With You I’m Born Again
Feb. 28th, 2025 10:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eiffel_71London on Wednesday for Lionesses v Spain at Wembley. After the draw in Portugal, opinion in the Blue Check varied from confident predictions of a win to grim forecasts of defeat. Said hellos to Rachel, Deb, Lindsay, Maisie and Ash. Was standing at the bar when Jill, Steph and Alice, who I hadn’t known were coming, came in. Steph exclaimed with joyful surprise how I was the first person they saw as they walked in. We found a table together and passed the time catching up, discussing our women’s sport crushes and lamenting the diminished fortunes of the England women’s cricket team. We were all delighted for Chloe Kelly on her loan move to Arsenal and return to the England squad. Ricky, a fellow AFC Portchester fan, came over and engaged me in conversation about his footballing travels and asked me about my support for the women’s game.
We walked over to Wembley Way. Steph said they were in the Blue section this time. She recalled that they’d been in Purple for the USA game and it had been very posh there. I observed that that figured, with Purple being the royal colour. My ticket was in Green. As we went up the steps Steph asked if I was sitting with anyone. I replied no, I was on my own.
“We’ve got a spare ticket. Come and join us. It means you’ll be in Blue,” she added, chuckling. So I joined them moseying round to the Blue section. When we got through the entrance I to,d the others I was heading for the Gents. Jill said they’d be by the Gin Bar. Coming out of the loo, I was Hank Marvin so made for one of the kiosks for excellent chicken tenders and chips.
I met the girls by the Gin Bar and we headed for our seats. What a match. Wee Jess Park sweeping home an attempted clearance from Alessia Russo’s shot after her jinking run into the box, for what turned out to be the only goal of the game. And getting to watch with friends. After the final whistle, as Sweet Caroline blared out, Steph and I realised that we’d now twice sat together to watch the Lionesses beat the then world champions.
The girls didn’t much fancy the noise and crowd back at Blue Check. As we were all in the same hotel we went to the bar there for more of a chinwag - our women’s sport crushes again featuring heavily - and a few more sherbets.
Met up with Jade tonight for karaoke at the White Hart. We agreed that their karaoke system makes us sound better than the one at the Foresters. I sang Sit Down and Girl From Mars, felt comfortable about my renditions of both, and had a few people compliment me. One of the barmaids was dressed as Amy Winehouse, capturing her look perfectly. Naturally she opened the evening singing Tears Dry On Their Own.
We walked over to Wembley Way. Steph said they were in the Blue section this time. She recalled that they’d been in Purple for the USA game and it had been very posh there. I observed that that figured, with Purple being the royal colour. My ticket was in Green. As we went up the steps Steph asked if I was sitting with anyone. I replied no, I was on my own.
“We’ve got a spare ticket. Come and join us. It means you’ll be in Blue,” she added, chuckling. So I joined them moseying round to the Blue section. When we got through the entrance I to,d the others I was heading for the Gents. Jill said they’d be by the Gin Bar. Coming out of the loo, I was Hank Marvin so made for one of the kiosks for excellent chicken tenders and chips.
I met the girls by the Gin Bar and we headed for our seats. What a match. Wee Jess Park sweeping home an attempted clearance from Alessia Russo’s shot after her jinking run into the box, for what turned out to be the only goal of the game. And getting to watch with friends. After the final whistle, as Sweet Caroline blared out, Steph and I realised that we’d now twice sat together to watch the Lionesses beat the then world champions.
The girls didn’t much fancy the noise and crowd back at Blue Check. As we were all in the same hotel we went to the bar there for more of a chinwag - our women’s sport crushes again featuring heavily - and a few more sherbets.
Met up with Jade tonight for karaoke at the White Hart. We agreed that their karaoke system makes us sound better than the one at the Foresters. I sang Sit Down and Girl From Mars, felt comfortable about my renditions of both, and had a few people compliment me. One of the barmaids was dressed as Amy Winehouse, capturing her look perfectly. Naturally she opened the evening singing Tears Dry On Their Own.
