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I Wanna Be A Winner
Aug. 10th, 2014 10:49 amWent up to Carlisle yesterday for the first game of the season. The coach company had advertised a pick-up in Dunstable; with only four of us taking up that option, they sent a driver in a car to pick us up and take us to Junction 11 to meet the coach.
I sat next to a nice young lady, a teacher who, like me, is watching her pennies, making away trips a rare treat, but like me she just couldn't miss the first game back in the League. We got a generous 40 minute stop at Norton Canes services. Although it was only 9.30 several of us, me included, made for the burger bar; a wise move, it turned out, as that was to be our only stop of decent enough length to grab a bite to eat all day.
On arrival in Carlisle our driver missed the turn-off for the ground and had to go a fair way further down the road and complete a circle. After we finally disembarked, walking along the grass bank beside the ground I met Christine and Keith and stopped for brief chats with both, en route to the nearby rugby club where, I'd been informed on Facebook, real ale was served. Unsurprisingly the place was packed, with Carlisle and Luton fans happily mixing, but I got served at 2.25 - the Carlisle fan next to me on the front row told the barman to serve me before him, telling me "You need it more, you've come a long way."
Sank my pint and made a hurried walk along the main road, past milling home fans. Stopped for a programme, and a half-time draw ticket from a friendly lady, before the turn-off to go round to the away end in the fat corner.
Hatters fans in full voice throughout the match. The team bossed the first half, and on the half hour Jake Howells and Benno worked the ball forward perfectly for Mark Cullen to tap home. Radio rental time in the away end, total strangers hugging each other and a full-on chorus of "Luton are back!"
The half-time draw was announced. I pulled out my ticket; the winning number was mine! I made my way to the front of the stand, and was kept waiting there for what seemed an eternity by a steward who wasn't sure what to do, till finally the supervisor arrived and got another steward at a side gate to let me out to walk round to the reception.
The man there was amused that an away fan had won the prize - £315, all in notes - said "That's paid for your trip here" and took a photo of his lady colleague presenting me with the envelope in front of the Carlisle club badge.
Back round to be let back in at the side gate of the away end with five minutes of huge second half gone, and wove through a forest of legs to return to my seat - the guy next to me said "Thought you'd deserted us". Carlisle had the best of the second half but Mark Tyler and Steve McNulty kept them at bay, and we had a couple of chances near the end that came to nothing. Never mind, we'd opened the campaign with a win.
We got only a 20 minute stop at Norton Canes on the way back; most of us naturally made straight for the loo. I just had time to grab and eat a sandwich before getting back to the coach.
Made it home with half an hour (of Michael McIntyre) to spare before The Football League Show. Kept my eyes open up to our minute of footage then crashed out.
I sat next to a nice young lady, a teacher who, like me, is watching her pennies, making away trips a rare treat, but like me she just couldn't miss the first game back in the League. We got a generous 40 minute stop at Norton Canes services. Although it was only 9.30 several of us, me included, made for the burger bar; a wise move, it turned out, as that was to be our only stop of decent enough length to grab a bite to eat all day.
On arrival in Carlisle our driver missed the turn-off for the ground and had to go a fair way further down the road and complete a circle. After we finally disembarked, walking along the grass bank beside the ground I met Christine and Keith and stopped for brief chats with both, en route to the nearby rugby club where, I'd been informed on Facebook, real ale was served. Unsurprisingly the place was packed, with Carlisle and Luton fans happily mixing, but I got served at 2.25 - the Carlisle fan next to me on the front row told the barman to serve me before him, telling me "You need it more, you've come a long way."
Sank my pint and made a hurried walk along the main road, past milling home fans. Stopped for a programme, and a half-time draw ticket from a friendly lady, before the turn-off to go round to the away end in the fat corner.
Hatters fans in full voice throughout the match. The team bossed the first half, and on the half hour Jake Howells and Benno worked the ball forward perfectly for Mark Cullen to tap home. Radio rental time in the away end, total strangers hugging each other and a full-on chorus of "Luton are back!"
The half-time draw was announced. I pulled out my ticket; the winning number was mine! I made my way to the front of the stand, and was kept waiting there for what seemed an eternity by a steward who wasn't sure what to do, till finally the supervisor arrived and got another steward at a side gate to let me out to walk round to the reception.
The man there was amused that an away fan had won the prize - £315, all in notes - said "That's paid for your trip here" and took a photo of his lady colleague presenting me with the envelope in front of the Carlisle club badge.
Back round to be let back in at the side gate of the away end with five minutes of huge second half gone, and wove through a forest of legs to return to my seat - the guy next to me said "Thought you'd deserted us". Carlisle had the best of the second half but Mark Tyler and Steve McNulty kept them at bay, and we had a couple of chances near the end that came to nothing. Never mind, we'd opened the campaign with a win.
We got only a 20 minute stop at Norton Canes on the way back; most of us naturally made straight for the loo. I just had time to grab and eat a sandwich before getting back to the coach.
Made it home with half an hour (of Michael McIntyre) to spare before The Football League Show. Kept my eyes open up to our minute of footage then crashed out.
