Thursday, October 11, 2007
One for the Reacord books
Holmer Green 0 Brockenhurst 4
Families, we all love them, but do they have to have emergencies on a Saturday? I had spent the whole week researching a trip to Deeping & had all my train and bus timetables at the ready. Then the call came and I had to attend a family event on the Saturday morning which politically, I couldn’t get out of. This threw me into an obvious quandary. I would be free from 1pm, Deeping was now out of the question, so I studied the draw trying to find a game that I could reach. Just when Leverstock Green was looking to be my only option, my wife gave me a most unexpected lifeline by offering to drive me to a game. Back to the draw to hopefully find a ground I hadn’t visited. We agreed on Holmer Green, a trip of about 35 miles which she was happy to do. Now, at this point I must point out that my wife has never, ever, been to football before & I’m very grateful to her for putting herself out. My only concern was the M25, would it be the usual Saturday afternoon gridlock? My luck was definitely in this afternoon, as it was completely clear and we found the ground with an hour to spare. We decided to find a pub, which proved to be surprisingly difficult. We must have driven about 3 miles up long residential streets and bizarrely, couldn’t find one. I eventually spotted one up a side street in Widmer End. The Royal Standard turned out to be a locals pub, not particularly welcoming and an outrageous £6.50 for a pint of Guinness, a coke & a bag of crisps. Not going back there in a hurry! We sat outside whilst the locals sat in silence watching England beat Australia in the rugby. We returned to the ground after the game and ‘er indoors opted to stay in the car working on her laptop whilst I watched the game. The Double Decker I bought her seemed to keep her happy. There’s a good clubhouse at Holmer Green which judging by all the posters inside, is heavily used. There’s a well stocked bar, good sized halls and a selection of pool tables. There is a hatch serving food & drinks although my tea was only luke warm when served. Players walk along a path from this complex to the pitch which is behind a large hedge. The old boy on the gate was very welcoming & claimed he was falling asleep due to the lack of spectators arriving, maybe the rugby had kept people away? The crowd eventually reached about 40 in numbers and this season attendances seem to be falling round by round for me. The ground itself was a little disappointing. One stand that has 2 large wooden benches which would seat about 20 with room for people to stand behind & to the side of these. This is a white rail ground with wire fencing below the rail, hard standing on 3 sides and an unremarkable pitch. This is a typical South Midlands ground that lacks a bit of character, probably due to the uninteresting backdrop.
The ground was livened up by a pair of red kites that kept flying over the ground. The most majestic looking birds with a huge wingspan and so graceful in flight. I’ve seen them along the M40 corridor before but never this near London.
I keep bumping into Brockenhurst on my travels & I’m starting to recognise 1 or 2 of their fans. The first half was an even contest played at a quick pace with end to end action & some nice skilful play. Kevin Reacord, apparently making his full debut, scored a hattrick and looked a great player. Last season of course he reached the final with AFC Totton. He scored his first on 16 minutes with a slightly lucky cross which flew in over the keeper, his second was thumped home right on half time, a goal that knocked the stuffing out of Holmer Green. Full marks to Brockenhurst keeper Vine who caught everything & made some great first half saves to preserve their lead. Reacord completed his hattrick on 69 minutes, squeezing a shot home from a tight angle at the far post. Young completed the scoring 2 minutes later, slotting home after a neat 1-2. At about this time, the fellow next to me pointed into the sky and said “There’s the second half entertainment” as 3 hot air balloons flew by. “Just about sums Holmer Green up” he said, “Their balloon’s gone up”
There was still time for the miss of the season as a Brockenhurst substitute was presented with a wide open goal 10 yards out, yet somehow managed to shoot the ball sideways. He spent the next 2 minutes standing in the middle of the pitch with his hands on his head.
This won’t go down as a favourite ground of mine, but at short notice, it was there when I needed it.
Families, we all love them, but do they have to have emergencies on a Saturday? I had spent the whole week researching a trip to Deeping & had all my train and bus timetables at the ready. Then the call came and I had to attend a family event on the Saturday morning which politically, I couldn’t get out of. This threw me into an obvious quandary. I would be free from 1pm, Deeping was now out of the question, so I studied the draw trying to find a game that I could reach. Just when Leverstock Green was looking to be my only option, my wife gave me a most unexpected lifeline by offering to drive me to a game. Back to the draw to hopefully find a ground I hadn’t visited. We agreed on Holmer Green, a trip of about 35 miles which she was happy to do. Now, at this point I must point out that my wife has never, ever, been to football before & I’m very grateful to her for putting herself out. My only concern was the M25, would it be the usual Saturday afternoon gridlock? My luck was definitely in this afternoon, as it was completely clear and we found the ground with an hour to spare. We decided to find a pub, which proved to be surprisingly difficult. We must have driven about 3 miles up long residential streets and bizarrely, couldn’t find one. I eventually spotted one up a side street in Widmer End. The Royal Standard turned out to be a locals pub, not particularly welcoming and an outrageous £6.50 for a pint of Guinness, a coke & a bag of crisps. Not going back there in a hurry! We sat outside whilst the locals sat in silence watching England beat Australia in the rugby. We returned to the ground after the game and ‘er indoors opted to stay in the car working on her laptop whilst I watched the game. The Double Decker I bought her seemed to keep her happy. There’s a good clubhouse at Holmer Green which judging by all the posters inside, is heavily used. There’s a well stocked bar, good sized halls and a selection of pool tables. There is a hatch serving food & drinks although my tea was only luke warm when served. Players walk along a path from this complex to the pitch which is behind a large hedge. The old boy on the gate was very welcoming & claimed he was falling asleep due to the lack of spectators arriving, maybe the rugby had kept people away? The crowd eventually reached about 40 in numbers and this season attendances seem to be falling round by round for me. The ground itself was a little disappointing. One stand that has 2 large wooden benches which would seat about 20 with room for people to stand behind & to the side of these. This is a white rail ground with wire fencing below the rail, hard standing on 3 sides and an unremarkable pitch. This is a typical South Midlands ground that lacks a bit of character, probably due to the uninteresting backdrop.
The ground was livened up by a pair of red kites that kept flying over the ground. The most majestic looking birds with a huge wingspan and so graceful in flight. I’ve seen them along the M40 corridor before but never this near London.
I keep bumping into Brockenhurst on my travels & I’m starting to recognise 1 or 2 of their fans. The first half was an even contest played at a quick pace with end to end action & some nice skilful play. Kevin Reacord, apparently making his full debut, scored a hattrick and looked a great player. Last season of course he reached the final with AFC Totton. He scored his first on 16 minutes with a slightly lucky cross which flew in over the keeper, his second was thumped home right on half time, a goal that knocked the stuffing out of Holmer Green. Full marks to Brockenhurst keeper Vine who caught everything & made some great first half saves to preserve their lead. Reacord completed his hattrick on 69 minutes, squeezing a shot home from a tight angle at the far post. Young completed the scoring 2 minutes later, slotting home after a neat 1-2. At about this time, the fellow next to me pointed into the sky and said “There’s the second half entertainment” as 3 hot air balloons flew by. “Just about sums Holmer Green up” he said, “Their balloon’s gone up”
There was still time for the miss of the season as a Brockenhurst substitute was presented with a wide open goal 10 yards out, yet somehow managed to shoot the ball sideways. He spent the next 2 minutes standing in the middle of the pitch with his hands on his head.
This won’t go down as a favourite ground of mine, but at short notice, it was there when I needed it.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Monday, October 01, 2007
Leverstock Green play onnnnnnnnnn into next round
Leverstock Green 3 Halstead 0
22/9/07
Due to an evening engagement, I could only manage to reach a local club for this round. I chose Leverstock Green, a club I’ve visited several times before, but a ground where the sun always seems to shine. This day was no exception. Not the easiest ground to visit by public transport. From London, I would suggest the Thameslink to St Albans station & then a 300 or 301 bus to Leverstock Green. This journey takes about 15 minutes and the ground is only a 5 minute walk from the village. One of the pleasures of Leverstock Green is the village green. I often take in a pre season friendly due to the fact that I can catch some cricket on the green before the match. I journeyed to the green today hoping to catch some late season action. Sadly, the pitch had been mown and the only cricket was two guys practising in the nets. I say practising. The batsman seemed fine but the bowler steamed in like Bob Willis only to bowl like Bruce Willis. Balls were flying out of his hand at the strangest angle, one in three of them somehow missed the net altogether. I decided that watching was a dangerous occupation so went for a gentle walk around the green on the way to the ground. The green is full of horse chestnuts and there were conkers as far as the eye could see. Now, when I was a kid, if you found a conker on the ground it was rarer than gold dust. I still can’t walk past a horse chestnut tree without an overwhelming desire to throw up a stick to knock the fruit down. In my day, they’d barely hit the ground before they were boiled in vinegar and had a hole drilled through the middle. I’m sure I’ve still got my 129er somewhere. I reached the ground in good time. It’s fairly basic. A small clubhouse with a bar & a tea hut serving hot and cold food and drinks are available although the toilets are decidedly dodgy. There is a small covered seating area along one side, other than that it’s a white rail affair. The pitch however was immaculate and fairly wide. Players warming up kept hoofing balls into a neighbouring field. One of the lads was about to retrieve them when a club official came running over claiming that you couldn’t enter the field due as it was shut due to mad cow disease. After that, whenever a ball went over there, everyone cried out mad cow disease and made mooing noises. About midway through the half, a real cow from that field made one of the oddest bovine noises I’ve ever heard. All the substitutes warming up, stopped in their tracks before cracking up laughing, Amusing, if slightly disturbing. The game itself was livened up by the Geordie referee. He chattered constantly to players from both sides and his extravagant cries of ‘Play onnnnnnnn’ as he waved his arms about in a frenzied fashion could probably be heard throughout the village. The game was closer than the final score suggests although Leverstock Green were worthy winners. The first goal cm early when a speedy winger beat his man and hit a pinpoint cross headed home by the centre forward. Halstead thought the Leverstock keeper should have been sent off for handball outside the area. The ball did hit his hand although I’m sure he knew precious little about I & no way was it deliberate. No offence was given. The second goal came on the half our. A corner from the left bounced at the near post, caught a deflection and went in, players going off at half time claimed it was an og. Halstead never seriously threatened the goal all afternoon despite some nice football. The final goal came near the end. A throw on the right was misjudged by a defender. The substitute forward lobbed the keeper from an angle to make the game safe.An enjoyable, open game in a nice little Hertfordshire village
22/9/07
Due to an evening engagement, I could only manage to reach a local club for this round. I chose Leverstock Green, a club I’ve visited several times before, but a ground where the sun always seems to shine. This day was no exception. Not the easiest ground to visit by public transport. From London, I would suggest the Thameslink to St Albans station & then a 300 or 301 bus to Leverstock Green. This journey takes about 15 minutes and the ground is only a 5 minute walk from the village. One of the pleasures of Leverstock Green is the village green. I often take in a pre season friendly due to the fact that I can catch some cricket on the green before the match. I journeyed to the green today hoping to catch some late season action. Sadly, the pitch had been mown and the only cricket was two guys practising in the nets. I say practising. The batsman seemed fine but the bowler steamed in like Bob Willis only to bowl like Bruce Willis. Balls were flying out of his hand at the strangest angle, one in three of them somehow missed the net altogether. I decided that watching was a dangerous occupation so went for a gentle walk around the green on the way to the ground. The green is full of horse chestnuts and there were conkers as far as the eye could see. Now, when I was a kid, if you found a conker on the ground it was rarer than gold dust. I still can’t walk past a horse chestnut tree without an overwhelming desire to throw up a stick to knock the fruit down. In my day, they’d barely hit the ground before they were boiled in vinegar and had a hole drilled through the middle. I’m sure I’ve still got my 129er somewhere. I reached the ground in good time. It’s fairly basic. A small clubhouse with a bar & a tea hut serving hot and cold food and drinks are available although the toilets are decidedly dodgy. There is a small covered seating area along one side, other than that it’s a white rail affair. The pitch however was immaculate and fairly wide. Players warming up kept hoofing balls into a neighbouring field. One of the lads was about to retrieve them when a club official came running over claiming that you couldn’t enter the field due as it was shut due to mad cow disease. After that, whenever a ball went over there, everyone cried out mad cow disease and made mooing noises. About midway through the half, a real cow from that field made one of the oddest bovine noises I’ve ever heard. All the substitutes warming up, stopped in their tracks before cracking up laughing, Amusing, if slightly disturbing. The game itself was livened up by the Geordie referee. He chattered constantly to players from both sides and his extravagant cries of ‘Play onnnnnnnn’ as he waved his arms about in a frenzied fashion could probably be heard throughout the village. The game was closer than the final score suggests although Leverstock Green were worthy winners. The first goal cm early when a speedy winger beat his man and hit a pinpoint cross headed home by the centre forward. Halstead thought the Leverstock keeper should have been sent off for handball outside the area. The ball did hit his hand although I’m sure he knew precious little about I & no way was it deliberate. No offence was given. The second goal came on the half our. A corner from the left bounced at the near post, caught a deflection and went in, players going off at half time claimed it was an og. Halstead never seriously threatened the goal all afternoon despite some nice football. The final goal came near the end. A throw on the right was misjudged by a defender. The substitute forward lobbed the keeper from an angle to make the game safe.An enjoyable, open game in a nice little Hertfordshire village
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Goodrich cover all the corners
Rothley Imperials 1 Goodrich 5
08/09/07
I normally miss this first preliminary round of the Vase due to an annual golfing weekend. Due to a date change, I had a rare opportunity o fit in a game from this round. I have a happy evening when the cup draws are made in July pouring over the fixtures, searching for games that take my fancy. I like to visit a new ground from as many different leagues as I can throughout the season. The only Leicestershire senior side I’d visited before was Friar Lane & Epworth, they then had the audacity to get promoted. I chose Rothley Imperials so that I could get a ground once again ticked in this league. I chose to go via London as a frequent service runs from St Pancras with Leicester as the first stop. St Pancras is very well run for a London terminus with covered walkways, good facilities & escalators. The hardest job is finding the platform and trains. On boarding my train, I took a seat only to notice that the LED showed it as reserved from London to Nottingham, this was the same for about 75% of the seats, I eventually found an unreserved seat. When the train departed, there were only about 20 people on the carriage, why were all these seats showing as reserved? I was feeling a bit peckish having reached Leicester, so I went into Smiths to buy a kitkat. 65p they were charging and I’m sorry, but these chains should not take advantage of having a captive audience by charging way over the odds for a standard chocolate bar. Needless to say, they ended up getting nothing from me.
I arrived at Barrow upon Soar, a delightful village. No eating places in the village centre, so I set off on my route. I quickly came across a canal with a couple of riverside pubs. I chose the Riverside inn, an inspired choice. I had to wait a while for my bacon & mushroom baguette, but it was gorgeous. Well cooked, lean bacon. Plump, tasty mushrooms and bread as fresh as could be. It came with chips cooked in fresh oil that were piping hot and just dissolved in your mouth. Visit this pub if you get the chance! I washed it down with a bottle of Magners, the brand that has made cider trendy again and is on a mission to take over the World. Nice as it is, why has this drink become so popular? I watched some of the rugby World cup over lunch as the All blacks took apart Italy. I’m not a great watcher of rugby. I’m not sure if I’m imagining it, but the game seemed to be twice as fast from when I last saw it & was quite entertaining. I set off for the ground following my walkit.com directions. Thanks to whoever sent me along the side of the A6 for a mile, talk about taking your life in your hands. I arrived eventually at the destination according to the postcode in the Cherry red handbook, no sign of a ground. I asked a couple of people who had no idea what I was talking about, so I rang the club. The call went to voicemail & I had that sinking feeling. Not knowing what to do, I was about to ask again in a farm shop when my mobile went. A lady from the club had just missed my call, had dialled 1471 & called me back. It turned out I was a 20 minute walk away from the club although on the right road. Many thanks to that lady for taking the effort to call me, I’m not sure I would have got there without her assistance & precise directions. I arrived with 3 minutes to spare before kick-off.
I received a warm welcome at this club which was already in my good books. There is an end to end slope on the pitch which is surrounded by a white rail. The one downside is the hedges surrounding the pitch in which balls were frequently being lost although there’s not a lot you can do about that. The clubhouse is a good size with a nice bar and halftime tea quaintly served from a table in mugs looking suspiciously like they’d come from ICEA. Not that I’m knocking them, the tea was top draw.
The game itself was certainly watchable. Rothley were as keen as mustard but Goodrich were always in cruise mode. They were 3-0 up by halftime, all goals coming from corners, 2 from headers and one that went straight in. A couple of tap ins in the second half gave Goodrich a more than comfortable lead before Rothley scored a consolation on 90 mins with a bullet header by Wignall. Rothley, with a bit of composure in front of goal, could have made this a tighter game.
I decided to call for a taxi back to the station but of course, there were non available. I decided to chance walking into Silesby, an inspired ide which only took about 30 mins. A train delayed by 20 mins arrived almost straight away & they were serving complimentary coffee on the train back to London.
Certainly not a dull start to my Vase journey & I’ve made a mental note to visit Barrow Town & Silesby FC in the not too distant future.
What I love about this competition, is that it will finish in front of thousands of people at Wembley stadium and started for me, behind a kindergarten in front of about 50 people, in deepest Leicestershire.
08/09/07
I normally miss this first preliminary round of the Vase due to an annual golfing weekend. Due to a date change, I had a rare opportunity o fit in a game from this round. I have a happy evening when the cup draws are made in July pouring over the fixtures, searching for games that take my fancy. I like to visit a new ground from as many different leagues as I can throughout the season. The only Leicestershire senior side I’d visited before was Friar Lane & Epworth, they then had the audacity to get promoted. I chose Rothley Imperials so that I could get a ground once again ticked in this league. I chose to go via London as a frequent service runs from St Pancras with Leicester as the first stop. St Pancras is very well run for a London terminus with covered walkways, good facilities & escalators. The hardest job is finding the platform and trains. On boarding my train, I took a seat only to notice that the LED showed it as reserved from London to Nottingham, this was the same for about 75% of the seats, I eventually found an unreserved seat. When the train departed, there were only about 20 people on the carriage, why were all these seats showing as reserved? I was feeling a bit peckish having reached Leicester, so I went into Smiths to buy a kitkat. 65p they were charging and I’m sorry, but these chains should not take advantage of having a captive audience by charging way over the odds for a standard chocolate bar. Needless to say, they ended up getting nothing from me.
I arrived at Barrow upon Soar, a delightful village. No eating places in the village centre, so I set off on my route. I quickly came across a canal with a couple of riverside pubs. I chose the Riverside inn, an inspired choice. I had to wait a while for my bacon & mushroom baguette, but it was gorgeous. Well cooked, lean bacon. Plump, tasty mushrooms and bread as fresh as could be. It came with chips cooked in fresh oil that were piping hot and just dissolved in your mouth. Visit this pub if you get the chance! I washed it down with a bottle of Magners, the brand that has made cider trendy again and is on a mission to take over the World. Nice as it is, why has this drink become so popular? I watched some of the rugby World cup over lunch as the All blacks took apart Italy. I’m not a great watcher of rugby. I’m not sure if I’m imagining it, but the game seemed to be twice as fast from when I last saw it & was quite entertaining. I set off for the ground following my walkit.com directions. Thanks to whoever sent me along the side of the A6 for a mile, talk about taking your life in your hands. I arrived eventually at the destination according to the postcode in the Cherry red handbook, no sign of a ground. I asked a couple of people who had no idea what I was talking about, so I rang the club. The call went to voicemail & I had that sinking feeling. Not knowing what to do, I was about to ask again in a farm shop when my mobile went. A lady from the club had just missed my call, had dialled 1471 & called me back. It turned out I was a 20 minute walk away from the club although on the right road. Many thanks to that lady for taking the effort to call me, I’m not sure I would have got there without her assistance & precise directions. I arrived with 3 minutes to spare before kick-off.
I received a warm welcome at this club which was already in my good books. There is an end to end slope on the pitch which is surrounded by a white rail. The one downside is the hedges surrounding the pitch in which balls were frequently being lost although there’s not a lot you can do about that. The clubhouse is a good size with a nice bar and halftime tea quaintly served from a table in mugs looking suspiciously like they’d come from ICEA. Not that I’m knocking them, the tea was top draw.
The game itself was certainly watchable. Rothley were as keen as mustard but Goodrich were always in cruise mode. They were 3-0 up by halftime, all goals coming from corners, 2 from headers and one that went straight in. A couple of tap ins in the second half gave Goodrich a more than comfortable lead before Rothley scored a consolation on 90 mins with a bullet header by Wignall. Rothley, with a bit of composure in front of goal, could have made this a tighter game.
I decided to call for a taxi back to the station but of course, there were non available. I decided to chance walking into Silesby, an inspired ide which only took about 30 mins. A train delayed by 20 mins arrived almost straight away & they were serving complimentary coffee on the train back to London.
Certainly not a dull start to my Vase journey & I’ve made a mental note to visit Barrow Town & Silesby FC in the not too distant future.
What I love about this competition, is that it will finish in front of thousands of people at Wembley stadium and started for me, behind a kindergarten in front of about 50 people, in deepest Leicestershire.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Truro write their place in history
AFC Totton 1 Truro City 3
For the last few seasons, I’ve started my FA Vase journey dreaming of a trip to the new Wembley stadium. I don’t need to document the whole Wembley saga other than to say that, when I started my Vase journey this season at Frimley Green, I was expecting the final to once again be held at a mid-table premiership club. The intensity of this competition increased hugely once Wembley was confirmed as the final venue & Billingham Synthonia fans and players were inconsolable when they fell at the cruelist of hurdles.
But off I went leaving myself loads of time to soak up the atmosphere. I was surrounded by Chelsea fans whilst travelling to London all bemoaning what a lousy season they’d had, I wonder if AFC Totton fans will now talk the same way?
A special mention to the gentleman on the tube playing loud rap music to which he sung along, sucked through his teeth & flicked his fingers. I know we all have different tastes in music but did he have to have it playing at full blast? I suppose I did learn some new swear words.
Wembley Park station has been revamped. You now descend a large concrete staircase to Wembley way. There were several station staff with megaphones telling people not to take photographs. It hadn’t entered my head until they started screaming this out, I must confess that this brought to my attention what a good photo it would make, so I sneaked a quick photo in whilst nobody was looking. It’s only when you get about 100 yards away that you actually notice any effect that the megaphones were having.
I wondered whether I’d still get the buzz when walking down Wembley Way. Fear not, it actually sent a shiver up my spine. I’ll always be a twin turret rather than an arch man, but the place looked magnificent.
A focal point just outside the stadium is the statue of Bobby Moore, an extremely good likeness despite a friend telling me to look out for the statue of Booby Charlton! A good meeting point & photo opportunity.
My only complaint for this trip was that the loos on the exterior of the stadium were flooded, meaning you had to wade ankle high through water if you needed to use these, not a great first impression.
The fountains below the stadium concourse are a nice touch, there are loads of catering outlets all grossly overpriced but subsequently, the queues were short.
About 90 minutes before kick-off, we were treated to an almighty thunderstorm, the thunder seemingly rocking the foundations, the heavy rain did nothing to improve the smell coming off the ridiculous number of police horses in attendance.
On entering the stadium, you go up an escalator. If like me, you’re in the top tier, you go up 3 escalators, a unique almost eerie sensation inside a football stadium. You then reach the main interior of the ground where there are ample facilities and a good amount of space. I headed straight for the inside of the ground. I have to say, it took my breath away. IT IS HUGE! Loads of leg room, terrific views and a great atmosphere. I cannot put into words what it is truly like, but I cannot recommend it highly enough, well worth the wait. A slightly strange atmosphere as you cannot hear the players shouting being so far away, instead you just have the constant sound of those horns which are readily available down Wembley way.
The game after a cautious start, lived up to all expectations. An open attacking game with loads of chances and excitement. Truro to be honest, were clearly the better side and nobody could begrudge their victory.
Totton scored first when Potter spun and hit a nice finish into the top corner after the Truro keeper spilt a cross. Truro equalised on halftime as Wills brilliantly brought down a high ball, beat 2 men and drilled a low shot home. Wills scored again on 56 mins hitting a low shot under the keepers outstretched arm. There were a couple of almighty goalmouth scrambles which Truro were lucky to clear but they wrapped it up on 84 minutes when Broad exchanged passes with a team-mate and finished well.A far cry from the sunny start I made to this competition this season in front of about 30 people at Frimley Green. I guess that’s half the joy of it.
For the last few seasons, I’ve started my FA Vase journey dreaming of a trip to the new Wembley stadium. I don’t need to document the whole Wembley saga other than to say that, when I started my Vase journey this season at Frimley Green, I was expecting the final to once again be held at a mid-table premiership club. The intensity of this competition increased hugely once Wembley was confirmed as the final venue & Billingham Synthonia fans and players were inconsolable when they fell at the cruelist of hurdles.
But off I went leaving myself loads of time to soak up the atmosphere. I was surrounded by Chelsea fans whilst travelling to London all bemoaning what a lousy season they’d had, I wonder if AFC Totton fans will now talk the same way?
A special mention to the gentleman on the tube playing loud rap music to which he sung along, sucked through his teeth & flicked his fingers. I know we all have different tastes in music but did he have to have it playing at full blast? I suppose I did learn some new swear words.
Wembley Park station has been revamped. You now descend a large concrete staircase to Wembley way. There were several station staff with megaphones telling people not to take photographs. It hadn’t entered my head until they started screaming this out, I must confess that this brought to my attention what a good photo it would make, so I sneaked a quick photo in whilst nobody was looking. It’s only when you get about 100 yards away that you actually notice any effect that the megaphones were having.
I wondered whether I’d still get the buzz when walking down Wembley Way. Fear not, it actually sent a shiver up my spine. I’ll always be a twin turret rather than an arch man, but the place looked magnificent.
A focal point just outside the stadium is the statue of Bobby Moore, an extremely good likeness despite a friend telling me to look out for the statue of Booby Charlton! A good meeting point & photo opportunity.
My only complaint for this trip was that the loos on the exterior of the stadium were flooded, meaning you had to wade ankle high through water if you needed to use these, not a great first impression.
The fountains below the stadium concourse are a nice touch, there are loads of catering outlets all grossly overpriced but subsequently, the queues were short.
About 90 minutes before kick-off, we were treated to an almighty thunderstorm, the thunder seemingly rocking the foundations, the heavy rain did nothing to improve the smell coming off the ridiculous number of police horses in attendance.
On entering the stadium, you go up an escalator. If like me, you’re in the top tier, you go up 3 escalators, a unique almost eerie sensation inside a football stadium. You then reach the main interior of the ground where there are ample facilities and a good amount of space. I headed straight for the inside of the ground. I have to say, it took my breath away. IT IS HUGE! Loads of leg room, terrific views and a great atmosphere. I cannot put into words what it is truly like, but I cannot recommend it highly enough, well worth the wait. A slightly strange atmosphere as you cannot hear the players shouting being so far away, instead you just have the constant sound of those horns which are readily available down Wembley way.
The game after a cautious start, lived up to all expectations. An open attacking game with loads of chances and excitement. Truro to be honest, were clearly the better side and nobody could begrudge their victory.
Totton scored first when Potter spun and hit a nice finish into the top corner after the Truro keeper spilt a cross. Truro equalised on halftime as Wills brilliantly brought down a high ball, beat 2 men and drilled a low shot home. Wills scored again on 56 mins hitting a low shot under the keepers outstretched arm. There were a couple of almighty goalmouth scrambles which Truro were lucky to clear but they wrapped it up on 84 minutes when Broad exchanged passes with a team-mate and finished well.A far cry from the sunny start I made to this competition this season in front of about 30 people at Frimley Green. I guess that’s half the joy of it.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
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