Watching Woking

Freya started her second season today which I guess means she’s normal. Emma is still to have one as far as we can tell. Apparently there’s seasons that no-one is aware of and I suppose she could have had any number of those. She doesn’t seem at all bothered but when I take them to the vet next I’m going to have to check that she’s okay.

Having ascertained that Freya now needs to be sequestered for a while, Mirinda draped towels everywhere then Skyped Bob (who’s still in Queensland) and Fi while I went to the football with Nicktor.

Generic ticket

On Boxing Day, Aldershot beat Woking 4-0 and this was the New Years Day return match. It’s the first time I’ve been to the Woking ground (although I’ve visited the snooker hall next door a few times with Stevie a fair few years ago) and Nicktor was happy to tick it off my slowly growing list of grounds visited with the Shots (it’s 9 or 10).

Main grandstand before kick off – it did fill up

The weather wasn’t looking too good and most fans were rugged up in coats and scarfs. It was a bit chilly with a good chance of rain. Well, the ‘good chance’ turned into horizontal teeming freezing little splinters of water which had absolutely no respect for waterproof clothing. Everyone at the ground standing on the terrace with us, was drenched for most of the game. And shivering. But we weren’t miserable.

It was a hard fought game with both sides giving it a good show. The first half was scoreless which we slightly dominated. Then in the second half, we scored.

Last year at the same game, when Aldershot scored, a whole bunch of crazy fans ran down to the corner closest to the goal and broke the fence and barriers. This year the same thing happened. It was mental. I’ve never seen the like.

There were people skidding and flying everywhere; security staff and police trying to control the uncontrollable. It wasn’t violent just manic. Here is a photo that was Tweeted by the official photographer.

Things were rosy for a very short time. About three minutes later, Woking scored bringing it back to evens. And so it continued for most of the game. It seemed that both teams were happy with the draw, just wanting to get warm and dry but then one of the Woking players put on a burst and shot up the line, heading for goal. It looked like it was all over but he was tackled and the ball came back down on the toes of Anthony Straker.

Straker is having a good season and his hunger for victory is apparent in every game I’ve seen. He passed the ball inside, there was a scramble in the goal mouth and somehow Jake Gallagher scored. Bodies were everywhere. A linesman put his flag up. The Woking players crowded the ref complaining. None of this stopped the Aldershot lunatics from charging the corner again.

The goal stood and the final whistle blew. Jake Gallagher and Garry Waddock both came over to our side of the pitch and thanked us for coming, shaking hands, hugging and smiling. That’s real football. (Let’s see the over-payed Premiership players come over and thank the fans for coming. Like that would ever happen.)

We sploshed back to the car a buoyant and jubilant crowd of fans.

After a pint at the Albion, Nicktor dropped me off and headed home. We both needed showers and warming up. But it was a good day.