TRIP TO SEE 'RED DEVILS' IS IDEAL BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR OMAGH BOMB BOY
Trip to see 'Red Devils' is ideal birthday present for Omagh bomb boy.
One of the victims of the Omagh bomb could not have wished for a better birthday present when he got to see his favourite English premier team play at home when he was a VIP of the club for the day.
Omagh schoolboy, Alastair Hall, was a VIP guest of Manchester United on the day the Red Devils secured the English Premier Championship for the fifth time in seven years.
The Academy pupil lost his right leg below the knee in the August atrocity, and his mother, Gwen, sustained a fractured skull and suffered compound fractures in the blast.
He and his mother along with dad, Lindsay, attended the game on May 16 at Old Trafford in which United's 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur secured the title.
Three days earlier, May 13, Alastair had turned into a teenager as he celebrated his 13th birthday and he could not have wished for a better birthday present.
The invitation to Old Trafford was made to the Hall family when Alastair was Ireland rugby mascot for a Five Nations Championship match against England earlier this year.
When Mike Farnan, managing director of United, who was at the rugby match, heard that Alastair was a fan, he promised to invite him over for one of the home games before the end of the season.
And that promise was kept. A letter soon arrived at the Lissan View home inviting Alastair and his family over for a game and he chose the end of season fixture.
On the Saturday before the match a chauffeur-driven car arrived at the Omagh home of the Halls and whisked them off to Dublin airport where they flew to Manchester, with Alastair even getting to travel in the cockpit during the flight.
The Omagh family stayed in the club's hotel, Quality Hotel, and during the weekend they visited the Old Trafford Museum. But it was the big match on Sunday that Alastair could not wait for.
On match day the family watched the game from the directors' box, attended a VIP lunch and met all the stars past and present as well as Irish premier, Bertie Ahern.
Dedicated
A section of the match programme was dedicated to the Hall family. It said: "they have shown tremendous bravery and courage in the time since the outrage."
And it went on to wish them a wonderful day and that they would take lots of pleasant and lasting memories back to Northern Ireland.
Bobby Charlton, one of England's 1966 World Cup heroes, met them and asked Alastair to caddy for him when he comes to play golf in Northern Ireland.
He got the chance to meet his Old Trafford heroes, including his two favourite players, David Beckham and Dwight Yorke, and he also got a hug from 'Posh Spice', Victoria Adams, who handed her young son, Brooklyn, over to her sister and parents before putting her arms around Alastair for a photograph.
"She was very nice, but she did not say much," Alastair said.
Lindsay said the whole day was just unbelievable and everyone, especially Alastair, had enjoyed it.
"Posh Spice was very nice and I thanked her for letting us take the picture," he added.
Lindsay said the family had had a tough time since August, but the goodness of the people had got them through it well.
"It is amazing how the bomb, despite the intention of the people who planted it, has brought the communities in Omagh together," he said.
And he added: "It was a long winter for us, because it started in August. But the good days are here now and Alistair and Gwen are getting stronger."
Meanwhile, Alistair, who returned to school in January, has been making good improvement, and began playing football again.
"My leg is quite comfortable and I am not in much pain," he said.
The Hall family has put together photo albums and scrap books of all the events they have attended, and find it hard to believe that they have been fortunate to meet so many famous people.
One of the victims of the Omagh bomb could not have wished for a better birthday present when he got to see his favourite English premier team play at home when he was a VIP of the club for the day.
Omagh schoolboy, Alastair Hall, was a VIP guest of Manchester United on the day the Red Devils secured the English Premier Championship for the fifth time in seven years.
The Academy pupil lost his right leg below the knee in the August atrocity, and his mother, Gwen, sustained a fractured skull and suffered compound fractures in the blast.
He and his mother along with dad, Lindsay, attended the game on May 16 at Old Trafford in which United's 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur secured the title.
Three days earlier, May 13, Alastair had turned into a teenager as he celebrated his 13th birthday and he could not have wished for a better birthday present.
The invitation to Old Trafford was made to the Hall family when Alastair was Ireland rugby mascot for a Five Nations Championship match against England earlier this year.
When Mike Farnan, managing director of United, who was at the rugby match, heard that Alastair was a fan, he promised to invite him over for one of the home games before the end of the season.
And that promise was kept. A letter soon arrived at the Lissan View home inviting Alastair and his family over for a game and he chose the end of season fixture.
On the Saturday before the match a chauffeur-driven car arrived at the Omagh home of the Halls and whisked them off to Dublin airport where they flew to Manchester, with Alastair even getting to travel in the cockpit during the flight.
The Omagh family stayed in the club's hotel, Quality Hotel, and during the weekend they visited the Old Trafford Museum. But it was the big match on Sunday that Alastair could not wait for.
On match day the family watched the game from the directors' box, attended a VIP lunch and met all the stars past and present as well as Irish premier, Bertie Ahern.
Dedicated
A section of the match programme was dedicated to the Hall family. It said: "they have shown tremendous bravery and courage in the time since the outrage."
And it went on to wish them a wonderful day and that they would take lots of pleasant and lasting memories back to Northern Ireland.
Bobby Charlton, one of England's 1966 World Cup heroes, met them and asked Alastair to caddy for him when he comes to play golf in Northern Ireland.
He got the chance to meet his Old Trafford heroes, including his two favourite players, David Beckham and Dwight Yorke, and he also got a hug from 'Posh Spice', Victoria Adams, who handed her young son, Brooklyn, over to her sister and parents before putting her arms around Alastair for a photograph.
"She was very nice, but she did not say much," Alastair said.
Lindsay said the whole day was just unbelievable and everyone, especially Alastair, had enjoyed it.
"Posh Spice was very nice and I thanked her for letting us take the picture," he added.
Lindsay said the family had had a tough time since August, but the goodness of the people had got them through it well.
"It is amazing how the bomb, despite the intention of the people who planted it, has brought the communities in Omagh together," he said.
And he added: "It was a long winter for us, because it started in August. But the good days are here now and Alistair and Gwen are getting stronger."
Meanwhile, Alistair, who returned to school in January, has been making good improvement, and began playing football again.
"My leg is quite comfortable and I am not in much pain," he said.
The Hall family has put together photo albums and scrap books of all the events they have attended, and find it hard to believe that they have been fortunate to meet so many famous people.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1355
Published Date: 27-May-99
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