A gaggle of starstruck kids followed in their idols' foot steps when Man United's Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Gary Pallister, Lee Sharpe and Steve Bruce came to town for an overnight visit on Wednesday. The young fans were not to be daunted by their hush hush, itinerary and waited patiently outside Beamish & Crawford/Carling HQ in Fitzwilliam Street for a glimpse, then trailed on to Dobbins, where the Big Boys had lunch. Next stop was the Burlington hotel, where the team were given rooms where they could freshen up for the monster testimonial dinner later that evening in honour of Steve Bruce.
It wasn't just kids who clambered for a bit of the magic. A mere 850 adults including solicitors Clodagh and Gerald Kean, Quinnsworth's new boss Maurice Pratt, 2FM's Des Cahill and Bertie Ahern coughed up £79 a head for a five course dinner and speeches held on the indoor courts at Riverview Racquet Club. Organisers reckon they could have sold twice the number of seats - but they would have needed a stadium then.
After the scheduled events, Cantona, Sharpe, Pallister and Butt headed off for the back room of the Pod, where they were introduced to fashion designers Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway who were partying after the Smirnoff Awards. Wayne introduced himself as being from a little company "Rouge ou Mort" which got a giggle from Cantona, who definitely knows his threads. Not only is Red Or Dead big news in Manchester, it's about to be big here. The Hemingways will open a shop in the Green Building, Temple Bar, mid June.