I travelled over 6,000 miles in one day to see my beloved Blades at Wembley

I'm 42, so this is my fifth play-off final as a Unitedite and I’ve taken three flights and a boat ride to be here, writes Dominic Field

The total travel time is pretty much a day and the distance is 6,800 miles. Short boat ride to the mainland, one- hour flight from Caticlan to Manila. A nine-ish hour flight to Abu Dhabi, then a seven-ish hour flight to Heathrow.

I moved to the Philippines in 2016 for a job. I worked in the gambling industry for 13 years. But now I'm a freelance writer, living as a digital nomad.

Blades-mad Dominic Field travelled 6,800 miles to be at Wembley. And Dominic as 14-year-old before the 1997 play-off final.placeholder image
Blades-mad Dominic Field travelled 6,800 miles to be at Wembley. And Dominic as 14-year-old before the 1997 play-off final. | Dominic Field

Why have I done it? Because I'm an idiot. I love United, I don't have that many hobbies outside football.

I'd just love to see us win at Wembley for once - I don't want to miss it when we finally do it, after all the past failures. It'll be an "I was there" moment, won't it?

Fans have started to arrive at Wembley Way ahead of the play-off final against Sunderland this afternoonplaceholder image
Fans have started to arrive at Wembley Way ahead of the play-off final against Sunderland this afternoon

I'm originally from Barlborough, J30 of the M1. I’ve got my dad to thank for being a Blade. He took me to my first game in April 1991 against Spurs. They came back from 2-0 to draw 2-2 and I was hooked after that.

I didn't make it to the Millennium Stadium as I was a broke student up in Scotland, but I've been to all four now at Wembley.

What does it mean? I don't really know. What does anything mean? It doesn't matter. Win, lose or draw, I'll still come back for more.

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