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Rush Hour
Made sure to get out of work soon after 3.30 yesterday to head for London, where England Women were playing the Matildas of Australia at Fulham's ground. Happily, when the Uber dropped me at MK station there was a fast London train going in a few minutes and only one person in front of me in the ticket queue.
Getting on the tube at Victoria I sat down and spotted Mark and his brother Andy were sitting bang opposite me. What are the chances of that? We chatted, Mark told me the pub we were due to meet in and I messaged Jane to let her know. We arrived at the pub, I ordered a Staropramen at the bar then I spotted Jane standing a little way down. She paid for my pint and we sat having a catch-up chat till we decided we'd better make a move.
We were both Hank Marvin, having not eaten since lunch time, so were looking out for a food stall on the picturesque walk through the park to the stadium. We found a van saying 'Burger Bar' and fell on it. They were serving just burgers, no chips, but a burger each was enough for us for the moment.
The ground's old style facade is absolutely lovely. It's clear why so many football fans have a soft spot for Fulham. Jane and I got through the turnstile then had to separate (we'd got our tickets independently of each other) and said a fond goodbye. I popped to the Gents then made it to my seat to find two strangers next to me, and empty seats on my other side. I wondered if I'd come to the wrong place by mistake, but as the national anthems were playing Mark, Andy and Rachel appeared and filled the empty seats beside me.
Fran Kirby again had us on our feet, netting during the first half, but her and her fellow attackers' finishing was decidedly wayward the rest of the game. Mary Earps in goal frequently came to the rescue with some fine saves. England were denied two stonewall penalties, when Beth Mead and later Nikita Parris were brought down with heavy tackles on the box, but the ref waved play on each time. Australia came to life in the second half, looking lively, and there was a certain inevitability when, with eight minutes to go, one of their players headed home from a cross. Both sides steamed forward in pursuit of a goal for the rest of the game, but it ended one all.
Said a quick goodbye to Mark, Andy and Rachel and hotfooted back to the tube. Home just after 10.30, straight to bed.
Back to work this morning. Plum tuckered all day.
Getting on the tube at Victoria I sat down and spotted Mark and his brother Andy were sitting bang opposite me. What are the chances of that? We chatted, Mark told me the pub we were due to meet in and I messaged Jane to let her know. We arrived at the pub, I ordered a Staropramen at the bar then I spotted Jane standing a little way down. She paid for my pint and we sat having a catch-up chat till we decided we'd better make a move.
We were both Hank Marvin, having not eaten since lunch time, so were looking out for a food stall on the picturesque walk through the park to the stadium. We found a van saying 'Burger Bar' and fell on it. They were serving just burgers, no chips, but a burger each was enough for us for the moment.
The ground's old style facade is absolutely lovely. It's clear why so many football fans have a soft spot for Fulham. Jane and I got through the turnstile then had to separate (we'd got our tickets independently of each other) and said a fond goodbye. I popped to the Gents then made it to my seat to find two strangers next to me, and empty seats on my other side. I wondered if I'd come to the wrong place by mistake, but as the national anthems were playing Mark, Andy and Rachel appeared and filled the empty seats beside me.
Fran Kirby again had us on our feet, netting during the first half, but her and her fellow attackers' finishing was decidedly wayward the rest of the game. Mary Earps in goal frequently came to the rescue with some fine saves. England were denied two stonewall penalties, when Beth Mead and later Nikita Parris were brought down with heavy tackles on the box, but the ref waved play on each time. Australia came to life in the second half, looking lively, and there was a certain inevitability when, with eight minutes to go, one of their players headed home from a cross. Both sides steamed forward in pursuit of a goal for the rest of the game, but it ended one all.
Said a quick goodbye to Mark, Andy and Rachel and hotfooted back to the tube. Home just after 10.30, straight to bed.
Back to work this morning. Plum tuckered all day.
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