hart's shirt
Well-known member
It's so good, it's worth a cut and paste. Despite being written over 4 years ago, the last paragraph is so apt now.
"I was due to be at the wedding of my then girlfriend's (now my wife) best friend in the arse end of Wales on the day Grimsby were due to travel to Burton Albion in a game which would decide if our 100 year league status would come to an end. The date, 8th May 2010, hadn't meant anything to me when we were originally invited about 8 months earlier, but as the day approached I realised that it had huge significance.
I tried every trick in the book; asking nicely, begging, bribary, arguing - all to no avail. She was having absolutely none of it. This day had been planned for months, and no way was I going to leave her on her own at her best mate's wedding in some obscure Welsh village.
And so we traveled to Pembrokeshire on the Friday night; she sat beside me in the car looking smug that she'd won the argument. We got to the B&B, had something to eat and went to bed, ready to attend the wedding in the morning. Almost.
I got up early at about 7:00am, and mentioned to my half-asleep girlfriend that I was just nipping out in the car to get a paper as I couldn't sleep. I promptly returned at about 11:00pm, some fourteen hours later, making a sheepish appearance at the night do, having watched Town get relegated from the football league in Burton-on-Trent sandwiched in between a 5 hour drive either side (slightly longer on the way back in fact, due to a shock-induced detour via Watford Gap).
That weekend I managed to witness my football team get relegated out of the football league, spend the best part of £200 on petrol, almost end a long-term relationship with my now wife and signed myself up for weeks-upon-weeks of shít at the hands of my missus. Seriously, the severity of the shit was in when I got back ranks as one of the least enjoyable moments of my life. Do I regret any of it? Not a jot - but I don't think I'd ever have got over not being at possibly the most significant match in my club's history. My missus got over it, yours will too.
Clubs like Brighton don't get promoted to the top flight of English football very often. If it comes down to it, get yourself there at all costs. You'll regret it forever if you don't."
