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London yesterday for Fisher v Little Common in the FA Vase. A sad sight at Portsmouth Harbour station - there's a barrier in the Wightlink terminal, with the Costa on the wrong side. Only Isle of Wight ferry passengers can get a coffee now. Another train journey without liquid refreshment. I'm going to have to look into alternative arrangements.
At Waterloo station, went for lunch in Burger King. It was a surreal experience. You enter to be faced with seven 'Order Here' terminals of which only four are switched on. Then, as I waited in line to get to one of the terminals, the lady behind a couple of counters - behind plexiglas sheets - waved me across to take my order in the conventional way, after I'd filled in a contact info form. Signs on the floor reminded customers to distance. Then when my grub was ready I made my way up the stairs, marked with arrows, with signs saying 'keep left'.
Arrived in Rotherhithe with an hour and a half to kick-off so called in The Brunel for a pre-match Doom Bar on the little sofa under the TV screen showing Everton v West Brom. By the time I'd downed my pint, time was ticking on so popped into the Nisa Local for a bag of M&Ms and a bottle of water for half time - saw a couple of the regulars in there.
"Did you have a pleasant journey?"
"OK thanks. How was yours?"
Turned out they lived a 25 minute walk from the ground.
And that my detour to the Nisa hadn't been necessary as the snack bar in the ground was open. "A trial," said the lady from the Millwall Community Trust. I celebrated with a Mars bar.
There was a sign at the entrance to the ground, reminding spectators to maintain social distancing and asking that we only sit in the seats if unable to stand. Made sense after the complete lack of distancing on Tuesday. I found a spot at the less populous corner of the Dockers' End.
Fisher won 4-0. Stood a little way along from me were a lively group of Fisher fans who called themselves Bow Lads on Tour. A gratifying link to days of yore, as I was living in E3 when I first began supporting Fisher Athletic all those years ago. They kept up a stream of chants, and let one opposing player know several times that he was a dirty so-and-so. During the second half, Alex the Hamlet fan arrived next to me, and he and an Altrincham fan standing on my other side kept us entertained with anecdotes about games they'd been to.
With victory assured towards the end of the game, the Bow lads looked forward enthusiastically to a train trip to our tie in the next round, at the winners of Oakwood v East Preston - both Sussex teams. News came in that East Preston had won their tie. As Ian pointed out, for me that's a little jaunt along the coast, an easier trip than home games.
A premium sausage roll at Waterloo then back home for The Vicar of Dibley on Gold.
At Waterloo station, went for lunch in Burger King. It was a surreal experience. You enter to be faced with seven 'Order Here' terminals of which only four are switched on. Then, as I waited in line to get to one of the terminals, the lady behind a couple of counters - behind plexiglas sheets - waved me across to take my order in the conventional way, after I'd filled in a contact info form. Signs on the floor reminded customers to distance. Then when my grub was ready I made my way up the stairs, marked with arrows, with signs saying 'keep left'.
Arrived in Rotherhithe with an hour and a half to kick-off so called in The Brunel for a pre-match Doom Bar on the little sofa under the TV screen showing Everton v West Brom. By the time I'd downed my pint, time was ticking on so popped into the Nisa Local for a bag of M&Ms and a bottle of water for half time - saw a couple of the regulars in there.
"Did you have a pleasant journey?"
"OK thanks. How was yours?"
Turned out they lived a 25 minute walk from the ground.
And that my detour to the Nisa hadn't been necessary as the snack bar in the ground was open. "A trial," said the lady from the Millwall Community Trust. I celebrated with a Mars bar.
There was a sign at the entrance to the ground, reminding spectators to maintain social distancing and asking that we only sit in the seats if unable to stand. Made sense after the complete lack of distancing on Tuesday. I found a spot at the less populous corner of the Dockers' End.
Fisher won 4-0. Stood a little way along from me were a lively group of Fisher fans who called themselves Bow Lads on Tour. A gratifying link to days of yore, as I was living in E3 when I first began supporting Fisher Athletic all those years ago. They kept up a stream of chants, and let one opposing player know several times that he was a dirty so-and-so. During the second half, Alex the Hamlet fan arrived next to me, and he and an Altrincham fan standing on my other side kept us entertained with anecdotes about games they'd been to.
With victory assured towards the end of the game, the Bow lads looked forward enthusiastically to a train trip to our tie in the next round, at the winners of Oakwood v East Preston - both Sussex teams. News came in that East Preston had won their tie. As Ian pointed out, for me that's a little jaunt along the coast, an easier trip than home games.
A premium sausage roll at Waterloo then back home for The Vicar of Dibley on Gold.
