days at the dwindling magic of the FA Cup but ties like the one on Sunday prove it still glimmers from time to time and, for so many, in so many different ways.
Seb Palmer-Houlden scored the winner against Wrexham on Saturday. He's on loan from Bristol City and remembers being a ballboy when the Robins dumped United out of the League Cup in 2017. His dad, Simon, tweeted that maybe it's Newport's lucky omen.
'That was an amazing feeling,' said Palmer-Houlden.
'Cup nights are really special. I was watching Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and good old Korey Smith scored the winner. It showed what can happen in the Cup.
'I cannot wait for it. It's a boyhood dream to play a big team like that. Bring on Manchester United!
'You have to enjoy these moments, they don't come around very often. To everyone, especially the United fans in the dressing room, it's going to mean a lot to them.'
There are a few of them, not to mention manager Graham Coughlan. Newport stalwart Scot Bennett, too, as well as local lad Nathan Woods. Woods returned to the club in the summer after eight years in the Welsh leagues and last year worked in a coffee shop near the training ground.
'Nathan is a massive United fan,' added Palmer-Houlden. 'It's his boyhood club against his dream club. It will be a really big occasion for him and he's the nicest man I've ever met so I hope he enjoys the moment.'
Newport forward Will Evans worked on his dad's farm and is now facing the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.
There was still a week to go until Newport faced the English giants in the fourth round of the FA Cup but even on the day their Hollywood rivals Wrexham came to town, a woman from Cardiff was out flogging scarves on a pop-up stand along the high street.
'Was up all night knitting them,' she joked.
She travels the country selling them for different games and different grounds. United coming to South Wales is big business.
It certainly is for Newport fans. Hundreds queued for hours at Rodney Parade on Thursday to get their hands on a golden ticket. Some didn't make it to the ticket office before the shutters came down and had to return the next day. One arrived on Friday at 4 am to make sure he was first.
They've hosted big clubs Rodney Parade in recent years, Tottenham in 2018, and Man City the following year. They took Brentford to penalties in the League Cup this season.
United still hits differently. It's turned a visit of their fierce Welsh rivals in the league for the first time in over a decade into a warm-up act. Newport's 1-0 win over Wrexham in front of a rocking, roaring sell-out crowd proved the perfect rehearsal.
Cynics scoff these days at the dwindling magic of the FA Cup but ties like the one on Sunday prove it still glimmers from time to time and, for so many, in so many different ways.
Seb Palmer-Houlden scored the winner against Wrexham on Saturday. He's on loan from Bristol City and remembers being a ballboy when the Robins dumped United out of the League Cup in 2017. His dad, Simon, tweeted that maybe it's Newport's lucky omen.
'That was an amazing feeling,' said Palmer-Houlden.
'Cup nights are really special. I was watching Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and good old Korey Smith scored the winner. It showed what can happen in the Cup.
'I cannot wait for it. It's a boyhood dream to play a big team like that. Bring on Manchester United!
'You have to enjoy these moments, they don't come around very often. To everyone, especially the United fans in the dressing room, it's going to mean a lot to them.'
There are a few of them, not to mention manager Graham Coughlan. Newport stalwart Scot Bennett, too, as well as local lad Nathan Woods. Woods returned to the club in the summer after eight years in the Welsh leagues and last year worked in a coffee shop near the training ground.
'Nathan is a massive United fan,' added Palmer-Houlden. 'It's his boyhood club against his dream club. It will be a really big occasion for him and he's the nicest man I've ever met so I hope he enjoys the moment.'
Newport forward Will Evans worked on his dad's farm and is now facing the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.