Public Service Announcement
Mar. 17th, 2026 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eiffel_71To London on Sunday for Atlético v St Albans City Women. Stopped at Stratford for lunch. Decided to check out the Westfield centre, which turned out to have a World Food Court. Had an excellent kebab from an outlet called Bababoom.
Dave, Gary, and Neil from Southend were in the bar. A Kopparberg and a chat with them, then went outside to check in with the girls. Back to the bar for a refill and to read the Non-League Paper.
Neil was on PA duty and kept us entertained all afternoon with his eccentric style of announcements. He set the tone before the match asking spectators not to swear as “we may not be in WSL1 or WSL2 but we still have the same regulations”. He announced the goal times down to not just the minute, but the second. Giving updates on the Women’s League Cup Final, he wasn’t quite impartial, greeting Chelsea’s second goal with a chant of Aggie Beever-Jones’ song. Neil made several references to Dave - “my good mate Dave Tweedy” during the game, and at the start of the second half he gave me a shout-out, announcing that I travel from near Portsmouth for games and calling me “number one superfan”. For the substitutions Dave and I helped him out with the names of players going on and off.
Sitting just in front of Dave and me were the parents of St Albans player Emily Reynolds. We all got on as well as opponents do, joined by that bond that is the wider women’s football family. At half time Emily came over and presented her mother with a St Albans City bobble hat - a gesture that Neil gleefully relayed to the crowd, describing it as “a lovely little gift for Mother’s Day”.
Atlético won 3-0. Brooke put us in front in the first half. On the hour mark Poppy made it two with a lovely long-distance volley and then in the dying minutes a cross from Nicole was headed home at close range by the lovely Jo.
Neil asked our little group to choose Lady of the Match from each side. Of course I chose Jo for Atleti - no-one disputed it - and we were unanimous in picking Emily for St Albans.
I congratulated the players as they came down the tunnel. Jo gave me a double high five. I really love being part of this little family.
Got back to Waterloo with an hour till the next Fareham train. Chicken Royale at Burger King and a leisurely coffee in Starbucks.
Dave, Gary, and Neil from Southend were in the bar. A Kopparberg and a chat with them, then went outside to check in with the girls. Back to the bar for a refill and to read the Non-League Paper.
Neil was on PA duty and kept us entertained all afternoon with his eccentric style of announcements. He set the tone before the match asking spectators not to swear as “we may not be in WSL1 or WSL2 but we still have the same regulations”. He announced the goal times down to not just the minute, but the second. Giving updates on the Women’s League Cup Final, he wasn’t quite impartial, greeting Chelsea’s second goal with a chant of Aggie Beever-Jones’ song. Neil made several references to Dave - “my good mate Dave Tweedy” during the game, and at the start of the second half he gave me a shout-out, announcing that I travel from near Portsmouth for games and calling me “number one superfan”. For the substitutions Dave and I helped him out with the names of players going on and off.
Sitting just in front of Dave and me were the parents of St Albans player Emily Reynolds. We all got on as well as opponents do, joined by that bond that is the wider women’s football family. At half time Emily came over and presented her mother with a St Albans City bobble hat - a gesture that Neil gleefully relayed to the crowd, describing it as “a lovely little gift for Mother’s Day”.
Atlético won 3-0. Brooke put us in front in the first half. On the hour mark Poppy made it two with a lovely long-distance volley and then in the dying minutes a cross from Nicole was headed home at close range by the lovely Jo.
Neil asked our little group to choose Lady of the Match from each side. Of course I chose Jo for Atleti - no-one disputed it - and we were unanimous in picking Emily for St Albans.
I congratulated the players as they came down the tunnel. Jo gave me a double high five. I really love being part of this little family.
Got back to Waterloo with an hour till the next Fareham train. Chicken Royale at Burger King and a leisurely coffee in Starbucks.
