‘It’s raining and it’s very cold,’ came the message from Tesco Pete. It was followed by another: ‘There’s still no sign of the Greetland Shaymen.’ It was shortly after 5:30am; it was still dark. Suddenly, I remembered that the rendezvous time for Pete was 05:45, not 05:30 as I had told him the night before. It was an honest mistake. Obviously, there was no point in telling him to step inside his mansion for ten minutes and wait there. His lift would arrive soon enough as the rain continued…
With at least four hours’ driving ahead of us, and a tight timescale due to a ridiculously early kick-off, our breakfast plans were in turmoil. Our usual Northamptonshire breakfast stop would not be open by the time we were due to pass, and any other stop would risk a traffic delay. In the end, I unilaterally decided it was best to drive the 235 miles non-stop and visit a similar gaff close to the ground, as the usual suspects sat with crossed legs.
There was an eerie silence as we entered the breakfast spot; there were no other customers anywhere. With only one visible member of staff, we were soon directed to an isolated table. Within seconds of sitting down, she was back, ultra-efficiently asking us for our order. We received our first admonishment by daring to double-check that she had got our order correct. The polite veneer we had first experienced had already started to slip…
Breakfast turned out to be a minor battle. Every time the Greetland Shayman asked for a top-up of his coffee, the more we felt unwelcome. We tried to lighten the mood by asking about Aldershot football. ‘I don’t know why you want to go there,’ was her one-line, curt response. In the end, Pete ordered another pot of tea, not to drink, but only to get a reaction. He called it ‘Breakfast with a snarl’. The food was decent, but we don’t dare return there again…
Aldershot’s Recreation Ground is one of our favourite places to visit. It’s a good old-fashioned place with loads of character, decent fans, and you’re treated with respect. With soft segregation, we were welcome to wander anywhere around the ground but watched the game from the usual block of seats in the away end. Pete took advantage by locating the food van with a large bucket of chips. Well, it had been as long as 20 minutes since breakfast…
With an early kick-off, the phone started to beep with messages. The Northowram Shayman texted to say his train was delayed due to swans on the line. He expected to miss most of the first half. None of us found that amusing, of course. The exiled Hebden Bridge Shayman texted to say, ‘Gavo here, C’mon Shaymen, slightly tipsy. It’s just gone 9pm here in Australia. Glad it’s an early kick-off, don’t want to be up too late!’ In the end, 75 travelling Shaymen made the trip, some taking in the sun on the open terrace, with others in the seats.
The first half was cagey, with not many chances and lots of the game played in midfield. The referee seemed over-fussy, booking a few Town players early on. Town created one or two efforts, saved by the home keeper. Just approaching half-time, Aldershot were awarded a penalty for something obscure. Although it wasn’t clear from our position, one of the Aldershot players required several minutes of wet sponge treatment to get back on his feet. The penalty was saved with ease, as it was rolled towards the corner of the goal. One of those that looks great if the keeper goes the other way. Terrible if the keeper guesses right.
The second half was again even, without being spectacular. At one point, Town maintained possession for about five minutes, playing the ball with ease all around the park. It seemed a pleasant game in the warm sunshine. Towards the end, the impressive drummers on East Bank increased the tempo, commanding the home fans to make some noise. They were rewarded with a very simple-looking winner. A throw-in down the line, an unchallenged low cross, a striker by himself on the edge of the six-yard box. Game over.
Driving back, we had the additional company of the Warley Shayman. He’d accidentally booked his usual first-class, all-inclusive dining experience train home with a departure time of 13:30. Our offer of a lift back at least saved him from a relaxing, hassle-free trip home. We, of course, promised not to tell anyone of his expensive oversight.
Next up, it’s a midweek adventure to Wealdstone as we look for our first points on the road.
Miles on the road: 932 Goals on the road: 3 Points on our travels: 0
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