Benonian plays with the Red Devils
Local Manchester United fan lived out a dream on Saturday, November 15.
Rynfield resident and passionate Manchester United fan since the late 1960s, Graham Wrensch got to live out a dream on Saturday, November 15, when he took to the Ellis Park field as a member of the Manchester United Legends team who played against an Orlando Pirates Legends XI.
The match was played in memory of the late Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana skipper Senzo Meyiwa, and featured players whose names will long be etched in the minds of football supporters.
Players like former Manchester United midfield maestro Paul Scholes, wingers Lee Sharpe and Keith Gillespie, Welshman Clayton Blackmore and 1999 Treble-winning defenders Ronny Johnsen and David May, among others, turned out for the United Legends on the day.
A fund-raising, meet-and-greet dinner was held at the Maslow Hotel, in Sandton, on the Friday night prior to the match and an auction for a place in the Manchester United Legends team was held.
Wrensch’s wife, Mandy, could not pass up the opportunity and quickly bought the spot in the team for her Manchester United obsessed husband.
“It was quite something to be a part of the United Legends’ set-up,” Wrensch said.
“I could not sleep the night before the game because I was so nervous about playing with some of my heroes.
“I hadn’t played football in about 30 years and managed to get myself a new pair of playing boots.”
The game itself was a competitive one and United fought back from 2-0 down to draw the game 2-2, with a typical late strike from French striker Louis Saha, that leveled the score and sent the game to a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner.
The shout-out went into sudden death at 4-4 and Wrensch was instructed by May and Sharpe to take the kick.
The Benonian stepped up and coolly slotted home the penalty that soon became the winning strike as Pirates missed their sudden death place kick.
“It was one of the highlights of my life and a dream come true,” he said.
“The players were all extremely friendly and made me feel like I was one of them.
“Although it was a friendly fixture, it was clear that some of the players still have that competitive streak that has made them professional football players.”
