Jun 29
I had one eye on the League Two Play-Off final tonight. Northampton Town who looked dead and buried after the first leg of their semi, shoved Exeter City’s feeble challenge aside to win 4-0.
Congratulations to the Cobblers and their fans tonight, who I’m sure are running around their gardens popping champagne corks, but my, what a real shame they could not be at Wembley to witness their team’s famous victory.
We’re on the way, we’re on the way….
Yesterday morning I woke bruised and weary. With a slight headache and a sense of bewilderment, but the red blood in my veins flowed like a gentle river.
Last night was another night of sweet dreams. I flew back to Bermuda yesterday and am back in the office today, and nothing, not nothing will take this massive smile off my face.
You’ll never going to believe us, but the reds are going up. Allez, Allez, Allez.
Well, what a journey that was. What a day. What a team, what heroes Lee Bowyer and Johnnie Jackson are. Yesterday will be a day Addicks, team and supporters as one, will remember for the rest of their lives.
The finer details of the game are a little blurry. It was game that flipped from scrappy to nervy to a finely balanced battle. It’s interesting that reports of the game seemed to think we were deserving winners. I wasn’t so sure from where I sat, but Sunderland are a very functional side, hard to beat, but lacking flair. Meanwhile Bowyer has put together a team that can change a game, be the more adventurous, can play around sides. The first goal, which was pure poetry, a great example.
Well, well. It’s finally Friday, and here it’s Bermuda Day so I get to think about Sunday all day long today as it’s a holiday and I have the day off!
Friday was raw emotion, for every minute I hated it through the game, I treasured the videos, photos and stories from Addicks after. The excitement has built this week, and although I am shielded from most of the media here, I’ve also purposely tried hard to not get too wrapped up in it. Fortunately work has been a bastard.
How we all doing?
My heart rate is a bit more normal, and I’ve spent a large chunk of the day trying to sort out tickets. Although I have dipped back into video clips of Friday. It’s like heroin. And there’s been a fair bit of singing. Just me, on my own, but my voice is a lot better.
Much thanks to various friends for the help with tickets and advice. I’ve spent a lot of the day on the CAFC tickets website, which is pretty easy to navigate, although better I’d think on a computer than an iPad.
Phew, that was a close call. My commiserations to both Crystal Palace and Millwall, but just as a reminder only one club from south east London has ever won the FA Cup.
Palace were pretty soporific against Watford, who were deserved winners. Can’t say the same about Millwall, who were deservedly two goals ahead against a pedestrian Brighton with just 2 minutes left. I’d never bet against them in the big games, yet somehow a few minutes later the south-coasters were level after ex-Addicks trialist David Martin watched a floating free-kick go over his head and into the net.
When ever-reliable Glenn Murray missed the first spot kick, we thought the worst, but Millwall missed as well and Jake Cooper skied the final kick into South Bermondsey. We’ve not had much to laugh about recently, but I made up for it.
Growing up in Catford, Bromley FC was just about my nearest non-League football club, and I would often spend some idle Saturday afternoon’s or Tuesday evenings’s at Hayes Lane with mates.
In those days they knocked around the Isthmian Leagues but for the last few years have been playing at National League level and today were joined by 17,000 fans (photo) at Wembley to watch them play Brackley Town in the FA Trophy Final.
It was all going swimmingly for Bromley leading their National League North rivals 1-0 with injury time minutes ticking when on loan Addick Brandon Hanlan missed a great chance. I was following online and thought we’ve seen this before and sure enough that polite human Roger Johnson deflected into his own net, which was probably the fans fault, in the 94th minute to salvage an equalizer for Brackley and take the game into extra time.
Chicago Addick 