We were in the Sam Smiths pub by 11.02, a good start! #1.70 for lager, #1.60 for Cider and #1.31 for bitter, lovely!
We moved on to a pub with a TV to watch the first half on the Man Utd v Arsenal game, then at half time on to the Corn Dolly, a superb pub full of genuine football fans.
When we had been in 'The Bank' watching the first half the local Police and Sussex Police turned up for the usual look round. We have got used to Alan Goodall doing the Albion away games and he is a top bloke, but I believe he has left for the Met and I just hope the one that came in the pub is not his replacement.
Goodall has his head screwed on and is usually quite chatty, one of our lot said to the new one, 'If your proud to some from Sussex clap your hands' to which he turned round and said "I'm not", glared at all of us and shuffled out with the local Police. If he is the football liaison officer, nice start as he has already given a bad impression to some of the regular away travellers.
We got to the ground in time to see the kick off and took up our seats in the Upper tier, with the goal to our left. The top tier was 90% full and the lower tier had quite a few in it, so I would say we had anything between 800 and a 1,000 at the game (but hard to tell - we had sold just over 500 in advance and there were quite a few queuing to pay to get in)
The Albion fans were in good voice as always and even the annoying White coated stewards couldn't spoil the day. They ejected a few people for not sitting down (how petty is that!).
As for the game, Roberts pulled off a sublime save from Ashley Ward to keep the score 0-0 and then we scored a bizarre goal. Harty crossed for Zamora, who nodded it down. I saw the Linesman's flag and said "Now what's that t*at flagging for" and then Zamora started jumping around and it sunk in it was a goal.
Woo Hoo, our luck has changed! The away stand celebrated big time and the sparse Bradford crowd sat in silence, shame they have developed a nice stadium with 2 huge stands and nobody to fill the empty seats. The smaller stand to our right looked strange as it was kept half closed!
The second half and we played some good football, but Bradford had little spells of looking well up for getting back in the game, but after they hit the bar they sort of gave up.
Chippy cleared the only other real chance they had off the line and we looked home and dry, Harty looked unlucky with a header, how did the keeper get to it?
Then it looked like going pear shaped. Zamora who had made the Bradford defence look stupid at times got himself involved with a player he shouldn't even be bothered about.
He got himself booked and that wound Bradford up and got them going again. They hoofed a ball up, Roberts ran to the edge of the box , caught it, appeared to come well outside the box, before rapidly clearing it.
The Bradford fans suddenly sprung to life, at least one player was booked for harassing the referee for missing a clear free kick (and sending off?) against Roberts!
The final whistle finally went and we celebrated another precious 3 points. We had some luck and won, I haven't seen the goal again, anyone else seen it on TV?
After the game we headed for the Corn Dolly, had a quick pint and were back in Leeds by 6pm and London by 9pm.
Wish it was Saturday now!
Mark R
Player ratings
Roberts - 9 one outstanding save and looked good through out (good distribution as well)
Watson - 7 solid
Cullip - 8 our most important player and motivator
Blackwell - 9 superb game, reminded me of Simon Morgan
Ingmarsson (sp?) - 7 settled in well
Mayo - 7 pushed forward and never gave up again
Carpenter - 8 great battling game
Rogers - 8 as above
Brooker - 7 determined
Hart - 8 never gave up
Zamora - 9 class above others but a STUPID booking!
Subs
Barrett - 6 didn't have much opportunity to do a lot
Hart misses Millwall, Gillingham and Stoke plus possibly one more as now reached 5 booking as well on Saturday.
Zamora will miss Gillingham as he has 5 bookings after Saturday.
Roberts loan deal has now finished so we could either renew that and have no other loan signings (can't have more than 3 at any one time). I hope we sign him for another month, especially after his great display yesterday!
Mark
Ps Just reading about the Ferguson/Beckham incident on Saturday. Ferguson was in a right old strop after the game, lashed out at a boot on the changing room floor, which flew up and hit Beckham just above the eye.
He required 2 stitches and looks a right old mess. Ooooops, now the song 'just
because your loooossssssing' springs to mind!!!!!!!
We moved on to a pub with a TV to watch the first half on the Man Utd v Arsenal game, then at half time on to the Corn Dolly, a superb pub full of genuine football fans.
When we had been in 'The Bank' watching the first half the local Police and Sussex Police turned up for the usual look round. We have got used to Alan Goodall doing the Albion away games and he is a top bloke, but I believe he has left for the Met and I just hope the one that came in the pub is not his replacement.
Goodall has his head screwed on and is usually quite chatty, one of our lot said to the new one, 'If your proud to some from Sussex clap your hands' to which he turned round and said "I'm not", glared at all of us and shuffled out with the local Police. If he is the football liaison officer, nice start as he has already given a bad impression to some of the regular away travellers.
We got to the ground in time to see the kick off and took up our seats in the Upper tier, with the goal to our left. The top tier was 90% full and the lower tier had quite a few in it, so I would say we had anything between 800 and a 1,000 at the game (but hard to tell - we had sold just over 500 in advance and there were quite a few queuing to pay to get in)
The Albion fans were in good voice as always and even the annoying White coated stewards couldn't spoil the day. They ejected a few people for not sitting down (how petty is that!).
As for the game, Roberts pulled off a sublime save from Ashley Ward to keep the score 0-0 and then we scored a bizarre goal. Harty crossed for Zamora, who nodded it down. I saw the Linesman's flag and said "Now what's that t*at flagging for" and then Zamora started jumping around and it sunk in it was a goal.
Woo Hoo, our luck has changed! The away stand celebrated big time and the sparse Bradford crowd sat in silence, shame they have developed a nice stadium with 2 huge stands and nobody to fill the empty seats. The smaller stand to our right looked strange as it was kept half closed!
The second half and we played some good football, but Bradford had little spells of looking well up for getting back in the game, but after they hit the bar they sort of gave up.
Chippy cleared the only other real chance they had off the line and we looked home and dry, Harty looked unlucky with a header, how did the keeper get to it?
Then it looked like going pear shaped. Zamora who had made the Bradford defence look stupid at times got himself involved with a player he shouldn't even be bothered about.
He got himself booked and that wound Bradford up and got them going again. They hoofed a ball up, Roberts ran to the edge of the box , caught it, appeared to come well outside the box, before rapidly clearing it.
The Bradford fans suddenly sprung to life, at least one player was booked for harassing the referee for missing a clear free kick (and sending off?) against Roberts!
The final whistle finally went and we celebrated another precious 3 points. We had some luck and won, I haven't seen the goal again, anyone else seen it on TV?
After the game we headed for the Corn Dolly, had a quick pint and were back in Leeds by 6pm and London by 9pm.
Wish it was Saturday now!
Mark R
Player ratings
Roberts - 9 one outstanding save and looked good through out (good distribution as well)
Watson - 7 solid
Cullip - 8 our most important player and motivator
Blackwell - 9 superb game, reminded me of Simon Morgan
Ingmarsson (sp?) - 7 settled in well
Mayo - 7 pushed forward and never gave up again
Carpenter - 8 great battling game
Rogers - 8 as above
Brooker - 7 determined
Hart - 8 never gave up
Zamora - 9 class above others but a STUPID booking!
Subs
Barrett - 6 didn't have much opportunity to do a lot
Hart misses Millwall, Gillingham and Stoke plus possibly one more as now reached 5 booking as well on Saturday.
Zamora will miss Gillingham as he has 5 bookings after Saturday.
Roberts loan deal has now finished so we could either renew that and have no other loan signings (can't have more than 3 at any one time). I hope we sign him for another month, especially after his great display yesterday!
Mark
Ps Just reading about the Ferguson/Beckham incident on Saturday. Ferguson was in a right old strop after the game, lashed out at a boot on the changing room floor, which flew up and hit Beckham just above the eye.
He required 2 stitches and looks a right old mess. Ooooops, now the song 'just
because your loooossssssing' springs to mind!!!!!!!