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No Distance Left To Run
Dec. 1st, 2018 10:50 pm
Arrived at Bell Close a few minutes before the 11am departure time for the Leighton coach to the FA Vase tie at Lye Town. The Leighton faithful were gathered in the car park awaiting the arrival of the coach. Chat with Richard and Bob until it arrived.
As we sat on the coach the chap in front of me asked if I was "the fellow who lost his hat". He'd seen the story in the LBO and asked if I'd got it back and how,
The drive up went smoothly apart from one brief pull over into a layby for unknown reasons. I wasn't too amused with the radio being tuned to Heart - apart from that station's well known limited uninspiring range of music, everyone knows that BBC Radio 5 Live is the only acceptable station for a football coach trip. When we drove out of range of Heart Four Counties it retuned to Smooth, which was a grade better - it wasn't long before we got an Amy Winehouse track.
We reached the ground at 1.40. The clubhouse bar's selection was very limited, just lagers and ciders. In the absence of craft ales I went for red Bulmers. The barmaid was very friendly, though; she mentioned that her daughter had played football this morning so I told her I'm a huge fan of the women's game. She said her daughter's team was a Sister Club of Birmingham City Women; I said that's the team I watch most and that I'll be at their game tomorrow. She said she and her daughter normally go there but tomorrow they'll be at a Christmas market.
We met a groundhopper from near Lye who'd been at our Vase tie with 1874 Northwich last year. He bought me a refill and he and I chatted about football travels we'd been on until kick-off drew near.
The game was scrappy, evenly balanced and goalless up to the 70 minute mark when Leighton's Dom Masala went down and it soon became clear that he was seriously injured. Play was held up for half an hour. During the delay there was speculation as to whether the game was going to be abandoned; the consensus was that the ref looked willing to carry on once Dom had been seen to, which turned out to be the case. Word reached us that Dom's injury was ligaments. Dom was finally stretchered off and play resumed.
With play down at the Lye end in one corner, there was some argy-bargy leading to a Lye player pushing one of ours. The Lye man was booked but ours also received a yellow card, and it was his second booking so he was dismissed. From the stand we assumed it must have been for dissent. Normal time finished 0-0. In extra time Lye took full advantage of the extra man. They scored from close range, Leighton's heads went down from then, and Lye added three more goals. Our big day became a day to forget.
In the bar we sat drinking until the players were ready to go, reflecting on how the current team is one in transition (many of the players from last year's Vase run and ultimately unsuccessful title challenge have left). There was a bit of speculation about players we might sign come the summer, while a couple of us attempted to look optimistically towards the two cups we are still in.
As the coach began the journey homeward, Richard and another chap agreed that the referee had been awful. Richard revealed that the reason given for our player's sending-off was because after he was pushed over he "got up in an aggressive manner". No-one spoke much most of the way. The radio remained tuned to Smooth, but that was a blessing when they played A Winter's Tale. I sang along out loud, thinking of Laura.
As we neared Milton Keynes the players at the back sang Someone Like You and Hotel California. That turned out to be new players doing their initiation.
Subdued, we said brief goodbyes at the ground and wended our separate ways home. I made it just in time for I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
As we sat on the coach the chap in front of me asked if I was "the fellow who lost his hat". He'd seen the story in the LBO and asked if I'd got it back and how,
The drive up went smoothly apart from one brief pull over into a layby for unknown reasons. I wasn't too amused with the radio being tuned to Heart - apart from that station's well known limited uninspiring range of music, everyone knows that BBC Radio 5 Live is the only acceptable station for a football coach trip. When we drove out of range of Heart Four Counties it retuned to Smooth, which was a grade better - it wasn't long before we got an Amy Winehouse track.
We reached the ground at 1.40. The clubhouse bar's selection was very limited, just lagers and ciders. In the absence of craft ales I went for red Bulmers. The barmaid was very friendly, though; she mentioned that her daughter had played football this morning so I told her I'm a huge fan of the women's game. She said her daughter's team was a Sister Club of Birmingham City Women; I said that's the team I watch most and that I'll be at their game tomorrow. She said she and her daughter normally go there but tomorrow they'll be at a Christmas market.
We met a groundhopper from near Lye who'd been at our Vase tie with 1874 Northwich last year. He bought me a refill and he and I chatted about football travels we'd been on until kick-off drew near.
The game was scrappy, evenly balanced and goalless up to the 70 minute mark when Leighton's Dom Masala went down and it soon became clear that he was seriously injured. Play was held up for half an hour. During the delay there was speculation as to whether the game was going to be abandoned; the consensus was that the ref looked willing to carry on once Dom had been seen to, which turned out to be the case. Word reached us that Dom's injury was ligaments. Dom was finally stretchered off and play resumed.
With play down at the Lye end in one corner, there was some argy-bargy leading to a Lye player pushing one of ours. The Lye man was booked but ours also received a yellow card, and it was his second booking so he was dismissed. From the stand we assumed it must have been for dissent. Normal time finished 0-0. In extra time Lye took full advantage of the extra man. They scored from close range, Leighton's heads went down from then, and Lye added three more goals. Our big day became a day to forget.
In the bar we sat drinking until the players were ready to go, reflecting on how the current team is one in transition (many of the players from last year's Vase run and ultimately unsuccessful title challenge have left). There was a bit of speculation about players we might sign come the summer, while a couple of us attempted to look optimistically towards the two cups we are still in.
As the coach began the journey homeward, Richard and another chap agreed that the referee had been awful. Richard revealed that the reason given for our player's sending-off was because after he was pushed over he "got up in an aggressive manner". No-one spoke much most of the way. The radio remained tuned to Smooth, but that was a blessing when they played A Winter's Tale. I sang along out loud, thinking of Laura.
As we neared Milton Keynes the players at the back sang Someone Like You and Hotel California. That turned out to be new players doing their initiation.
Subdued, we said brief goodbyes at the ground and wended our separate ways home. I made it just in time for I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
