Chairman of the London Branch, Simon Clarkson, provides us with a fan view from the 4-1 win over Yeovil.

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This was my first game of the season having had an enforced lay off due to work committments.

I was curious to determine whether the Thai massage, brutally dished out to me earlier that week would benefit my back which often starts to creak after standing for 2 hours.

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I had already successfully negotiated a 12 hour flight and a 7 hour car journey from Surrey.

I was determined to stick with my usual routine. A full English breakfast is essential to start the day right and I wasn't disappointed.
 
I get down to the ground early, have a browse around the club shop and then have a pre match pint. It's great to see the ground again but the proposed improvements are much needed.
 
The pitch looks immaculate. As I took up my place on the paddock my mind drifted back a week to the contrast of the Birds Nest stadium in Beijing and the Olympic final Argentina v Nigeria.
 
There I had chatted with Diego Maradona about the Hand of God - on the paddock the talk was of the price of a pint and the weather. The team news is good - a full strength 11 with Cleveland Taylor given a start due to Dobie's suspension.
 
Instead of a rousing start it was a pretty quiet opening, with only a Graham half chance in the first 15 minutes.
 
Then we concede from a corner when the marking was a bit sloppy. There are 3 stoppages where the physios are needed to come on and the ref gets it right by deciding on 3 mins of added time.
 
The equaliser comes during this period which is always a massive lift. Livesey does well to head down a cross into the path of Graham who dispatches it clinically.
 
I make my usual phone calls at half time. Everyone is up to date including Diesel Dickey who complains that Sky Sports has a technical hitch. I confidently tell him we will win the game. It must have been a different view to Howard in the east stand who fears the worst.
 
I drift down the paddock towards the Warwick, where we are shooting in the second half.
 
We are fortunate not to concede early on as Williams fluffed a kick out but the danger is cleared. Owusu has come on a sub and could be a danger.
 
We seem to struggle in the air at the back. We take the lead with a classic team goal. The ball goes through most of the team with crisp passing before a great cross from Taylor is headed towards the bottom corner by Carlton. The keeper pushes out only as far as the prowling Graham who smashes it into the net.
 
This gives us new confidence and in particular Taylor who is encouraged by the paddock with chants of Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland. I'm sure I can see his shoulders raise up a few inches.
 
Him and Hackney now swop wings and it pays off soon after when Taylor is chopped down in the box, gaining a penalty.
 
Now I thougt MBW was our penalty taker but it was hardly a surprise to see Danny Graham grab the ball and put it on the spot. He sealed his hat trick by sending the keeper the wrong way.
 
Bridges comes on and has some neat touches. Madine comes on but surely too late in the game to have any impact. How wrong I was.
 
It's another assist from Taylor who puts the ball on a plate for Madine to slot home his first senior goal. It may have taken a slight deflection along the way but no one was going to rob him of the goal that he celebrated with fans in the Warwick.
 
The crowd of 6286 with only 141 from Yeovil was disappointing but that's the current economic climate.
 
The acid test will be Leeds in 3 weeks time. I doubt it will be a sell out this year.
 
We surprisingly only remained third in the table but it as been a great start.
 
The ref had a decent game but dropped a clanger when pulling play back for an ankle injury when we were in full flow down the left wing. Why stop the game for that ? What do Yeovil do - kick it out for a goal kick!
 
I head off for a pint with absolutely no back pain. If I can get out of the car on sunday after the drive back home feeling the same way, I'll be delighted and the pain of the Thai massage will have been worth it.
 
As United supporters we have all had to endure the pain of last season but my first game gives me confidence for the season ahead.