I haven’t been to a football game in ages. When I discovered a team and pitch in Tyresö, I figured I could pop out on a Saturday morning and enjoy some Swedish football but, because of plague restrictions, there wasn’t an audience. And for much of the season there wasn’t even any games.
When there were games, I followed various Swedish teams on my phone with alerts coming in reporting on the three big Stockholm teams. But that’s hardly the same as going to and watching a game live.
Last week Nicktor suggested that we should go and watch one of the various Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary round matches between the lower league teams. He let me choose and I chose Badshot Lea v East Preston.
(It’s odd how the Badshot Lea team is affectionately called The Baggies when they should, of course, be called The Baddies.)
But first, we met up for lunch.
Poor Nicktor has been diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, which means he has to find special beer. He wasn’t very lucky with that today. He told me that he’s acquiring a taste for cider. As I said, poor Nicktor.
Regardless of his gluten issue, it was lovely seeing Nicktor after so long. We had so much to talk and laugh about. It was a most enjoyable lunch. And, I have to say, the Six Bells pub is so much better than it used to be.
Last year we had dinner at the Six Bells and it marked the first time we’d been back for ages. Before then, we’d gone a few times before games and it had just disappointed. New owners and a huge renovation and now, it’s a lovely community pub.
Eventually, we climbed into Nicktor’s new car (he bought it yesterday) and headed for Wrecclesham where the Baggies play.
At various times during our time together today, whenever I suggested getting together with our respective other halves, Nicktor would ask if dogs were allowed at the venue. This is because of Hector, their puppy. Sometimes I knew, sometimes I didn’t, but I did mention that he could have brought Hector to the football.
The puppy above was quite a hit with a fair few fans around the ground. I assume the owner didn’t want to leave her home alone. Or the owner just thought she would enjoy the football. Whatever the reason, it was excellent to see. It gave the whole game a family feel which I thought was excellent. It’s what football should be.
I quite enjoy being a neutral. It’s always a lot more fun watching a game with no real interest in who wins. It’s also fun listening to fans from both sides cheering, crying or screaming abuse at the match officials.
As for the game, the Baggies dominated the play with some excellent passing. They would have won easily if it hadn’t been for the East Preston goalie who made himself massive in the goalmouth.
There was a bit of nonsense in the first half which, I thought the referee kept from boiling over by talking to a few players and calming frayed tempers. There was also a disruption close to the end of the game where, we think, some racist comments were flung from the crowd at one of the East Preston players who responded and subsequently was shown a second yellow card and sent off. Sadly, this means he’ll miss the next round.
There was the usual amount of yelling and yahooing both on and off the pitch but, from where we were sitting on the halfway line, most of the chat came from the linesman. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much talk from a linesman before.
We didn’t hear the racist comments but there was a lot of speculative chat about it from the fans sitting around us. It was a sad end to what had been an exciting game.
Ignoring the ignorant, it was lovely going to a new (for me) ground and, of course, it was marvellous spending a few hours with Nicktor.
And the score? It ended 3-3 which means a return game at the East Preston ground, The Lashmar in East Sussex. Also, for a neutral, six goals is an excellent day out.
