As many will be aware I like to watch the odd football game.
With the season started, we got our first away tickets in the official ballot. Now fixed at £30 a ticket (new FA rules to try and make away prices fairer for travelling fans) they are a little like gold dust or hens teeth. We got our first for the away game to Hull. Contacted our local supprters club and booked on their funbus to Hull and back. Only thing was - they were staying overnight (Sat) with it being a late kick off (5.30pm) so it was a lads jolly. Booked a cheap b&b (£20 each which included breakfast!) and we were sorted.
We quickly established a couple of things.
Hull is a very run down, grey and grubby place stuck in a timewarp.
Beer is cheap in Hull.
We dropped bags into the b&b and wandered into the centre to watch the lunchtime game (Spurs v Liverpool). Found a pub ... £2.15 a pint . Made the most of it, as you do ...
Onto the KC Stadium early as I had been 'chosen' to collect my ticket in person with photo ID. (To try and stop ticket touts).
Hull ... "City of Culture". PMSL.
Players out and a rather tedious match got underway. Tedious as Hull played for a draw from the start and United lacked the means to break them down until substitutions the fans were pleading for ...
United belatedly (92'nd min) got the winning goal and it all went a bit barmy ...
After a quick trip back to the b&b we were off out again. First in some very nice bars. Spotted some cool wall art in one.
We then stepped into a different dimension in the early hours of the morning. It was like Glossop about 20 years ago (I kid you not!). 'Mega mixes' blasting out, double whatever spirit you wanted with coke for £2.99 - everyone hammered and knowing exactly which record was coming on next. Very very wierd. Crazy, but very odd!
We rolled back toward the b&b sometime about 2.30am "ish". On the way back we heard a girl shouting behind us - at a guy we assumed was her boyfriend. We looked around, but she seemed ok. Next thing she shouts "Dont hit me in the face. That hurts". So we look around and stand. She walks off. They are some distance away at this point.
We wander on and a few minutes later this girl runs toward us (no 'boyfriend in sight). She is in skimpy clothes, very attractive and no shoes on. Not crying, no marks on her face at all - infact no marks or indication of any tears. She asks for help so we say - what do you want? She says her 'boyfriend' has her hotel key, so all of her posessions. All she has is her phone. Before we can say anything she taps her phone, puts it to her ear and starts speaking to someone immediately ...
"Hi. I need your help. Can you pick me up? It's £50 for a taxi and I've got no money. Oh, you can't. OK. Thanks".
When recalling this later we all noted that the girl had not needed to wait (even a few seconds) for someone to 'answer' her call despite it was 2.30 am "ish" in the morning.
She then asks us if we can help her saying she is scared 'he' will hit her again.
In all this time the violent boyfriend is nowhere to be seen.
I say "have you called the Police"? She says - what 999 or 101? I say - "101, it's not an emergency - is it?"
She then says thanks, she is fine and wanders off quickly in the direction we assume the 'boyfriend' was.
So, a good win at the footie, some good beers, a great craic and a scantily clad young lady tries to scam us on the way home in the early hours. Quite a day.
PS. Let me kow if the pics show up ok as I linked them from Dropbox as I'm sick of photobucket being a nightmare to link to before USA wakes up.
With the season started, we got our first away tickets in the official ballot. Now fixed at £30 a ticket (new FA rules to try and make away prices fairer for travelling fans) they are a little like gold dust or hens teeth. We got our first for the away game to Hull. Contacted our local supprters club and booked on their funbus to Hull and back. Only thing was - they were staying overnight (Sat) with it being a late kick off (5.30pm) so it was a lads jolly. Booked a cheap b&b (£20 each which included breakfast!) and we were sorted.
We quickly established a couple of things.
Hull is a very run down, grey and grubby place stuck in a timewarp.
Beer is cheap in Hull.
We dropped bags into the b&b and wandered into the centre to watch the lunchtime game (Spurs v Liverpool). Found a pub ... £2.15 a pint . Made the most of it, as you do ...
Onto the KC Stadium early as I had been 'chosen' to collect my ticket in person with photo ID. (To try and stop ticket touts).
Hull ... "City of Culture". PMSL.
Players out and a rather tedious match got underway. Tedious as Hull played for a draw from the start and United lacked the means to break them down until substitutions the fans were pleading for ...
United belatedly (92'nd min) got the winning goal and it all went a bit barmy ...
After a quick trip back to the b&b we were off out again. First in some very nice bars. Spotted some cool wall art in one.
We then stepped into a different dimension in the early hours of the morning. It was like Glossop about 20 years ago (I kid you not!). 'Mega mixes' blasting out, double whatever spirit you wanted with coke for £2.99 - everyone hammered and knowing exactly which record was coming on next. Very very wierd. Crazy, but very odd!
We rolled back toward the b&b sometime about 2.30am "ish". On the way back we heard a girl shouting behind us - at a guy we assumed was her boyfriend. We looked around, but she seemed ok. Next thing she shouts "Dont hit me in the face. That hurts". So we look around and stand. She walks off. They are some distance away at this point.
We wander on and a few minutes later this girl runs toward us (no 'boyfriend in sight). She is in skimpy clothes, very attractive and no shoes on. Not crying, no marks on her face at all - infact no marks or indication of any tears. She asks for help so we say - what do you want? She says her 'boyfriend' has her hotel key, so all of her posessions. All she has is her phone. Before we can say anything she taps her phone, puts it to her ear and starts speaking to someone immediately ...
"Hi. I need your help. Can you pick me up? It's £50 for a taxi and I've got no money. Oh, you can't. OK. Thanks".
When recalling this later we all noted that the girl had not needed to wait (even a few seconds) for someone to 'answer' her call despite it was 2.30 am "ish" in the morning.
She then asks us if we can help her saying she is scared 'he' will hit her again.
In all this time the violent boyfriend is nowhere to be seen.
I say "have you called the Police"? She says - what 999 or 101? I say - "101, it's not an emergency - is it?"
She then says thanks, she is fine and wanders off quickly in the direction we assume the 'boyfriend' was.
So, a good win at the footie, some good beers, a great craic and a scantily clad young lady tries to scam us on the way home in the early hours. Quite a day.
PS. Let me kow if the pics show up ok as I linked them from Dropbox as I'm sick of photobucket being a nightmare to link to before USA wakes up.
Croft 2005, Cadwell 2006, Cadwell 2007