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Jul. 16th, 2008 11:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eiffel_71
Back at lovely Westleigh Park this evening for the first home friendly, with Reading. As I was coming out of Havant station a couple were asking one of the station staff directions and looking at the map of the town on the station wall. Seeing me wearing Hawk colours, the man asked me how far it was to the football ground. I replied "A 15 to 20 minute walk" and so they opted to make the walk with me.
"Are you Reading fans?" I asked. The man said he was, and now lived in Portsmouth. His girlfriend never spoke the whole time, but they held hands all the way except when we had to go single file on narrow pavements. As we walked, I asked the man if he thought Reading would be play-off contenders; he said that was the best they could hope for and that it would depend on which players they kept, lost and brought in, then told me where it had all gone wrong for Reading last season. He asked me a bit about the FA Cup run, then I had to face the usual "Why do you support Havant & Waterlooville instead of Portsmouth?" After I gave my main reasons - because I love the club and I've always been a fan of non-league - he conceded that I had a point when I added that I'd never pay £37 to sit on an open terrace and watch Pompey. Later on, as the conversation broadened to football in general, it became clear that he didn't much like Pompey at all and I confessed that I'm not keen on them either. When we arrived at the ground he said "Thank you for saving us a taxi fare, we were about to jump in a taxi when we met you." I invited them to join me for a drink in the clubhouse but although there were 35 minutes to kick-off they went straight into the ground.
So I headed for the bar and my first Magners of 2008/09. After catching up with Angie, when I'd finished my drink it was close to 7.25 so I made my way into the ground and to the club shop, where Malc told me Spud had my season ticket and was looking for me. Wandered around the end nearest the club shop for the next 10 minutes; at one point Spud and I passed right by each other and he didn't notice me. Eventually I rejoined Malc on the HawkSupport corner; Spud was within sight and earshot, so Malc gave him a holler and he came over and at last handed me the envelope containing my season ticket and a HawkSupport application form.
Reading had brought a strong side, containing several first team regulars - those who hadn't played in their friendly at Forest Green last night - including Graeme Murty, Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle. Hawks changed over the whole team at half time, giving half a game each to nearly all the first team squad, several Academy boys and a couple of trialists. Michael Duberry of Reading put himself about quite a bit in the opening minutes, and made as if to headbutt Gary Holloway, drawing a shout of "It's a friendly, Duberry" from one of the old men in front of me, but the ref had a word and the match then settled down into a close-fought, clean game. Craig Watkins hit the post towards the end of the first half while I was waiting for my Bovril.
At half-time I went down to the club shop to pay my HawkSupport membership. On the way in I passed Trevor who asked what time I was flying to Jersey tomorrow.
"8.30."
"Oh, even earlier than us."
In the club shop Malc had the new yellow away shirt on while Simon was modelling the new orange third kit. Alas, I will have to wait until the Portsmouth game on 5 August - the first home game after pay day - to buy mine. I said to Malc and Simon "Good colour for the third kit." Simon, who loves to wind me up over my supporting the Netherlands, replied "Yes, I always liked Luton Town's away kit in the mid-80s." I told them how disappointed I'd been with my Oranje, having thought after the group games that we were going to go all away. Malc replied that he'd been thinking the same, but that Holland always fall apart in the later stages. Simon said the Oranje had "scored all their goals too early", and that he'd been glad Spain had won as he thought they were the best team in the competition.
Reading's class told on 59 minutes when Kevin Doyle scored the only goal of the game from a goalmouth scramble, but Hawks gave them a hell of a match and never stopped battling. Academy lad Chris Nurse was unlucky towards the end when his long-range shot went just over.
Back on the station at 9.55. With no train to Portsmouth Harbour due for a quarter of an hour I fancied a can of Red Bull, but the stupid machine rejected every one of my pound coins. The Reading fan and his girlfriend appeared; he was full of how disappointed he'd been with his team's display and said "You'd never have guessed which of those teams was in the Premiership last year." He picked the bones of his team's poor performance for a while, and praised "that guy who hit the post for you" (Craig Watkins). Then a train terminating at Fratton, where they were going, appeared and we said our goodbyes.
The 10.10 train then appeared on the board as "Delayed" with no further information given. So I paced the platform until the 10.19 showed up. For once I was glad to arrive at Portsmouth Harbour just a minute after a ferry left, as it gave me time to wander over to the 24-hour snack window and quench my thirst with a can of Pepsi.
Got to go hit the hay for the early start for Jersey. See y'all Sunday.
"Are you Reading fans?" I asked. The man said he was, and now lived in Portsmouth. His girlfriend never spoke the whole time, but they held hands all the way except when we had to go single file on narrow pavements. As we walked, I asked the man if he thought Reading would be play-off contenders; he said that was the best they could hope for and that it would depend on which players they kept, lost and brought in, then told me where it had all gone wrong for Reading last season. He asked me a bit about the FA Cup run, then I had to face the usual "Why do you support Havant & Waterlooville instead of Portsmouth?" After I gave my main reasons - because I love the club and I've always been a fan of non-league - he conceded that I had a point when I added that I'd never pay £37 to sit on an open terrace and watch Pompey. Later on, as the conversation broadened to football in general, it became clear that he didn't much like Pompey at all and I confessed that I'm not keen on them either. When we arrived at the ground he said "Thank you for saving us a taxi fare, we were about to jump in a taxi when we met you." I invited them to join me for a drink in the clubhouse but although there were 35 minutes to kick-off they went straight into the ground.
So I headed for the bar and my first Magners of 2008/09. After catching up with Angie, when I'd finished my drink it was close to 7.25 so I made my way into the ground and to the club shop, where Malc told me Spud had my season ticket and was looking for me. Wandered around the end nearest the club shop for the next 10 minutes; at one point Spud and I passed right by each other and he didn't notice me. Eventually I rejoined Malc on the HawkSupport corner; Spud was within sight and earshot, so Malc gave him a holler and he came over and at last handed me the envelope containing my season ticket and a HawkSupport application form.
Reading had brought a strong side, containing several first team regulars - those who hadn't played in their friendly at Forest Green last night - including Graeme Murty, Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle. Hawks changed over the whole team at half time, giving half a game each to nearly all the first team squad, several Academy boys and a couple of trialists. Michael Duberry of Reading put himself about quite a bit in the opening minutes, and made as if to headbutt Gary Holloway, drawing a shout of "It's a friendly, Duberry" from one of the old men in front of me, but the ref had a word and the match then settled down into a close-fought, clean game. Craig Watkins hit the post towards the end of the first half while I was waiting for my Bovril.
At half-time I went down to the club shop to pay my HawkSupport membership. On the way in I passed Trevor who asked what time I was flying to Jersey tomorrow.
"8.30."
"Oh, even earlier than us."
In the club shop Malc had the new yellow away shirt on while Simon was modelling the new orange third kit. Alas, I will have to wait until the Portsmouth game on 5 August - the first home game after pay day - to buy mine. I said to Malc and Simon "Good colour for the third kit." Simon, who loves to wind me up over my supporting the Netherlands, replied "Yes, I always liked Luton Town's away kit in the mid-80s." I told them how disappointed I'd been with my Oranje, having thought after the group games that we were going to go all away. Malc replied that he'd been thinking the same, but that Holland always fall apart in the later stages. Simon said the Oranje had "scored all their goals too early", and that he'd been glad Spain had won as he thought they were the best team in the competition.
Reading's class told on 59 minutes when Kevin Doyle scored the only goal of the game from a goalmouth scramble, but Hawks gave them a hell of a match and never stopped battling. Academy lad Chris Nurse was unlucky towards the end when his long-range shot went just over.
Back on the station at 9.55. With no train to Portsmouth Harbour due for a quarter of an hour I fancied a can of Red Bull, but the stupid machine rejected every one of my pound coins. The Reading fan and his girlfriend appeared; he was full of how disappointed he'd been with his team's display and said "You'd never have guessed which of those teams was in the Premiership last year." He picked the bones of his team's poor performance for a while, and praised "that guy who hit the post for you" (Craig Watkins). Then a train terminating at Fratton, where they were going, appeared and we said our goodbyes.
The 10.10 train then appeared on the board as "Delayed" with no further information given. So I paced the platform until the 10.19 showed up. For once I was glad to arrive at Portsmouth Harbour just a minute after a ferry left, as it gave me time to wander over to the 24-hour snack window and quench my thirst with a can of Pepsi.
Got to go hit the hay for the early start for Jersey. See y'all Sunday.
