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Here Comes The Rain Again
Jan. 27th, 2020 08:28 pmTo Gosport for the weekend to drop off some more of my belongings and see Coventry United Ladies' FA Women's Cup tie with Southampton FC Women at St Mary's Stadium.
After queuing for what seemed an eternity for a (happily excellent) hot dog, I arrived in the stand just in time to see my old pal (and a member of the last Lady Pies squad) Shelly Provan, the Southampton captain but currently out injured, being interviewed on the pitch along with a couple of also injured team-mates.
Managed to get a quick chat with Chelsea a few minutes before kick-off. Sat behind me was a chatty older Saints supporter who was a tentative convert to the women's game and had visited many a non-league ground. Both sides had chances but half-time came with the scoreline blank.
I went to look for Shelly at the break, but one of the yellow vests by the Southampton dug-out told me she was in an executive box. I made the fearsome climb to the top of the stand, but a lady steward told me I couldn't walk along in front of all the boxes, and that I'd have to return to the seat marked on my ticket once the second half began. I wandered along, looking into a couple of boxes but with a very restricted view. I couldn't see Shelly. This is the downside of playing women's matches in men's Premier League stadia. At that moment I missed the friendlier atmosphere of the non-league grounds the women usually play in.
Coventry stepped up their game in the second half and scored four. Fiona Worts was on fire, nabbing a hat-trick. Rachel Panting curled home a beautiful late consolation for the home side.
And then it was out into the hammering rain to phone for, and get wet waiting for, a taxi to the station. Got an almond croissant in the station cafe just before boarding the train; needed it, as when I arrived at Euston there was an hour before the next Leighton Buzzard train. I figured it would be quicker to take a train to MK that was about to depart, then get a train back to Leighton from there. Bad move. I reached MK to find the next train to Leighton was in half an hour. I'd have got home quicker sitting at Euston for an hour, and could have got something to eat there. Now I was Hank Marvin. The barrier guard at MK at least let me nip out to a nearby Pret a Manger for a coffee. Soon as I finally got home, phoned the local pizza parlour for a delivery.
At least Coventry won, and then Paige survived in Love Island.
After queuing for what seemed an eternity for a (happily excellent) hot dog, I arrived in the stand just in time to see my old pal (and a member of the last Lady Pies squad) Shelly Provan, the Southampton captain but currently out injured, being interviewed on the pitch along with a couple of also injured team-mates.
Managed to get a quick chat with Chelsea a few minutes before kick-off. Sat behind me was a chatty older Saints supporter who was a tentative convert to the women's game and had visited many a non-league ground. Both sides had chances but half-time came with the scoreline blank.
I went to look for Shelly at the break, but one of the yellow vests by the Southampton dug-out told me she was in an executive box. I made the fearsome climb to the top of the stand, but a lady steward told me I couldn't walk along in front of all the boxes, and that I'd have to return to the seat marked on my ticket once the second half began. I wandered along, looking into a couple of boxes but with a very restricted view. I couldn't see Shelly. This is the downside of playing women's matches in men's Premier League stadia. At that moment I missed the friendlier atmosphere of the non-league grounds the women usually play in.
Coventry stepped up their game in the second half and scored four. Fiona Worts was on fire, nabbing a hat-trick. Rachel Panting curled home a beautiful late consolation for the home side.
And then it was out into the hammering rain to phone for, and get wet waiting for, a taxi to the station. Got an almond croissant in the station cafe just before boarding the train; needed it, as when I arrived at Euston there was an hour before the next Leighton Buzzard train. I figured it would be quicker to take a train to MK that was about to depart, then get a train back to Leighton from there. Bad move. I reached MK to find the next train to Leighton was in half an hour. I'd have got home quicker sitting at Euston for an hour, and could have got something to eat there. Now I was Hank Marvin. The barrier guard at MK at least let me nip out to a nearby Pret a Manger for a coffee. Soon as I finally got home, phoned the local pizza parlour for a delivery.
At least Coventry won, and then Paige survived in Love Island.
