Last footie match before Chirstmas

Strange day today. Decided that I wasn’t going to turn up to football two hours before kick off like normal. There isn’t many people around the ground at that time anyway these days. So caught a later train. Sue had already left the house to go and see her friends. Rushed down to catch the train, yep I left it to the last minute again. But made it OK

When I go to football I get off at Pokesdown and have a nice walk through Kings Park. The train I was on stopped at Pokesdown, so I though no more about it. Just settled down for what I hoped would be an enjoyable trip. Pulled into Southampton and noticed that the station sign announced that we were going to Malvern. We’ll they got that wrong, I thought. Then realized that there was a train in front on the same platform, which was the Malvern train. Checked the timetable in my pocket and it would appear that we have 15min wait at Southampton, whilst a faster train overtook us. Just off grabbed a baguette and jumped back on, Safe in the knowledge that my train stopped at Pokesdown, therefore the fast one wouldn’t.

The alarm bells didn’t start to ring until we got towards Brockenhurst. We slowed down unusually early for the station. All was revealed when we crossed over into Platform one. OK it excited me to do this like the last time this happened. The guard then announced that we were due to wait at Brock for 25 mins. Hold on I thought. It was nearly 1pm now. So we were due to leave about 1.25. Twenty-five mins to get to Pokesdown and then a 20 min walk across the park would mean an arrival time at the ground of ten past two. That’s far too late. I’m sure the timetable said we get to Pokesdown at about 1pm. Frantic studying of timetable followed. Oh Bollocks, I should have got on to the ‘fast’ train at Southampton. Oh No.

Legged it across to Platform three and managed to get on the non-stopper to Bournemouth and a longer walk up from there to the ground. Just got near to the ground and a drunk bloke the other way started shouting at me. Obviously trying to pick a fight with someone and I just happened to be there. I managed to skip past him and on to the ground, relived that I got there at 1.30, so that was OK.

Got a pressie from Sandra, Viv and their mum, who buy draw tickets off me each week and are also facebook friends. Kept it to open it on Christmas day. I gave Gill her present of a couple of handwarmers. She was going to keep it till Christmas day as well.

Shock horror though. AFC Bournemouth actually won a league game at home. Our first of the season. Had a Bovril before the match. Haven’t had one of them for years. Quite nice. I think I might have it again.

Then came the journey home. The second half of the match didn’t start till eight mins past four. Then the ref added on more extra time at the end. During which one of our players got injured adding more time. So even though under the new timetable my train home is now 5 mins later leaving Pokesdown then before I still just missed it. The next one was an hour later. Decided to catch a bus to try to get to Bournemouth train station and get on a fast service from there. OK the bus I got on wasn’t the one I was expecting to, but at least it dropped me off right at the station. However it took me past the football ground some hour later than I left it. What a waste of time that was. Got on the train and decided to chill out. When the steward announced that the buffet was open, I headed straight off, quickly downed one can of Murphy’s and went back for another. The steward panicked at this point. He made pains to point out to me that there was only one can left and so next time I’d have to make a different choice. I assured him that I was getting off soon anyway. As I did he wished me a good onward journey and thanked me yet again for my custom. So all in all a strange day, I messed up train times, complexly unlike me. I nearly got beaten up but I got home safely in the end.