Is there a Fish & Chip shop outside a football ground anywhere in England better than “Graveley’s” in Elland Road?
After a 30 minute detour to St Neots (due to the A14 being shut for roadworks) we arrived in Leeds at 1pm, plenty of time to savour the above mentioned delicacy. Max, “The Star fan” (more about that later) arrived about the same time from Bradford with Devvo, his mate from Uni who lives there. Paul was also meeting up with us but he was still on the train from Harrogate so we got started without him.
Following the sale of club captain Jonny Howson to Norwich during the week, the Leeds fans organised a mobile protest against chairman Ken Bates (also the former Chelsea chairman, he has proven to be less than popular during his seven years at Elland Road). “Marching on together” they moved around the ground chanting “Bates out, Bates out,” “Get out of our club, you Chelsea bastard, get out of our club,” “When I was just a little boy I asked my mother what should I be? Should I be Chelsea? Should I be Leeds? Here’s what she said to me. Wash your mouth out son, go get your fathers gun and shoot the Chelsea scum” and I’d rather be a moron than a c**t” (Bates had labelled Leeds fans as “morons’ last year in his programme notes in response to an earlier protest against him).
When we got to the visitors turnstiles the protestors were gathered outside, they were uninterested in us away fans until one Town supporter danced past them flapping his hands in the air. This drew a mass response from them of "Your just a c**t on a tractor” much to the amusement of Devvo!
Once inside the ground our attention turned to the football, Max had been “tweeted” by Dave Gooderham whilst on the train up to Bradford on Friday and after a short interview agreed to be the Evening Star’s “Star fan” for the match, what a legend! We were in the John Charles West Stand, which was a lot better than last seasons experience in “The cheese wedge” (a triangle of yellow seats in the opposite corner.
A visit to Elland Road is like a trip back in time, it’s a traditional football ground that has been altered and extended throughout the decades, the fans are very passionate, demanding, intimidating but also quite friendly and they generate a good atmosphere.
The game, not helped by a strong wind blowing down the pitch was decided by mistakes rather than good creative football. Ipswich took the lead after 34 minutes after a well worked corner allowed Adam Drury to drill a low shot past stand in skipper Andy Lonergan, who really should have dealt with it better (and he knew it). JET came close to adding a second when he hit the woodwork with a long range effort soon after. As we retreated into the bar area for a coffee and a warm at halftime I was quite confident of going home with at least a point.
The match turned on it’s head in a moment of madness that unhinged all the good work achieved. The “horror” begun when Alex McCarthy was sent off after he handled outside his area following a mix up with Ibrahima Sonko in the 71st minute. The blues then hit the now familiar self distruct button, Leeds scored their first goal courtesy of a suicidal back pass from Pyscho sorry I meant Sonko! Which was intercepted by Robert Snodgrass who then had the easy task of sliding the ball past substitute keeper Aaron Lee-Barrett who had only been on the pitch for three minutes. Lee-Barrett was himself guilty of indecision in the 82nd minute when Ross McCormack chased a through ball, he started to come out for the ball but then checked his run therefore giving the Leeds striker his chance to score.
To rub salt into the already sore wounds Luciano Becchio (a second half substitute) out muscled Tommy Smith in the 90th minute to win the ball and slot it under the stand in town keeper, this was very harsh on Smith who up to that point had had a really solid game.
We are now just one place above the relegation zone, four points above Forest and with just ten days left before the transfer window closes Jewell, Clegg and Evans have to stop pissing about and sign some defenders. If they fail I might be writing about anti owner/chairman protests at Portman Road. You never know Clegg may fall into a lifeboat before we sink. (re:Francesco Schettinoas the captain of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia who abandoned ship before it capsized. He is also a self-confessed playboy who liked to strut round his ship with stunning women on his arm).
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| Fish, chips & mushy peas |
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| There's a Star Fan... |
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