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Magical Mystery Tour
Mar. 10th, 2024 09:19 pm
Yesterday went to see Fleetlands away at Millbrook, a Southampton team. Alas, buses replaced trains between Fareham and Southampton. Our bus seemed to take us on a tour of the suburbs in between, though not stopping at any intermediate stations. Finally we pulled into Southampton Central and I went for lunch in a fried chicken joint before getting the bus out to The Saints pub, the nearest stop to the ground.
Met Iain and Dean soon after arriving at the ground. Iain asked how I’d got there and, after hearing about the replacement bus, offered me a lift back after the match. We all talked about upcoming fixtures for a while, then moseyed over to the bar. I went for a Magners. Some more club officials arrived and we all talked until kick-off time approached and we headed back to the ground.
Alas, the seats in one of the small stands struggled to bear my weight and I ended up going to stand at pitchside with Linda the photographer and a couple of the guys. Fleetlands conceded an early goal and were still 1-0 down at half time.
I got to sit with the Fleetlands committee at half time. We all talked about the half time scores from the English and Scottish leagues. There was a box of fairy cakes on the table; as they were really for the committee members, I waited until half time was almost over before helping myself to one of the unclaimed ones. One of the Millbrook guys ribbed Jackie about being an Arsenal fan; he was wearing a scarf that looked black and white, so I wondered if he was a Tottenham supporter.
Iain and Dean took seats designated for away directors, in the other stand, this half; I tried a seat near the back of the same stand, and managed to distribute my weight laying hands on adjacent seats and keeping my feet firmly on the floor at ten to two. Though I had to take down one of my hands for most of the half as a little kid spent the time constantly running up the stairs past me, round to the side of the stand, down a couple of rows and jumping out of the spaces in the side of the stand, onto a green patch where his friends were playing football, and starting the whole process again.
Fleetlands got a well taken equaliser with a chip over the keeper. In the closing minutes Millbrook seemed to have won it, lobbing in with the goalie out of position. But in injury time Fleetlands’ right winger sent a low drive zooming across the penalty box and into the far corner to earn the Coptermen an away draw and send me and the guys into wild celebrations.
As Iain was dropping Dean in Waterlooville he arranged for Jackie to take me back to Gosport. We had a pleasant chat and, with her car radio having reset itself with the DAB stations not on the list, I put Radio 5 Sports Extra on BBC Sounds on my phone to allow her to hear the Arsenal game. We arrived outside mine just as Arsenal were at first awarded a penalty, so I sat tight to allow Jackie to hear it; the penalty award was reversed by VAR but just as we were saying our goodbyes Declan Rice gave the Gunners the lead.
Met Iain and Dean soon after arriving at the ground. Iain asked how I’d got there and, after hearing about the replacement bus, offered me a lift back after the match. We all talked about upcoming fixtures for a while, then moseyed over to the bar. I went for a Magners. Some more club officials arrived and we all talked until kick-off time approached and we headed back to the ground.
Alas, the seats in one of the small stands struggled to bear my weight and I ended up going to stand at pitchside with Linda the photographer and a couple of the guys. Fleetlands conceded an early goal and were still 1-0 down at half time.
I got to sit with the Fleetlands committee at half time. We all talked about the half time scores from the English and Scottish leagues. There was a box of fairy cakes on the table; as they were really for the committee members, I waited until half time was almost over before helping myself to one of the unclaimed ones. One of the Millbrook guys ribbed Jackie about being an Arsenal fan; he was wearing a scarf that looked black and white, so I wondered if he was a Tottenham supporter.
Iain and Dean took seats designated for away directors, in the other stand, this half; I tried a seat near the back of the same stand, and managed to distribute my weight laying hands on adjacent seats and keeping my feet firmly on the floor at ten to two. Though I had to take down one of my hands for most of the half as a little kid spent the time constantly running up the stairs past me, round to the side of the stand, down a couple of rows and jumping out of the spaces in the side of the stand, onto a green patch where his friends were playing football, and starting the whole process again.
Fleetlands got a well taken equaliser with a chip over the keeper. In the closing minutes Millbrook seemed to have won it, lobbing in with the goalie out of position. But in injury time Fleetlands’ right winger sent a low drive zooming across the penalty box and into the far corner to earn the Coptermen an away draw and send me and the guys into wild celebrations.
As Iain was dropping Dean in Waterlooville he arranged for Jackie to take me back to Gosport. We had a pleasant chat and, with her car radio having reset itself with the DAB stations not on the list, I put Radio 5 Sports Extra on BBC Sounds on my phone to allow her to hear the Arsenal game. We arrived outside mine just as Arsenal were at first awarded a penalty, so I sat tight to allow Jackie to hear it; the penalty award was reversed by VAR but just as we were saying our goodbyes Declan Rice gave the Gunners the lead.
