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Life In A Northern Town
Aug. 9th, 2021 08:39 pmWent up to Manchester on Friday for the FC United v Clapton Community double bill. Arrived at the hotel just before 8pm to find the check-in queue stretched all around the lobby and almost back to the front door. I was in the queue an hour, keeping an eye on Sky News on the big screen for updates from the Olympics.
I entered my room to find it in an absolute mess. There was litter everywhere and the bed was unmade. I went downstairs and explained the situation to one of the hotel staff standing in the lobby; he managed to pull one of the ladies off dealing with the still lengthy check-in queue to see me. Having heard one of the lobby staff tell people wandering in on spec that the hotel was completely full, I wondered anxiously whether I'd be sent elsewhere, but the lady had another room for me. Watched telly for a couple of hours before crashing out.
Saturday it poured with rain as I made my way to the bus stop. Arrived at the ground in time for a hot dog and a snifter in the Miners' Club across the road. Lots of CCFC and FC United fans were in and outside the club getting on great. Went for a Staropramen and chatted to some CCFC fans and a couple of FC United guys.
The programme man was friendly and impressed that I'd travelled from Gosport. There was an FSA stall there, with some cards for kids about the centenary of the women's football ban and 50th anniversary of the reinstatement. I talked to Malcolm, the guy on the stall, and said I was a women's football devotee. He let me take a pic of one of the kids' cards for my Instagram and asked my account name.
All round the ground, banners were permanently up, proudly proclaiming the fan owned nature of FC United and opposing the Glazers - "Making Friends Not Millionaires" right above the halfway line was a favourite of mine. For the FC fans to have created this impressive stadium and got their club to the third tier of non-league is a magnificent achievement.
As kick-off approached I spotted Paul, Simon and a couple of others among the CCFC fans massing on one section of terrace. An array of our banners were up including the Gravy Ultras one, the No Pasaran, the CCFC rainbow one, and one from our friends the Yorkshire St Pauli supporters' club.
The women's teams came out with both teams presented with banners by the FSA, commemorating the anniversaries of the ban and its lifting. The match kicked off and the CCFC fans kept up non-stop singing throughout, even as our opponents three divisions higher cruised to a 9-0 win. I hung around on the terrace for the first half, long enough to get a copy of Sophia's special programme that she put together for the women's game, then, being weary on my feet (one of which I've had a pain in for days) I made my way up to the seats where the Brigata Ultra Clapton were sitting. Caught up with Eddie and David who I'd met outside the 3G the weekend before. At the end of the game I joined the group of fans standing at pitchside as the women's team came over to applaud us. The players led a chant that we joined in with. Another reason why I love this club.
Wandered around to the tea hut during the interval between games. On my way I saw Deb from the FSA interviewing players from each women's side. When she'd finished I said hello. She remembered me from the Women's World Cup in France. We chatted briefly then she had to go off and carry on filming. I went on to the tea hut for a carton of chips.
The men's match started. The CCFC contingent again were in full voice all game. On the field the team had us in dreamland leading 2-1 at half time. After the break the four tier difference between the teams told (undeniable even with FCUM fielding reserve and youth players) and FCUM ran out 5-2 winners. Naturally it made no difference to the noise and energetic flag-waving from the Brigata. At full-time, as the players came over to applaud us someone in the BUC let off a flare, sending a cloud of pink smoke over us all.
I said my goodbyes and went to get the bus. Just had time to get a take-away at Go Falafel and make it back to the hotel room for the day's Olympic highlights on telly.
Woke up Sunday morning and switched on Radio 5 Live to news of Lauren Price's boxing gold medal - and heard my old friend Stacey Copeland talking about her!
On the train home, we sat motionless at Stafford for an hour and forty minutes while we waited for engineers to come and sort out a points problem. I managed to pass the time listening to my iPod. Was Hank Marvin when I finally made it to Waterloo but had time to get a Halloumi King and halloumi fries from Burger King before my train went. Arrived home mid-evening lethargic. Well worth it though.
I entered my room to find it in an absolute mess. There was litter everywhere and the bed was unmade. I went downstairs and explained the situation to one of the hotel staff standing in the lobby; he managed to pull one of the ladies off dealing with the still lengthy check-in queue to see me. Having heard one of the lobby staff tell people wandering in on spec that the hotel was completely full, I wondered anxiously whether I'd be sent elsewhere, but the lady had another room for me. Watched telly for a couple of hours before crashing out.
Saturday it poured with rain as I made my way to the bus stop. Arrived at the ground in time for a hot dog and a snifter in the Miners' Club across the road. Lots of CCFC and FC United fans were in and outside the club getting on great. Went for a Staropramen and chatted to some CCFC fans and a couple of FC United guys.
The programme man was friendly and impressed that I'd travelled from Gosport. There was an FSA stall there, with some cards for kids about the centenary of the women's football ban and 50th anniversary of the reinstatement. I talked to Malcolm, the guy on the stall, and said I was a women's football devotee. He let me take a pic of one of the kids' cards for my Instagram and asked my account name.
All round the ground, banners were permanently up, proudly proclaiming the fan owned nature of FC United and opposing the Glazers - "Making Friends Not Millionaires" right above the halfway line was a favourite of mine. For the FC fans to have created this impressive stadium and got their club to the third tier of non-league is a magnificent achievement.
As kick-off approached I spotted Paul, Simon and a couple of others among the CCFC fans massing on one section of terrace. An array of our banners were up including the Gravy Ultras one, the No Pasaran, the CCFC rainbow one, and one from our friends the Yorkshire St Pauli supporters' club.
The women's teams came out with both teams presented with banners by the FSA, commemorating the anniversaries of the ban and its lifting. The match kicked off and the CCFC fans kept up non-stop singing throughout, even as our opponents three divisions higher cruised to a 9-0 win. I hung around on the terrace for the first half, long enough to get a copy of Sophia's special programme that she put together for the women's game, then, being weary on my feet (one of which I've had a pain in for days) I made my way up to the seats where the Brigata Ultra Clapton were sitting. Caught up with Eddie and David who I'd met outside the 3G the weekend before. At the end of the game I joined the group of fans standing at pitchside as the women's team came over to applaud us. The players led a chant that we joined in with. Another reason why I love this club.
Wandered around to the tea hut during the interval between games. On my way I saw Deb from the FSA interviewing players from each women's side. When she'd finished I said hello. She remembered me from the Women's World Cup in France. We chatted briefly then she had to go off and carry on filming. I went on to the tea hut for a carton of chips.
The men's match started. The CCFC contingent again were in full voice all game. On the field the team had us in dreamland leading 2-1 at half time. After the break the four tier difference between the teams told (undeniable even with FCUM fielding reserve and youth players) and FCUM ran out 5-2 winners. Naturally it made no difference to the noise and energetic flag-waving from the Brigata. At full-time, as the players came over to applaud us someone in the BUC let off a flare, sending a cloud of pink smoke over us all.
I said my goodbyes and went to get the bus. Just had time to get a take-away at Go Falafel and make it back to the hotel room for the day's Olympic highlights on telly.
Woke up Sunday morning and switched on Radio 5 Live to news of Lauren Price's boxing gold medal - and heard my old friend Stacey Copeland talking about her!
On the train home, we sat motionless at Stafford for an hour and forty minutes while we waited for engineers to come and sort out a points problem. I managed to pass the time listening to my iPod. Was Hank Marvin when I finally made it to Waterloo but had time to get a Halloumi King and halloumi fries from Burger King before my train went. Arrived home mid-evening lethargic. Well worth it though.
