BFC 3-1 Millwall (League 1 play-off final), Sunday 29th May 2016

'You can never have too much of a good thing'

Welcome to our new home.

Can I start with a disclaimer?  Whatever I write cannot do justice to this match, or our season. You had to be there.

And so it came to pass that the most memorable season since forever is finally over, 2 days off June. What began with high hopes and middled with desperation and abject misery has ended with the highest of highs, victorious at Wembley for promotion to the giddy stratosphere of the Championship. Goodbye Shrewsbury, Fleetwood, Oldham and other legendary Londontykes' away days this season, hello Wolverhampton, Brum and Dirty L**ds.  Joy.  Oh well, at least we won't have to face going to the Ricoh.

The meeting of the greats...Irn-Bru and Spongebob Squarepants (WTF?)

I don't think there's anything new to say about our rollercoaster season.  The whole land knows it.  Or should do. Beaten by non-league Altrincham in November, coupled with an 8 game losing league run.  And I wouldn't even mind but we finally hit literal rock bottom with THAT draw at home to the Blunts - yet Conor Hourihane's last minute equaliser proved to be the beginning, not the end.  And since signing the unknown Adam Hammill (!) it has been a non-stop party, both on the pitch and in the stands.  It has been, quite simply, the most unbelievable season I have ever known.  The sheer relentless winningness of the last 6 months.  (Of the last 10 games I've seen away from Oakwell, we've won 8 and drawn 2.)  The sheer, relentless losingness of the first 4 months.

In years to come, we'll remember this line up.

So, how apt that it should all end as it did - playing Mi'wa' off the park at Wembley to secure the final promotion place.  And, despite finishing 6th, who is to say we don't deserve it?  For the last half a year we have been the best team in the division.  This was the way to get promotion; how else would the Londontyke diaspora meet up in the same pub and sit together at the match and share the joy? From far and wide they came; Vienna, Bergen, Adelaide...Calgary.  Bl**dy hell.  Me?  I came from Peckham, so close to The Den that, when the wind is right, I can hear them from my garden (true).  I think there was a fan from Brazil there too, ginger bloke...well, he never put his Brazil flag down all night, from what I remember!

Londontykes celebrate in Mabels.

I think we're all agreed these two matches at Wembley (two!) have been about celebrating with friends and family at the 'home of football'.  None of this sending a text to someone with the result, or seeing them in the pub later, or never.  No, they were HERE, sharing the experience with the rest of us.  Thank god we won?  It was NEVER IN DOUBT.

Those Barnsley hordes

And we really did play them off the park.  Even the local 'Southwark News' says we deservedly won; in synopsis: 'They were better than us.'  To take the lead within 2 minutes was a dream come true. Lucky this wasn't Oakwell, or else I'd have almost certainly missed it.  Memory says Winnall won a flick on before Fletcher drove past 2 challenges to bury it into the far corner.  TV pictures say Winnall had no-one near him (the local rag did point out that their late injury was the bloke whose job it would have been to win that header).  Who cares!?  1-0.

Roberts drills one in.

After 19 minutes it was two and it looked like it could be a hammering.  The Mi'wa' defence ignore manager Harris's warnings about not letting Hammill cut inside and shoot...only to let Hammill cut inside and shoot.  But what can you do when he's, like, MILES better than you?  Easier said than done.  And once he's beaten 2 players he still only has to curl it into the top corner from 25 yards.  If he goes - what a way to sign off.  I love you Adam.

20 or so mins in, game over.

It was never going to be all Barnsley though was it?  And we have a slight wobble before half time, letting them pull one back.  Considering Beevors is Barnsley born and bred and used to be a season ticket holder, I make this 3-0 to Barnsley.  He rolls Roberts superbly in the scramble after a corner and sticks it in with his left.  Top striking.  Given we still win, I may even forgive Scowen for conceding the corner in the 1st place.

Wembley panorama

Half time comes and goes and so does a fair portion of the 2nd half with only one team looking like they'll score: us.  But that can't get in the way of a toilet break with Pompey (ooh-err) and as we re-enter (ooh-err), it's to see a cross come in and a Barnsley player flick the ball into the net.  GET THE F*** IN!!!!!!!!!  WE ARE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Everyone bounces around hugging their nearest and dearest.  Or, in Pompey's case, me. (Stuart, however, passed us on his way out and missed the goal. Unlucky.)  Turns out to be Little Lloyd Isgrove, tiniest bloke this side of Little Lee (cnut) heading home from 4 yards. WHAT IS GOING ON???????

The lower tier light up a fat one in celebration.

Now all we have to do is sit back, let them commit too many men and hit them on the break.  Davies makes a couple of saves, but every time we look up it's 2 on 2, 3 v 3...and from one of these Marley Watkins is fouled, but no pen.  The ref must think Winnall's still on.  (Sorry, couldn't resist). Seriously, I was pleased for Marley; he was there during the s***, played a massive part in the recovery (and in particular, SSW's return to goalscoring form) and missed the Oxford game through injury.  A fitting end, seeing him out there sharing the glory.

Hammill leaves another Mi'wa' on his ar5e.

Oh, I nearly forgot.  That 3rd goal also enlivened a some Mi'wa' in the upper tier, trying to break through a line of stewards to attack what few Reds were up there.  I heard it described as 'shocking'...but how shocked was anybody to see this happen?  I for one think it was one of the reasons we didn't bring so many this time, compared to our last visit to Wembley, ooohhh...6 weeks ago.  Did I already mention we've already been to Wembley this season?

A couple come to blows (look carefully!)

And, after celebrating inside the stadium, it was back to where our day had started, 7 hours earlier...Mabels Tavern.  And where it wouldn't end till closing (again).  And where Hicksy got his money out for champers, having won £400 on today's result.  Who says betting with your heart doesn't work?  Lloyd Isgrove had to score ONE DAY...didn't he?

*** Obvs, they were all heroes.  Hourihane:  Great passing all day long, as well as the odd tackle.  Excellent deliveries from deadballs, including 2 daisycutters from corners which Super Sammy Winnall buried...into the stands.

** Hammill.  Cos he's class.  The goal of the season was the icing on the cake for a superb seasonal turnaround sparked by him.  I love you, Adam.

* Isgrove.  Finally, finally, all his running about got the goal his performances have deserved.  Good on you Lloyd - and good luck (if you don't remain on our bandwagon).

Londontykes MOTM: *** Hourihane   ** Hammill   * Isgrove

See you next season - same time, same place.  Anyone for Mabels pre-match?

YOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU REDDDDDDDDDSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Damage:
£62 ent (plus another £62 for my other half, and £31 for a pensioner, but anyway...)
£6 programme

Full time.  You Reds!

Bob's head's lost weight...

A former rock star, at the match incognito.

The scourge of the 21st century.  (Selfies, not SSW)

Cometh the occasion...I love you Adam!!!!!!!

Pyrotechnics for division 3's 6th best team

Super Sammy Winnall celebrates.

And again.  Give someone else a turn, Sam.

Contrasting emotions at full time.

Conor lifts the cup!

The celebrations continue.

Pre-match line ups.

The Ponty, at Wembley.

See you next season?

The Millwall end.  Good turnout, considering how far they've come...

Junior Waddington into the spirit

Peter Beagrie and the Sky crew.

Reds' flags behind the goal.

Do I love you?  Indeed I do.

Toby meets and greets pre-match.

That Brazilian bloke, with interloper.

BFC 3-2 Oxford United, Sunday 3rd April 2016 (JPT Final)

‘It was like going from Athersley to Arsenal’

Barnsley 3-2 Oxford United, Johnstones Paint Trophy Final, att. 59,230

Welcome to Wembley!

What a glorious time to be a Reds fan.  A fabulous day, spent with some of the people I love the most, watching the Super Reds win their 1^st national trophy since 1912 (or 1955, depending on your standpoint) in a thrilling game.  Londontykes past and present, converged on The Smoke from far and wide, (Vienna, Devon, Darfield) and sat together to see one of our greatest days.  Thanks Mr W for sorting the tickets and seating plan.  It will be a day to never forget.  Till the Alzheimers kicks in.

Reds and yellows on Wembley Way.

For the Coal Hole contingent, it was a promising start.  I expected 3 or 4 waifs and strays to be having a beer in an empty central London pub.  Instead, there were 30 to 40 Londontykes and hangers on.  And a bloke who;d come in to read his newspaper who spent a good 10 mins ranting about the Tories.  I don't remember anyone disagreeing with him. Salisbury had printed out the vouchers for a reduction on the Nicholsons’ breakfast (how very Yorkshire!), which was much needed after my previous late nite (in a ‘garage club’ in Camden; the epitomy of awfulness – the club that is).

What are we doing in Club Wembley?  Whatthehell IS 'Club Wembley'?

So after a couple of false starts, a dozen of us set off.  A call came in on my phone….’Where are you?’  ‘I’ve just left the pub’  ‘Well, I’m at Wembley. You could have told me….’  Oh yes.  My other half had escorted a couple of pensioners wishing to avoid the pub and was now a bit p***ed off I hadn’t got to the Green Man early.  THAT’S what happens when you wait for others.  Luckily, it then took over 10 minutes for Phil to buy a tube ticket at the station.  Do these people not own Oystercards?  Or credit cards wot work.  Christ.  At least everyone else was irritated by now.  Of course, by Baker Street, the weak bladders amongst us were close to bursting.  Another hold up.  F*** em. I had people to meet, so off I went, passing an escalator full of chanting Oxford fans.  The Met Line was much quieter.  Indeed, it was half empty.  I thought there was a game on?

The teams are paraded.

One advantage of getting there early was I could put the flag up.  Least, I could till an over officious steward (Wembley seemed to have a few of them on Sunday) came over and (nicely) told me I couldn’t put it there – at the front, hanging off a bar which was made for it.  Apparently it would block the sponsors (John Stones) name out.  Thing is, ‘Johnstones Paint’ was emblazoned all the way around that tier and I’d have thought the BEST chance they’d have of the media taking any notice of it would be for the odd banner to be hung off it.  I guess this is why I don’t work in advertising.
The other Londontykes filtered in.  As already mentioned, Wadd had done a sterling job in sorting out seats; all the kids in the front row.  Save for Tim’s two of course, cos he’d kicked them out for himself.  But I enjoyed having folk to chirp at on all 4 sides, front, back, left, right.  And Slacki (see later).  Game on!

The full panorama.

Sadly, no-one told BFC.  For most of the 1^st half we appeared to freeze.  Balls were easily intercepted, midfielders couldn’t get on the ball, Isgove kept dribbling it to them and the fullbacks (especially White) resolutely failed to stop the crosses coming in.  Thus it was no surprise when Oxford took the lead from one of these, a right wing cross seeing O’Dowda (?) climb all over Williams at the back post to put the ball across Davies.  Oxford should probably have gone for the jugular but at half time I remained optimistic; though not as optimistic as Tim, who allegedly stuck £700 on us to win and came out £4k richer.  Perhaps, like me, he thought we couldn’t possibly play as badly in the 2^nd half and, for all our ineptitude, we’d still fashioned a couple of half chances.  Winnall overestimated his ability and curled one high and wide with the outside of his boot, Hamill had a 25 yard half volley tipped over, while Fletcher stayed on his feet when he could have gone to ground under pressure from the keeper.  Still, it was Oxford’s half.

Don't panic.  Repeat, don't panic.

What a difference a half time team talk makes.  I’d been telling the father-in-law who our best player was (is) and he couldn’t understand why we weren’t passing him the ball.  All this changed, with Hamill ‘on it’ from the start.  Having won an earlier corner, he whipped in a beauty of an inswinger which was met by Winnall for the equaliser.  Cue delirium, and Slacki asking where his money is.  Double delirium a few minutes later as the scoreboard announced it was an OG.  Winnall will NEVER get to 20 this season, a fact I reminded Slacki of with pleasure.

'Winnall 52' arf arf.

The tide had turned.  All the action was in their half as we pressed high and another cross from Hamill created carnage, as Fletcher missed it, Toney shot, and the rebound fell to Fletch to hammer it home, off the keeper’s hand and defender.  From nowhere we were in the lead.  Oxford looked shellshocked.  However, not so shellshocked that they didn’t nearly go and score, Davies making a match winning instinctive save as their player broke through.  Our name really was on the cup/trophy (what’s the difference?)

The Barnsley End.

Then the icing on the cake.  Hamill picks the ball up on the halfway line and strides forward.  He shimmies one way, then another, drops a left, goes right…and curls the ball into the far corner from 20 yards.  The goal of the season.  We have won!  There is no coming back for Oxford now.  Hicksy goes down the row kissing everyone he meets on the lips.  Oxford score.  Oh bolloc*s.
Yes, White fails to cut out another cross and the outswinging ball is met with a full on header into the top corner.  A great goal – if it was ours.  There were still 15 minutes left, but we saw it out relatively scare-free.  They were so desperate they even brought on ex-Reds loanee carthorse George Waring.  ‘Well, he’s never gonna score’ I shouted.  ‘It’s the first time I’ve ever wanted you to be right’ said his #1 fan Loko.

Match action.

If anyone was going to score it was us, as Hammill had one blocked near the line and sub Chapman dribbled in from the left and forced a save (and a mouthful from a better-placed Hammill).  Oh well, who cares?  WE’VE JUST WON AT WEMBLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Now for the play-offs.  Same seats again, Paul.
*** Hamill.  With every week that passes we love him more – and hopefully it’s reciprocal.  Beats players, sets up chances, scores.  If he can only get us promotion, maybe he’ll stay (please).
** Roberts.  Someone has to head the ball away if the fullbacks can’t defend.
*Davies.  THAT save, plus a couple more, as well as decent kicking and handling.
Londontykes MOTM:
*** Hamill
** Roberts
* Hourihane

'GET IN!'

Drink du jour:  lager, lager, lager.  Actually, I don’t remember drinking anything else.  Though I did miss 3 hours of drinking in Mabels Tavern by taking the oldies for dinner.  There were a lot of casualties by the time I arrived back, none more so than Hicksy who, under instruction to go and get some food, hopped on to a train back to Wembley to a hotel whose name he didn’t know, who didn’t answer their phone and he didn’t know where it was.  THAT’S how little he wanted to stay at my house.  And good to see Reds legend Brian Howard come for beers, as well as adorning his flat cap at Wembley.  Sunday nite of course means reduced licensing hours. No probs:  onto the Radisson (where Salisbury was staying) and £40 a round (4 drinks).  Nobody cared.  Did I mention WE’VE JUST WON AT WEMBLEY!!!!!!!!!!    As for the Reds fan in the hotel bar who ordered a round while his trousers were round his ankles…I presume he knows these places have CCTV?
YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU REDDDDDZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Damage:
£48 ent
£5 prog (x2)
£10 scarf

Celebratory fleurs de lys

hugs are drugs..and I'm addicted.

We've done it!  We've won the lower division trophy!

When will these people stop grinning?

The flag makes an appearance

Beer makes this Norweigan look younger.

Mr M snr.  This is his winning face!

This chap hasn't had many...

Charming...

'I don't know why I don't come to football more often'

Eric Morecambe with his pub haul of left items

I was there.

Wembley Arch

The Oxford End.  Where've they all gone?

Barnsley FC - 'Bringing colour to the beautiful game'.

Trophy-winning panorama

Goodbye!

The last men standing sitting.