The city of Manchester bid for the 2000 Olympics, which was a bit crazy, given that Sydney and Beijing also were in the running.

Sydney won the bid, and put on a great 2000 Games — still the best Summer Olympics I have seen. And I’ve seen them all since 1984.

Beijing finished second in the voting, and put on a very impressive 2008 Olympics.

And Manchester?

Mancunians are getting a bit of the Olympics, 19 years after their failed 1993 bid for the 2000 Summer Games.

To the tune of nine London 2012 Olympic football matches, at Old Trafford. Including the UAE versus Uruguay tomorrow.

Olympic football certainly isn’t the main event, but it’s a piece of The Games, and doesn’t that count for something?

I investigated this notion for a piece in The National. And it seems that Manchester, collectively, is feeling, “Well, sure, we will be part of this … but it’s not remotely like being the host.”

Which is correct. Of course.

I have been in Manchester for five days, and I haven’t yet gotten a real sense of the Olympics being here. A few banners/flags … but the BBC is showing these early soccer matches on a big screen here at MediaCityUK, and no one seems to be paying much attention.

Certainly, no one expects a surge of tourists to descend on the city for the matches. Any of them. The crowd likely will be 99 percent people from north England.

I imagine it’s a long-term ache for Manchester, finishing third in the voting for 2000 … but having a bit of the experience in 2012, 12 years later beats nothing.

If anything, Manchester may bring more to the Olympics than it is taking, simply in the form of Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, which soccer players seem quite excited to get a match inside of. The “Theatre of Dreams” and all.