A dream come true

Tim, who lives at one of our residential homes for people with learning disabilities, adores football. He enjoys supporting his local teams, Yate Town and Bristol Rovers, and he often goes to see their matches.

Tim is also a massive fan of Manchester United, just like his Dad, and he’s always wanted to go to a game at Old Trafford. The difficulty of getting tickets had always proved too big an obstacle in the past, but with Tim’s family and his staff team working together, they were finally able to make it happen this year.

When Tim found out that he was going to see his beloved Manchester United play Bournemouth, he couldn’t contain his excitement. He told everyone in Yate Town Centre his exciting news, whether he knew them or not.

Tim can get quite overwhelmed, especially in new, crowded places, so he made a plan for how he would spend his time in Manchester. He talked with his staff about how he could stay calm and share his feelings in a positive way.

Tim travelled to Manchester with two staff members who know him very well. Before the game, they went to the Manchester United megastore and watched as some players arrived at the stadium.

Entering the stadium was immense for Tim. He made lots of friends, including the stewards, and another fan said that Tim’s exuberance rubbed off on him. Everyone was so friendly.

Tim chanted and danced throughout the match. He even booed the away team and fans once or twice. It was a perfect night as Manchester United won 3-0, with Marcus Rashford, one of Tim’s favourite players, among the goal scorers.

When the game ended, tens of thousands of fans headed for the exits. There were people all around Tim, but he kept very calm. He was so incredibly happy with the match he’d just seen.

Unsurprisingly, Tim is keen to go to Old Trafford again in the future. It really was a dream come true.

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