Bodies on the line, two fine goals, ten men and what do we get at the end?
We got no points when we deserved one. Sutton Utd entered the danger zone following the completion of ninety minutes of play. In this zone nothing behaves as it should, the away team cling on like a cat hanging from a tree. The home team smell blood, every player home and away crowd around the box. Accidents will happen, penalties are given, and emotions vary. If you are a Newport fan your hands go up high in the air. For a Sutton fan it is head down hands over eyes wondering what just happened. Rewind back to both the twentieth fourth and forty second minutes, Ajiboye time. What a time it was, two exquisite goals from a player whose star is shining brightly, so bright it can be seen by clubs across the English Football League. Sandwiched between those two goals was a slice of red card which was hard for Sutton fans to digest. Yellow would have tasted better. Eastmond off, its eleven against ten. I don’t think we needed a fortune teller to tell us how hard the game would be for Sutton United a team depleted by injuries, playing away in tough weather conditions against a decent Newport team who came out for the second half with a determination to get something out of the game. They got their equalizer in the sixty fourth minute leaving ample time to hound and harry a Sutton United defence numbering about nine men. Some say fortune favor’s the bald but not tonight as Matt the manager was left to ruminate on an eventful match that ended null points to Sutton United. Nevertheless, the ninety or so Sutton United supporters huddled under the roof done what comes naturally, that is, they applauded the Sutton players at the end of a Tuesday night under the lights.
Arriving in Newport early afternoon to what was suspiciously mild weather. Where was the storm hiding. The driving rain would arrive at about the time I walked from the city center to the nearby Newport ground. Before the game being to lazy to research pubs, I took advice from Sutton United’s Football Clubs ale advisor the Amber Aleman. His two pub recommendations were strikingly different architecturally with one sporting a sixteenth century hammer horror look the Olde Murenger House pub contrasted with the other recommendation the nearby Tiny Rebel that worked hard to achieve its urban industrial run-down look. Or if you will like a carefully ripped expensive pair of jeans. Though as noted expensive mustard-colored trousers are not that uncommon on the legs of a Sutton United supporter and are available to buy online at Gandermonium which has trouser advice and much more.
After the game, the rail corridor between Newport and London is unavailable that meant a night at the Newport Travelodge. Unlike the Young Rebel pub there is nothing artificial about Newport Travelodge which has retained its 2009 budget look. I found the hotel well heated, comfortable with innovation at its heart, a bottle opener built into the hotel room table.
Having had no need to avail of the innovative built-in bottle opener I slept well ready for a pre train morning of discovery around Newport. First port of call was the Museum and Gallery were Roman artefacts sat alongside other ancient relics namely two outstanding examples of Welsh music. One of which I am afraid is not a Melchester United supporting Welsh Rock and Roll icon and environmentalist who urged humanity to look behind the ‘Green Door’ and railed against a society obsessed by ‘Lipstick, Powder and Paint.’ The museum instead chose important relics from a time when the 60 Foot Dolls roamed the land but more importantly Goldie Lookin Chain burst onto the scene in much the same way Michah Richards would. Their most famous song goes like.
“Guns don’t kill people rappers do,
From Bristol Zoo to B&Q”
Moving through Newport’s shopping center I spotted the Newport FC fan shop. I could and should have passed by but decided to go inside. The store is staffed by volunteers who were helpful, informative but unsurprisingly saw only perfection in both the sending off and the last gasp penalty they got. I proposed an alternative view but concluded all football fans watch games with reality not so much augmented but altered. I concluded my visit to the shop by purchasing the cheapest thing I could find, a bag of sweets.
Having bought the sweets, I could have reminded them about another great Newport team Lovells Athletic FC (1919–1969). Lovells was part of the great works teams of Wales expertly explored on Jacko’s Sporting Almanac on BBC Radio Wales. Other teams explored are Richard Thomas and Baldwin (aka Really Tall Bastards). An echo of these works teams survives today, Airbus Broughton FC currently playing in the JD Cymru North league.
Anyway, that is enough history what about the near future our fast-approaching Bradford v Sutton United’s game on Saturday. I dream of a win, hope for a draw but should it happen, a straightforward defeat would be come to my emotional rescue (ooh,ooh, ooh..).
PS. Ralf Fiennes when he is not M in the new Bond film going full on dancing to the Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue.
