What is this, you may ask if you are not a football fan or think football is an American game.
Let me tell you this, football is the original game invented in the UK and the F A Cup final is the most prestigious event of the season and (nearly) always the last game of that season.
Whether it was premonition or just good luck but we had planned a visit to Flic & Gary around that time being the first we both were available after our lengthy cruise earlier in the year.
As it happens they were still living in Early as their long and protracted house move had not been finalised so more nights in our favourite hotel in the area, Crowne Plaza, Reading.
We also visited our house in Clearwell which we have decided to put on the market for sale so had appointments with Estate Agents.
The night before the F A Cup final, we managed a night’s entertainment at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre listening to Lipstick on Your Collar, a 50s/60s show group ( http://www.lipstickonyourcollar.co.uk/ ) who performed at Flic & Gary’s wedding.
They are well worth seeing if you can – fabulous entertainment.
I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the F A Cup final although had little hope of seeing my team, Watford, win against probably the best team in the Country at the moment, Manchester City, but off I went, catching the train from nearby High Wycombe to Wembley Stadium on the Chiltern Line.
Polite banter on the train and no trouble with a short walk to the stadium itself which I hadn’t been to since it was rebuilt a few years back.
A coffee was my liquid of choice pre match whilst I viewed the other supporters milling around both in the bar / café area and the concourse outside.
Taking seats, the atmosphere was building in the colourful stadium with Watford’s Red and Yellow contrasting with Manchester City’s light blue and white and soon we were into the traditional song – Abide with me – and the match itself.
I don’t think I should dwell on the football itself, as a 0-6 drubbing was not really the score I wanted but the atmosphere was just something else with flag waving by, predominantly the Watford, fans in the latter stages of the match somewhat distracted from the football.
Oh well, better luck next year and at least we got to the final.
The UK visit also took in Cody’s birthday joint with a friend of the same age at the Reading Rugby Club where he appears to be starting with girlfriends early!
Now we have to get back home before the ferries get clogged up with bikes for the Annual Motorcycling that is the World famous TT.
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