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Green Green Grass Of Home
Oct. 7th, 2018 08:50 pmSo yesterday was the bitter return to Nottingham. By the time I arrived there, about 10.30 am, I'd already received a message from Alice to say my usual England Women fans crowd were having breakfast in a city centre Wetherspoons. I had one thing to do first, though. Some months ago, in a drawer I'd found a Notts County coaster, a relic of my time as a Lady Pie. There was no mention of the Ladies on the coaster, it was generic Notts County, so on arrival in the city I headed straight for Broadmarsh shopping centre and donated the coaster to a charity shop.
Mission accomplished, I made my way to the Spoons where Jules, Alice, Matt and Rachel were sitting round a table with Sarah, who we'd met in Holland, and her friend Emma. We all just chatted about football and which pub we were going to go to after the game. It might have been only 11 am, but it was the kind of day when I needed a drink, so I ordered a Hooch.
We set off for the ground about 11.30. Jules walked with me, asked about how I was feeling and was a great listener. She asked if I might be better not going in the Nav in case it was too upsetting. I said I wanted to see if they still served Black Dragon (a lovely Welsh cider, she'd heard of it) and that some of my old friends from NCLFC days had said they'd be in there.
Of course, I was able to lead the others to the ground, having made the walk there from the station many a time. Kath was running late, so the others waited outside the turnstile for her as they had her ticket, while I walked round to the Nav. It was 12 by now, half an hour before kick-off, so most of my old pals had already gone into the ground, but Steve and Lindsay were still there. A quick nostalgic pint of Black Dragon with them. Bought a bag of crisps *and* a packet of nuts and pigged both, to make sure I wouldn't be hungry in the ground (I had no intention of giving money to NCFC for food or drink). On my way through the concourse under the stand, I noticed the signs on the tea bars : they're now called 'Big Al's Grill'. Seeing that, I would have starved rather than buy their grub. Made it to my seat during the national anthems; Kath had made it, so all the crew were there.
Just before the start, Alice pointed out Ellen White walking up the steps past the end of our row. I shouted hello to her, she said hello back.
From kick off, I was able to largely focus on the game. Fran Kirby had us all off our seats in raptures in the third minute, turning home a Nikita Parris cross. That was the highlight on the field. The game wasn't a classic by any means, but I was delighted to see Carly Telford make some super saves. At half time I saw Cat and Steph standing at the front of the stand and went down to say hello. We were all happy that there was no further score, giving the Lionesses the 1-0 win.
Alice suggested the Canalhouse, a city centre restaurant and bar. We arrived to find all the tables taken. On the bright side, there were beers from all over the world, so we stood drinking (I was on a St Bernardus Abt 12) until Alice spotted the occupants of a table getting up to leave and went over to bag it. We ordered food - I went for an excellent Philly cheese steak sandwich - and sat around for a couple of hours talking football trips and what the number ones were when we were born, while Sarah and Emma marvelled at Jules and me being able to drink 10 and 11% beers without passing out. Kath and a couple of friends of hers she'd met at the ground had a table next to ours; at an opportune moment, I slipped her copies I'd printed of my parodies of Beneath Your Beautiful and Living Next Door To Alice. Later she said to me that she loved them.
Sarah and Emma left about 6.30; I stopped on for one more drink then said my goodbyes. A difficult revisit had been made into a pretty decent Lionesses trip thanks to Jules, Kath and Co. Then it was time for the long train ride home.
To London today for Leyton Orient Women v Actonians Ladies. On the walk from Mile End tube up to the stadium, I saw a pigeon in the road nibbling at a discarded cupcake wrapper. Fittingly, as today's Kirsty Day, that made me think of her song Soho Square. I sang it to myself the rest of the way to the ground.
An hour or so before kick-off a chap called Neil came up to talk to Keith and Groundhopper Dave. Neil was clearly a fan of Chloe; in conversation pre-match he called her 'the best-looking one', then during the second half he sang songs in praise of her even though she was on the bench and hadn't come on yet.
As the match kicked off, I was approached by a lady who knew me by name. She introduced herself as Caroline. She said she'd met me at a couple of random matches last year. We watched the game together, chatting about goings-on in women's football generally and teams and players she was familiar with. Orient took the lead through Hayley but conceded an equaliser late in the first half. Halfway through the second half Actonians took the lead. Happily, in the 83rd minute Hayley struck again for an equaliser. Both teams went on pressing. I went down to pitchside and had a quick word with Lisa who'd been substituted, and manages to say hello to unused sub Lydia. She was with the guy she'd been accused of flirting with at Cambridge. Probably her boyfriend then. Not that it matters, since all I want is someone to fancy from a distance. My Laura had a boyfriend too.
I returned to my seat high in the stand for the closing minutes of stoppage time. Joy of joys, Tara rose in the box to nod in a cross and give Orient the win! We rose to our feet clapping and cheering and applauded the girls off. Caroline joined me for the tube ride back as far as Tottenham Court Road where she changed.
After another long walk back home from the station, made it home in time for the Strictly results show. Hooray, Katie Piper was voted to safety!
Mission accomplished, I made my way to the Spoons where Jules, Alice, Matt and Rachel were sitting round a table with Sarah, who we'd met in Holland, and her friend Emma. We all just chatted about football and which pub we were going to go to after the game. It might have been only 11 am, but it was the kind of day when I needed a drink, so I ordered a Hooch.
We set off for the ground about 11.30. Jules walked with me, asked about how I was feeling and was a great listener. She asked if I might be better not going in the Nav in case it was too upsetting. I said I wanted to see if they still served Black Dragon (a lovely Welsh cider, she'd heard of it) and that some of my old friends from NCLFC days had said they'd be in there.
Of course, I was able to lead the others to the ground, having made the walk there from the station many a time. Kath was running late, so the others waited outside the turnstile for her as they had her ticket, while I walked round to the Nav. It was 12 by now, half an hour before kick-off, so most of my old pals had already gone into the ground, but Steve and Lindsay were still there. A quick nostalgic pint of Black Dragon with them. Bought a bag of crisps *and* a packet of nuts and pigged both, to make sure I wouldn't be hungry in the ground (I had no intention of giving money to NCFC for food or drink). On my way through the concourse under the stand, I noticed the signs on the tea bars : they're now called 'Big Al's Grill'. Seeing that, I would have starved rather than buy their grub. Made it to my seat during the national anthems; Kath had made it, so all the crew were there.
Just before the start, Alice pointed out Ellen White walking up the steps past the end of our row. I shouted hello to her, she said hello back.
From kick off, I was able to largely focus on the game. Fran Kirby had us all off our seats in raptures in the third minute, turning home a Nikita Parris cross. That was the highlight on the field. The game wasn't a classic by any means, but I was delighted to see Carly Telford make some super saves. At half time I saw Cat and Steph standing at the front of the stand and went down to say hello. We were all happy that there was no further score, giving the Lionesses the 1-0 win.
Alice suggested the Canalhouse, a city centre restaurant and bar. We arrived to find all the tables taken. On the bright side, there were beers from all over the world, so we stood drinking (I was on a St Bernardus Abt 12) until Alice spotted the occupants of a table getting up to leave and went over to bag it. We ordered food - I went for an excellent Philly cheese steak sandwich - and sat around for a couple of hours talking football trips and what the number ones were when we were born, while Sarah and Emma marvelled at Jules and me being able to drink 10 and 11% beers without passing out. Kath and a couple of friends of hers she'd met at the ground had a table next to ours; at an opportune moment, I slipped her copies I'd printed of my parodies of Beneath Your Beautiful and Living Next Door To Alice. Later she said to me that she loved them.
Sarah and Emma left about 6.30; I stopped on for one more drink then said my goodbyes. A difficult revisit had been made into a pretty decent Lionesses trip thanks to Jules, Kath and Co. Then it was time for the long train ride home.
To London today for Leyton Orient Women v Actonians Ladies. On the walk from Mile End tube up to the stadium, I saw a pigeon in the road nibbling at a discarded cupcake wrapper. Fittingly, as today's Kirsty Day, that made me think of her song Soho Square. I sang it to myself the rest of the way to the ground.
An hour or so before kick-off a chap called Neil came up to talk to Keith and Groundhopper Dave. Neil was clearly a fan of Chloe; in conversation pre-match he called her 'the best-looking one', then during the second half he sang songs in praise of her even though she was on the bench and hadn't come on yet.
As the match kicked off, I was approached by a lady who knew me by name. She introduced herself as Caroline. She said she'd met me at a couple of random matches last year. We watched the game together, chatting about goings-on in women's football generally and teams and players she was familiar with. Orient took the lead through Hayley but conceded an equaliser late in the first half. Halfway through the second half Actonians took the lead. Happily, in the 83rd minute Hayley struck again for an equaliser. Both teams went on pressing. I went down to pitchside and had a quick word with Lisa who'd been substituted, and manages to say hello to unused sub Lydia. She was with the guy she'd been accused of flirting with at Cambridge. Probably her boyfriend then. Not that it matters, since all I want is someone to fancy from a distance. My Laura had a boyfriend too.
I returned to my seat high in the stand for the closing minutes of stoppage time. Joy of joys, Tara rose in the box to nod in a cross and give Orient the win! We rose to our feet clapping and cheering and applauded the girls off. Caroline joined me for the tube ride back as far as Tottenham Court Road where she changed.
After another long walk back home from the station, made it home in time for the Strictly results show. Hooray, Katie Piper was voted to safety!
