Just A City
Mar. 7th, 2020 11:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eiffel_71
Back on the football trail at last. Like old times, travelling from Portsmouth up to London - today for Clapton Community's Alec Smith Cup semi-final with London Samurai.
With the pitch at Walthamstow still waterlogged from the storms, the game had been switched to a 3G pitch in Hackney. I arrived at Victoria around 11.30; with kick-off at 2pm, not knowing what food if any woukd be on offer, I moseyed around the streets outside Victoria Station, found a kebab shop and called in for a Doner wrap.
At Highbury & Islington station, the Overground turned out to be closed. Happily there was a direct bus to Hackney Wick, a ten minute walk from the 3G. Arrived as some volunteers were putting up the 'This Club Belongs To You And Me' banner. It was as well I'd stopped for the Doner wrap as one of the volunteers told me there was no food or drink at the ground.
Quite a few enterprising fans brought in cans of beer of their own. A good couple of hundred came to cheer on CCFC, including the usual band of singers and drummers who kept up an impressive sound all game as usual. Both sides had a couple of chances in the first half but shot wide or had them saved by the keeper. Just before the break a Samurai forward aimed a kick at a CCFC player and was booked.
Early in the second half Sherwin Stanley volleyed home a beauty from the edge of the area to give CCFC the lead. On about 75 minutes Samurai got the ball in the net but it was flagged offside, but a few minutes later they equalised for real with a close range piledriver. It was end to end stuff for the rest of the game, both sides had goal attempts but they came to nothing.
Some of us were expecting extra time but a lady standing near me said we'd go straight to a penalty shoot-out, and so it proved. So all the spectators piled down to the far end of the pitch, where the kicks were being taken. The Samurai forward who'd been booked became a pantomime villain, drawing some boos and jeers as he stepped up to take their second kick - and he shot wide. CCFC's fourth kick was missed, making it 4-4 after five kicks each. And so sudden death.
Unfortunately quite a few of our fans booed the later Samurai penalty takers when they went up to the spot. To do the Samurai lads credit, they engaged in banter with some of our fans, like their player who ran along in front of the guys just along from me, making a 'sssh' gesture, after scoring with his kick.
Samurai converted their tenth kick, then Jordan Odofin stepped forward. The chap next to me said 'He missed one against Stonewall, remember?' History repeated itself as Jordan's kick went wide and we were out. I stayed just to join in clapping both teams then made my way to the bus stop.
At Highbury & Islington, a horde of Arsenal fans were swarming into the tube station fresh from their home game with West Ham. I let the first tube go to absorb them, then got on the next one. Was peckish by the time I got to Victoria; hit Burger King for a Halloumi burger.
Back in Gosport just in time for The Voice. My vinyl copy of the new Deacon Blue album had arrived. Looking at the group photo, I STILL fancy Lorraine McIntosh.
With the pitch at Walthamstow still waterlogged from the storms, the game had been switched to a 3G pitch in Hackney. I arrived at Victoria around 11.30; with kick-off at 2pm, not knowing what food if any woukd be on offer, I moseyed around the streets outside Victoria Station, found a kebab shop and called in for a Doner wrap.
At Highbury & Islington station, the Overground turned out to be closed. Happily there was a direct bus to Hackney Wick, a ten minute walk from the 3G. Arrived as some volunteers were putting up the 'This Club Belongs To You And Me' banner. It was as well I'd stopped for the Doner wrap as one of the volunteers told me there was no food or drink at the ground.
Quite a few enterprising fans brought in cans of beer of their own. A good couple of hundred came to cheer on CCFC, including the usual band of singers and drummers who kept up an impressive sound all game as usual. Both sides had a couple of chances in the first half but shot wide or had them saved by the keeper. Just before the break a Samurai forward aimed a kick at a CCFC player and was booked.
Early in the second half Sherwin Stanley volleyed home a beauty from the edge of the area to give CCFC the lead. On about 75 minutes Samurai got the ball in the net but it was flagged offside, but a few minutes later they equalised for real with a close range piledriver. It was end to end stuff for the rest of the game, both sides had goal attempts but they came to nothing.
Some of us were expecting extra time but a lady standing near me said we'd go straight to a penalty shoot-out, and so it proved. So all the spectators piled down to the far end of the pitch, where the kicks were being taken. The Samurai forward who'd been booked became a pantomime villain, drawing some boos and jeers as he stepped up to take their second kick - and he shot wide. CCFC's fourth kick was missed, making it 4-4 after five kicks each. And so sudden death.
Unfortunately quite a few of our fans booed the later Samurai penalty takers when they went up to the spot. To do the Samurai lads credit, they engaged in banter with some of our fans, like their player who ran along in front of the guys just along from me, making a 'sssh' gesture, after scoring with his kick.
Samurai converted their tenth kick, then Jordan Odofin stepped forward. The chap next to me said 'He missed one against Stonewall, remember?' History repeated itself as Jordan's kick went wide and we were out. I stayed just to join in clapping both teams then made my way to the bus stop.
At Highbury & Islington, a horde of Arsenal fans were swarming into the tube station fresh from their home game with West Ham. I let the first tube go to absorb them, then got on the next one. Was peckish by the time I got to Victoria; hit Burger King for a Halloumi burger.
Back in Gosport just in time for The Voice. My vinyl copy of the new Deacon Blue album had arrived. Looking at the group photo, I STILL fancy Lorraine McIntosh.
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Date: 2020-03-08 01:11 pm (UTC)