I said farewell to an old friend last week. She hasn't passed on just yet, but the signs are not good. There has been talk that she could undergo lifesaving surgery, but the cost may prove prohibitive and those responsible for her well-being have been heard discussing throwing the switch on the life-support machine.

Sure, she's getting on - 90 years old to be precise - but apart from the odd outward sign of ageing she's still in control of all her faculties.

And the memories ... she could keep you entertained for years with all that she has seen. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Yaz and `The Impossible Dream' and most recently Derek Lowe's no-hitter.

OK, I know I'm only a Brit talking about a baseball stadium, but Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts is no ordinary venue.

It's as old school as you can get. The exterior is the same dark green as my dear departed grandmother's outhouse for crying out loud.

There's plenty of rust where there used to be gleaming metal and even the advertising hoardings provoke flashbacks to a time of greater innocence.

What to do with Fenway in an era where bigger is best and the dollar speaks more loudly than the will of the fan is still the topic of much debate.

A final decision has yet to be made but the choices are simple, renovate or demolish.

The team's former owners wanted to build a new baseball stadium across Yawkey Way from the current park.

According to their plans, all of Fenway would have been demolished with the land sold to developers.

However, new owners, named in December, stated that they would prefer to renovate Fenway rather than build a new stadium.

All the options are under review and an outcome is expected sometime in the summer.

It was with these impending changes in mind that I had to make my pilgrimage last Sunday.

A rain-out prevented me from seeing the Red Sox take on the Devil Rays but it could not put a damper on the experience. That I could say I had touched the perimeter wall was experience enough.

It might be the only chance I get. Next time I take the `T' to Kenmore there'll be a drive-thru, a K-Mart or an `authentic' all-you-can-eat Tibetan restaurant where you're served by waiters dressed in period monks' outfits. "Can you super-size my Dalai Lama burger please".

Just call me an old romantic, but I much prefer things the way they were. Oh and by the way, in case you're interested, I'm a Yankees fan.

If you want to find out more about Fenway Park visit www.savefenwaypark.com or the Boston Red Sox official site at www.boston.redsox.mlb.com

Matt Westcott