...and I should feel ashamed of myself.
Today, Cambridge United, a club whose home games I could easily walk to, play Gateshead in the Conference playoff final and I'm going.
I know next to nothing about my now local team, even though I went to maybe 5 home games about 10 years ago, when last I lived in Cambridge. I know the name and location of their home ground, the fact that they finished 2nd in the Conference and won the playoff semi (though against whom and by what score eludes me), their home strip colours, and the name of only one of their players. That's it.
I'll be honest; I fancied a trip to Wembley and thought "why not?". There's not much more to the decision than that. I bought the ticket (£39) and booked myself a seat on a fans' coach (£15), both on Friday afternoon.
I shall cheer on the team and will be pleased if they win. But I won't really care if they lose. It's just a (pretty poor) excuse to enjoy a day out, watching some footie at Wembley, with precisely none of the angst that comes with actually supporting one of the teams in any meaningful way. I am really looking forward to it.
I do feel sorry for the fan who will be sitting next to me on the coach down. No doubt, s/he'll know a great deal about the club, its history, the likely team and their chances of winning today. They may well be looking forward to chatting about all things Cambridge United to their travelling companion. Imagine how disappointed they will be when they find they're sitting next to me.
I apologise in advance to you, gentle U's fan. But what can I say? You lucked out and got to sit next to a bloody plastic, JCL glory hunter. It happens to us all. Suck it up.
C'mon you U's (or whatever they sing)!
Today, Cambridge United, a club whose home games I could easily walk to, play Gateshead in the Conference playoff final and I'm going.
I know next to nothing about my now local team, even though I went to maybe 5 home games about 10 years ago, when last I lived in Cambridge. I know the name and location of their home ground, the fact that they finished 2nd in the Conference and won the playoff semi (though against whom and by what score eludes me), their home strip colours, and the name of only one of their players. That's it.
I'll be honest; I fancied a trip to Wembley and thought "why not?". There's not much more to the decision than that. I bought the ticket (£39) and booked myself a seat on a fans' coach (£15), both on Friday afternoon.
I shall cheer on the team and will be pleased if they win. But I won't really care if they lose. It's just a (pretty poor) excuse to enjoy a day out, watching some footie at Wembley, with precisely none of the angst that comes with actually supporting one of the teams in any meaningful way. I am really looking forward to it.
I do feel sorry for the fan who will be sitting next to me on the coach down. No doubt, s/he'll know a great deal about the club, its history, the likely team and their chances of winning today. They may well be looking forward to chatting about all things Cambridge United to their travelling companion. Imagine how disappointed they will be when they find they're sitting next to me.
I apologise in advance to you, gentle U's fan. But what can I say? You lucked out and got to sit next to a bloody plastic, JCL glory hunter. It happens to us all. Suck it up.
C'mon you U's (or whatever they sing)!
