As Sir Bobby Robson once said, "The first 90 minutes of the match are the most important." We seemed to take this quite literally once we arrived in Manchester at 7:00 a.m. this morning and took no time to relax before heading to Bolton, England where we toured the Bolton FC facilities (we will refer to soccer as football for the remainder of our posts). Our group had the chance to view the stadium from all different angles and to talk with Paul Holliday, head of marketing and communications for Bolton FC.  We also had the unique opportunity to watch the first team train in preparation for their match this Saturday.

Upon returning to our hostel, we had our first class in which we discussed the imact of media on community.  Our class discussion led to a deeper understanding of the game of football and the role it plays in the lives of individuals around the world, especially in Manchester.  We are looking forward to exploring the role of football in various cultures as we continue through Europe. 

Tomorrow we are heading to Manchester United's facilities, and are excited to explore more of Manchester's city center!

Cheers!

Claire and Meredith