Ping, ping, ping, suddenly my phone was going wild, I’d not been this popular in years… It was early morning, just after 7.00 am on match day and I couldn’t wait to enter my passcode and see what was happening. Perhaps I’d won something on the historic Premium Bonds, perhaps a family member had important news to share, the excitement was palpable.
Morecambe FC, Morecambe, FC Morecambe FC, it seemed I had a few emails from Morecambe FC! In fact, I had received every email that they’d ever sent over the last six months. Season ticket offers, hospitality offers, a trip to Port Vale, and information on an Easter Monday clash with Salford City, those were the days. I’d obviously not subscribed to their life story when buying a match ticket but was aware that getting into the ground would be fun. Finding the email with the match ticket amongst the many messages would be like finding a needle in a haystack…
We’d set off extra early on our 83-mile adventure, tea-time traffic around Manchester is a lottery at the best of times, so following a swift exit from work and having rounded up the usual suspects we headed northwest.
Hiding amongst the beauty salons, hairdressers, convenience stores and a good number of empty shops we finally located the chippy, our interim destination. We were almost in sight of the sea, well we would have been had the tide been in, and the chippy, picked as they sponsored Morecambe FC, had perhaps seen better days. We bagged a table by the window, and the customer service was top class. We had cups and matching saucers, a giant tea pot and could order bread, white or brown, by the slice. With time on our hands, we ordered a few buckets of chips, some with a decent looking fish, some with a mug of mushy peas, some with curry sauce. It almost felt as if we were on holiday together – perish the thought!
With advanced admission of £24, we were allocated the end of the main stand. It offers a decent view across the well-maintained pitch. The small, covered terrace behind the goal to our right was empty. The far side was a small open terrace, with a scattering of hardy fans hoping for the best of the weather. Behind the far goal most of the home fans gathered along with their melodic drum.
As darkness fell, the first half kicked off with Town kicking towards the home fans in the distance. After an early adventure into their box, followed by the first corner, it was all Morecambe. They held possession around the edge of our box for much of the half. The Shrimper’s keeper was playing the sweeper role approaching the half-way line. Morecambe took the lead around the half hour mark with a decent strike from the edge of the box, and it was no surprise. We were second best and perhaps feared the worst with the home side kicking towards their noisy fans after the break.
The game then changed dramatically; Town made a substitution and brought on the enthusiastic Bray, and in a flash, it was all us. The 210 travelling Shaymen were in full voice, backed by a decent drumbeat, and it was no surprise when we equalised soon after. Town were on the march, out of their shells and once again coming from behind. With around 10 minutes to go, Bray scored the winner, deflected in but who cares. We created other chances too, we forced more corners than I had received emails that morning, we were dominant.
With three points in the bag, the team were applauded off at the end, never in a month of Sundays did we think the team could win at half time. Morecambe looked a decent side, irrespective of the turmoil the fans had to endure during the summer, they will surely rise up the league as winter progresses. We’ll certainly look back at a good victory away from home, the second inside a few days, our team look more than capable of providing entertainment and excitement wherever we go.
Next up, and we’ve got another mid-week game, right on our doorstep with a visit to Rochdale.
C’mon Shaymen!
Miles on the road: 2136. Goals on the road: 7 Points on our travels 10
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