Nothing can compare with being inside the cavernous surroundings of Old Trafford for the first time. The sense of anticipation and the fever pitch atmosphere ahead of a new season sets the pulse racing and keeps it there throughout the 90 minutes and beyond.
But if a round-trip visit costing in the region of HK$10,000 is an unrealistic prospect for the average Manchester United fan - of which there are many in Hong Kong - the broadcasting war between PCCW's Now TV and Premier League rights-holders i-Cable stands as the next best alternative.
After seeing its tenure as Hong Kong's go-to for live Premier League action finish at the end of last season as i-Cable significantly raised the stakes to snap up the rights until the end of the 2012-13 campaign, PCCW's response was to add a host of new leagues to its repertoire to accompany its existing offerings from Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A.
Holland's Eredivisie, France's Ligue 1, the Scottish Premier League and even the second-tier English Championship have all been introduced along with the 24-hour MUTV - Manchester United's in-house channel which offers exclusive interviews, club news, player access, press conferences and pre- and post-match analysis.
'These kinds of relationships are hugely important to us starting with the fan in mind,' said Manchester United commercial director Richard Arnold. 'There is huge demand to view not only the games but also the interviews with the players and Sir Alex [Ferguson], footage of the ground, footage of training and also special information about what's happening to the club. And I think this will be very important in putting that relationship in the hands of fans, any time and any place.'
While the channel, available for HK$55 per month, offers die-hard fans unrivalled access behind the scenes at Old Trafford, it still does not replace the void left by Now TV losing the rights to show Premier League games live, but certainly supplements the need for access to the inner workings of Old Trafford.