The ridiculous minnow team that I casually support, York City, are unbelievably playing Wembley Stadium twice in the next 8 days. Today was the final of the FA Trophy, and a week on Sunday comes a game of enormous importance, the Conference play-off final. If York won today they'd get a big trophy, which would be marvelous: if they win in the second game they will be going up to play in the football league proper. First we have to beat Luton, a team we have some history and rivalry with.
It's an exciting time to be a York City supporter, which isn't something you can say very often as a York City supporter.
Today the opponents were the mighty Newport County, who you may not be aware had a football team. But they have. And it is a mighty one. Finishing an impressive two places away from relegation in the Conference Premier (but they had beaten and drawn with York in the two games this season). This was their first visit to Wembley and the BBC were reporting on
A 95 year old fan who would be seeing his team today after supporting them for nine decades. I hoped that York City could break this old man's heart.
I haven't waited so long to see York at Wembley. I saw them
lose in the final of this same trophy in 2009 and they lost again against Oxford in a play-off final a couple of years ago. I think my three year wait to see them win at Wembley was just as newsworthy as this Welsh 95 year old.
I went to the game today with my York City supporting friend Toby. Both of us agreed that this game was not as important as the one next week and that we could enjoy it whatever happened. Both sets of supporters seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere and the achievement. Even if it cost nearly ten pounds to buy two bottles of Carlsberg. You'd think with Carlsberg sponsoring the tournament that the beer might have been cheap, but this sip for sip maybe the most expensive beer I have ever drunk and I have bought drinks in Scandanavia! I hated to think how many Yorkshireman had got hot around the collar as they were told the price for their drink.
We had great seats to the right behind the goal that York would be attacking in the second half, just above the entrance to the terrace so there was no one in front of us. The sun was shining in our faces to further bamboozle the pale-skinned men who had made the trip down from the cold, dark north.
It was 0-0 at half time and Newport had had the best chance, but in the second half York started playing well and scored two fine goals and we were home and dry. I didn't quite know how to feel. I am so used to supporting a team that never wins anything, I had no mental preparation for how to act now they seemed certain to do so. I've followed them for 30 years and they had a couple of successes (they were the first team to score over 100 points in the league in a season, in 1983-4 - God was it really that long ago?). I was happy enough about all of this and delighted that we get this important boost before the more important game, but maybe with the ghost of a massive disappointment potentially on the horizon I couldn't enjoy this win so much. It was only the thought of that 95 year old man facing another 90 year wait for success that gave me any real pleasure.
I did actually feel sorry for the Newport fans - I had been waiting at the station for some time before the game and saw the geeks and freaks coming through from both sides and the Newport lot were the more likeable I thought, lots of them in silly costumes, with a real sense of fun. But it was close. York had their fair share of eccentrics too.
But if York beat Luton I will have no such sympathy. And Luton fans will reciprocate those feelings. That's going to be the big one. The only positive thing is that whatever happens we won't be playing the Luton scum next season.
I tweeted lightly about the game and was delighted that someone tweeted to tell me that they were unfollowing because I was boring. He'd seen maybe ten tweets in 90 minutes, but that was that. Presumably he hasn't been paying attention when I've been playing myself at snooker or commentating on QPR games based only on the sound from the stadium. Jesus, I am not a man who tweets much about football and this was a rare opportunity to celebrate. It made me laugh that someone could be that pissed off and that they felt the need to tell me. I love that sense of Twitter entitlement. How dare I tweet something that interests me but that bored that one man for 90 minutes?
Can York City keep on winning? Let's hope so. But two Wembley appearances in a little over a week is an amazing achievement for any club.
The only thing I didn't understand is why there were men outside the ground selling flags that were half York City and half Newport County. It's like a Alan Parker Urban Warrior joke or something that a really thick contestant on the Apprentice would come up with. He seemed to have a lot left at the end. Perhaps with the good natured crowd there may have been a few takers, but I'd advise the men who manufacture those scarves not to do the same with the Luton and York game. No one will buy that. Not one person.
