The heartbeat of United: Belinda Ahamed

Hired during the huge recruitment drive that accompanied the opening of Old Trafford’s new Museum in 1998, within two weeks Belinda was chatting away with football icon Pele, who had been invited to inaugurate the new space.

 

“He was just one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life,” Belinda says of the Brazil legend. “So lovely. Whenever you spoke to him, you’d shake his hand and say ‘Hello, how are you?’ and whatever, and he’d just say: ‘No, it’s my pleasure.’

 

“The day before, he went to the Liverpool fixture and did the half-time draw on the pitch – though he said that Michael Owen was his favourite United player, which was a bit embarrassing! To be fair, Owen did play for us later on, just not at that moment!”

If that was a whirlwind start to Old Trafford life, there’s been little let-up since.

 

Thankfully, Belinda is both a United fanatic and a lover of graft. “So long as I’m busy, I love it,” she tells us. “When I first started, I was mainly on museum reception, greeting everyone in. Some days we’d have 2,300 people in – it didn’t faze me at all. I loved it. Now I’m team leader, doing a lot of admin and also on the reception.

 

“I love interacting with fans, finding out where they’re from. I can speak a bit of probably six or seven languages – obviously English, Arabic, my husband is from India... a little bit of Spanish, Slovakian, Polish. I like to say to fans: ‘Where are you from?’ lf they say Poland, I’ll say: ‘How are you? Welcome to Manchester United!’ in Polish. They don’t expect it so they’ll go: “Oh! Your pronunciation is so good!”

Not content with the constant hubbub that thrums through the Museum on a daily basis, Belinda also pitches in every matchday.

 

“I get here five hours before kick-off, then I have different jobs to do all around the stadium,” she says.

 

“Then I meet up with the former players and give them their briefing. My favourites? I love Alex Stepney – he’s so lovely. Stuart Pearson, Sammy McIlroy too. Recently, I worked 23 days on the run. But it’s for Man United – so you don’t even think about that.”

Belinda says the highlights of her time here are the 1999 Treble and the Old Trafford-hosted 2003 Champions League final. And, earlier this year, colleagues held a special event to mark her 25-year anniversary as a United employee.

 

“Reaching 25 years was massive, a really proud moment,” she admits. “But someone spoilt the surprise!

 

“A few days before, they said: ‘I can’t make your big day, but very well done on reaching 25 years’ and I didn’t know what they were talking about. I don’t like surprises, but I think I’d rather have been surprised than have those three days of being anxious! But it was lovely, and a big turnout.”

Refreshingly, despite a quarter of a century at the centre of the United juggernaut, Belinda says the buzz of working at the club has not come close to fading.

 

“It was instilled in me as a child: you supported United, whether you liked it or not,” she laughs.

 

“My favourite-ever player is Eric Cantona and I think my favourite game is one from before I worked here: the 4-0 v Porto [in 1997]. I was stood in K Stand and I just remember Eric scoring, and being absolutely soaking and not caring. 

“Barcelona [for the 1999 Champions League final] was wonderful as well, of course. I was pregnant with my eldest son; I’d just found out a few days before. He’s nearly 25 now!

 

“When I applied for the job, I wanted it so much,” she continues. “When they phoned me to tell me I’d got it, I was so delighted, I can’t tell you.

 

“I look back with absolute pride. A lot of friends ask me why I’ve stayed so long, but I always just say: ‘It’s Manchester United. Even now, I’ve got goosebumps on my leg just talking about it. It never grows old – that feeling of saying ‘I work at Man United’ never ever goes away, and it never will.”