Monday 14 March 2016

Reading Reunion

Wembley! Wembley! We're the lads from Oxford City and we're going to Wembley! After nine games in this year's FA Cup we will be following Crystal Palace to Wembley in the semi final thanks to a 2-0 win against Reading.

And to think... we almost didn't make it to the game. Just 4 days previously our story looked to be over as we couldn't manage to tickets for the the match at the Madejski Stadium. We had all discussed it and we were resigned to watching it on BBC like the rest of the country. But then an email popped into my inbox from Reading saying that there was still tickets - how many would we want? Fantastic! My relentless badgering had paid off and my former boss at Reading FC Women had put in a good word for us. Our story continued.

Not only were we amazed that we had managed to score tickets, but also the tickets were just a tenner. They were the cheapest tickets since the 3rd Qualifying Round between Bognor Regis and Oxford City. A brilliant touch by the two clubs to keep the price so low.

Ben and Liam both had injuries ahead of the game so there were a couple of changes made to the starting three - Jack and Matt joined Dave for their fourth game of the trip.

After visiting White Hart Lane last game, the Madejski Stadium was quite a contrast. Built just 18 years ago the ground is beautifully and practically designed. There was no tight squeezing through the turnstiles and no long queues to the bar, seats of toilets. And the view from the inside is quite stunning...
The game itself was free-flowing and gripping to watch. A proper cup tie from two clubs who are struggling in their respective leagues and dreaming of a day out to Wembley.

Crystal Palace could have been out of sight in the first half but the strong hands of Ali Al Habsi in the Reading goal denied the Eagles time after time. Palace looked very dangerous down the right wing with the pace of both Zaha and Bolasie but they were both guilty of trying one-to-many tricks and squandering possession.

Now I feel I need to give unreserved apologies to Emmanuel Adebayor who I slated in the last game against Spurs. The Palace forward looked like a completely different player this game - determined, skillful and a handful for the Reading back line. But even he couldn't find the break through.

The second half got a bit feisty. Some late challenges went in and a small fight broke out which ended in yellow cards for both players involved. As the yellow card count kept on rising we were sure there was going to be a red on the horizon.

And we were right, in the 85th minute, local Reading boy Cooper gave away the softest penalty ever and received a second yellow card. Cabaye calmly stepped up and slotted the penalty away to send Palace within five minutes of Wembley.

With Reading pushing for an equaliser and down to 10 men a second goal in the game was almost inevitable. With seconds left on the clock Campbell finished off a fine move for Palace to send the Eagles through to a Wembley showdown. The result was probably fair but Reading fans will feel upset they didn't manage to score.

But who would Palace face in the Semis? Chelsea? Arsenal? Liverpool? Leicester? No... all the big boys have been dumped out of what have been an incredible cup competition. The FA Cup this year has emulated the unpredictability of the Premier League and only one recognised big side remain in the last four - Manchester United (although can you call them a big side anymore?) It was left to the One Show to announce that Crystal Palace would face Watford in the semi final. I bet no one expected that at the start of the season!


So there you have it. From Marsh Lane to Wembley - we are finally there and we will behind Palace all the way!

Come on you Eagles.
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Sunday 21 February 2016

Travelling to Tottenham

Our incredible statistic of seeing every team score in our FA Cup run is now over as Spurs failed to hit the back of the net in a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Soon after the 5th Round Draw sided Spurs against London rivals Palace, media attention continued to grow for our story. This time our home newspaper the Oxford Mail reported on our journey which started at Marsh Lane. Our run also interested Tottenham who gave us a full page spread in the matchday programme - thanks to both!

The lads were one man short on our trip to the capital as Liam battled through injury. For the first time in our story we took public transport to the match - something that seed to confuse Ben who forgot there were less frequent trains on a Sunday! Still, we made it to the match in time to browse round the merchandise stands outside of White Hart Lane but decided against buying a N17 t-shirt with Andros Townsend on it.

Neither of us had ever visited White Hart Lane before and we were in for a real treat. The stadium is truly beautiful - a mix of the traditional 20th century architecture and modern extensions. The atmosphere is also electric with the chants reverberating around the old ground to send shivers down your spine. I can really understand why Spurs fans were resistant to the new stadium opening in a couple of years time.

The first half started with the passion and speed we have become accustomed to through this year's FA Cup. Spurs were so unlucky to not score with a shot off the line and incredible effort which managed to hit both posts and trickle along the line - but crucially not over. Tottenham were showing the skill that they had done against Colchester and they demonstrated why they are 2nd in the league. Son particularly impressed us with his pace and trickery which so nearly gave Spurs the lead.

But it was Palace who would get the opening goal with a beautiful strike from right back Martin Kelly to send the Palace fans into raptures just before the half time whistle. Were we about to see our third upset of the FA Cup? But there was a long way to go and stupidly Dave went on Twitter claiming that there would definitely be more goals in the second half!


Tottenham were as bad in the second half as they were good in the first. Long balls went astray, the final pass lacked quality and corners failed to make it past the first man. The only joy the Spurs fans had in the second half was seeing villain Emmanuel Adebayor fail as a footballer throughout the game. The ex Arsenal and Tottenham striker showed as much passion as a teaspoon and the teaspoon probably had a better first touch! The biggest cheer of the game from the Tottenham fans came when Danny Rose nutmegged Adebayor - it was worth the ticket price alone.

Without a clear cut chance in the second half for Spurs, Crystal Palace deserved their win. They have very little else to play for this season with their Premier League status almost guaranteed - surely a trip to Wembley will be high on Alan Pardew's wish list.

His dreams will have been strengthened after the FA Cup draw. The Premier league side have been drawn against Championship strugglers Reading. Can Palace fans start dreaming of a day out to Wembley? You would think so.

The draw for us is also perfect. Dave has great links with Reading having worked for Reading FC Women so there maybe split allegiances. Also Reading is only an hour away from Oxford which will come as a welcomed treat to the lads wallets after an expensive day out in the capital - bloody Cockneys charging £5 for a burger!

On the journey home to Oxford, realisation kicked in that there was only three more matches in this years FA Cup! What's more with both the semi final and final taking place at Wembley we only have one more match ground-hopping. It's a sad thought after being with this competition from September 2015. Let's hope the next three games are crackers to really put the icing on the cake for what has been an amazing journey.

Come on Palace, bring home the cup. 
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Sunday 31 January 2016

All good things must come to an end...

Well it was good while it lasted. Our romantic tale with Colchester has come to an end at the hands of a very classy Spurs team as they beat the U's 4-1.

To be honest we didn't travel to Essex expecting any other result but that didn't stop us dreaming. Our heads told us that Spurs, who were 64 places above Colchester, would dominate the game. But our hearts said that maybe the impossible could be reality.

Our trip across to Colchester nearly never happened as tickets sold out within an evening for the much anticipated game. We were gutted that our FA Cup Story could be over but thanks to some great customer service at the club they managed to get hold of some golden tickets. Not only this but the club also agreed to put our story in their matchday programme, read by around 12,000 people!

Since the last round there has been an increased media attention for our story and we were invited onto BBC Radio Essex to discuss our journey on their breakfast show. So we set off from Oxford at 7:00am for the studio in Chelmsford. We met with DJ Pete Holmes who interviewed us for five minutes on air about the highs of the trip and the best stadium we have been to. Pete was a great host but to be honest I think he was preparing himself for the next segment on the show which was about cleaning the A120 - hard hitting journalism!

The kick-off was at 12:45 which met that we had some time to actually explore Colchester town centre for the first time in our four visits. But first a Full English breakfast was first on the agenda and believe me it was a welcomed treat after getting up at 6:00am. We can all safely recommend Timbers Restaurant if you happen to find yourself in Colchester any time soon.

We are getting pretty familiar with the Weston Homes Community Stadium by now and headed straight to the 'shipping crate' stage to see what brilliant act they had on this week. Previously we have had an extreme heavy metal band and a very odd folk band who only sang noises and not words. But this week we were very surprised to find a good act playing in the crate as tributes to Status Quo and other classics rang out around the ground.

Our tickets were for the East Stand - the Family Stand - which we were slightly worried about. The atmosphere in the last match was fantastic as we were singing and chanting throughout with the hardcore Col U fans! Would the family stand live up to previous high standards?

It turns out that we didn't need to worry, and with blue and white balloons to hand we were ready to cheer, shout and yell on United! But within two minutes of the action starting it all came to a horrible standstill as Alex Wynter collided with his own player and knocked out on the deck for five minutes. The collision was horrendous and shocked everyone in the crowd - not what Colchester needed.

So far in this cup run the highest level side we have seen has been Charlton, who played pretty terrible. One thing we weren't ready for was the sheer class and quality of Spurs. The attacking force of Kane, Chadli, Lamela and Eriksen has propelled Tottenham into the Champions League spaces... and you can see why! In the first half they were unreal. They ripped Colchester apart with their beautiful, quick play but Colchester withstood the pressure - well, until the 27th minute when Chadli fired in a beautiful shot from 18 yards.

Over the past four matches we have fallen in love with Colchester and their fans. This continued with probably our favourite chant of the FA Cup so far: "You're nothing special, we lose every week".

But for all Tottenham's pressure they went in only 1-0 up at half-time. With a bit of luck could Colchester fight back?

They certainly tried and upped their game in the second half. George Moncur pushed further up the pitch and, along with Massey and Porter, really tested the Tottenham defence. A ten minute spell of high pressure was ended with a harsh deflection from a Eric Dier shot which put Spurs 2-0 up. Chadli added a third which really flattered the visitors, but they didn't mind! Game over, surely?

But in the spirit that has epitomised this years' FA Cup, Colchester carried on and eventually got their goal albeit from the boot of a Spurs defender.

In true FA Cup style, both teams forgot their defensive duties in the final minutes with both teams pushing for a goal. Unfortunately for Colchester it was Spurs who were to get a fourth goal and put the tie to bed once and for all.
So Colchester are dumped out of the cup but definitely shouldn't be upset with their plucky effort against fantastic opposition. It's been a great journey with the Essex boys but that sadly has to end as now we have found our new team - Tottenham Hotspur.

Will we be following Spurs all the way to the final? We could well do! They play attractive and skilful football that certainly is effective. They must be in the top four favourites going into the last 16. I must say that we are all excited to follow Kane and Co through to the latter stages of the cup.

Come on you Spurs!
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Monday 11 January 2016

The Big Boys Are Coming!

So far in our FA Cup story we have all be a tad disappointed with the FA Cup draws, if truth be told. But all that changed today as we get set to welcome either Tottenham or Leicester to the Weston Homes Community Stadium. And, as I said in my last post, I genuinely think that Colchester have a good chance against their Premier League opposition.

It's a huge tie for Colchester. It's the first time a Premier League side has come to the Weston Homes Community Stadium for a competitive match - and we will be there to watch it (hopefully).

Obviously it's going to be tough for the U's but if the lads show the same passion and skill as they did against Charlton they have a chance.

It's also a great opportunity for Colchester to forget about their league woes and face the likes of Vardy and Marhez or Kane and Lamela! And who wouldn't be excited about that?

This will now be our third visit to Colchester after never visiting ever before. We are starting to feel like we are in Groundhog Day! At least this time I might be able to understand the confusing roundabout system around the ground.

The game is sure to be a sell-out and we will desperately try and get tickets to continue our FA Cup story and cheer on the boys in Blue and White!

Come on you U's!
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Saturday 9 January 2016

The Colchester Love Story

They say that the FA Cup is a love story; one of twists, turns, passion and of course upset. And I could not agree more. But not only are we falling in love with the FA Cup, we are falling deep in love with Colchester United after a spirited 2-1 victory against Championship side Charlton.

The lads were joined by Jack and Matt (Dave's friends) who were excited what Colchester had to offer. But heading off to Essex we were concerned that the game would not offer the same excitement as the previous rounds had. Both teams were 23rd in the respective leagues, League One and the Championship. One would forgive either side playing a weakened team with vital league games ahead. But no, once again the FA Cup produced one hell of a game!

We arrived in Colchester with time to spare, even after getting terribly confused around the roundabout system despite already visiting the Weston Homes Community Stadium. We had enough time for Jack and Matt to pick up some souvenirs from the club shop and for all us to buy an overpriced burger.

With the rain bucketing it down we headed into shelter and found our seats. This time we decided to sit in with the real hardcore Colchester fans, because after two games of watching the U's we were avid fans.

There was one problem however, we didn't know any Colchester songs. After listening hard to the fans chant it became apparent that the word 'Colchester' doesn't fit into any football song. So instead the Colchester fans cleverly sing 'Go U's' - quite easy to pick up really! (*Edit* After posting this blog some kind Colchester fans have notified us that they actually sing 'ColU'. Colchester fans really are lovely!)

The game was a cracker - from start to finish. Colchester played with style, pace and flair, you seriously wouldn't know they were struggling in League One. But as great as Colchester were, Charlton were equally bad. The U's had chance after chance and finally put one in the back of the net when George Moncur fired in a beautiful left-footed shot.

This set the home fans off. The atmosphere was fantastic and we were chanting along to the Colchester songs. "George Moncur, my Lord, George Moncurrrr!"

Just before half-time man-of-the-match Marvin Sordell put the U's 2-0 ahead with a calmly slotted finish. And the cup upset was on... Charlton, 24 places ahead of Colchester were about to be dumped out of the cup.

 The second half display was just as dominant. Sordell and Moncur were running the show and shredding the Charlton defence in two but thanks to the woodwork and the keeper the game remained within the grasp of Charlton. Eventually Charlton grabbed a consolation goal in injury time through the brilliant named Reza Ghoochannejhad.

 But Colchester hung on to a famous 2-1 win and are in the hat for the 4th Round of the FA Cup for the first time in 10 years. And we will be there every step of the way!

 On the 140 mile journey back to Oxford we went through all the remaining teams left in the competition and decided who we want to face in the next round. Although we would love a big away tie at Anfield or Old Trafford, we think that Colchester would give anyone a good game at home. Bring on Manchester United at the Weston Homes Community Stadium!

 Come on you U's!
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Monday 7 December 2015

The Third Round Draw

The FA Cup Third Round draw is one of football's annual highlights. I remember watching the draw as a child around my grandads house willing Birmingham to be drawn against a Villa or United.

For me it's not the Coca Cola advert or the first play of Christmas songs that signals the start of the festive season - it's the FA Cup Third Round draw. And, unlike Christmas itself, the draw hasn't lost any excitement since my childhood.

So as Chappers welcomed us the start of the draw I couldn't wait to see who Colchester United would face.

We all fancied an away trip to a club that we hadn't been to before to make the road trip more exciting but as John Hartson pulled out ball number 59 he sealed our fate and we were heading back to Essex - to Colchester.

Mark Sampson then rounded off our tie pulling out Championship side Charlton Athletic.
Although it's not a 'sexy' tie and the match won't be shown on BBC it's certainly an interesting one. Both clubs have been struggling in their respective leagues and Colchester will fancy an upset.

However our man-of-the-match, Callum Harriott, who played a blinder against Altrincham will be ruled out of the game as he is on loan from Charlton. He will be a big blow to Colchester's chances.

More importantly though we are back to our comfortable position of supporting the underdog in our FA Cup story. It will make victory more sweet as the U's 'giant-kill' Charlton.

Up the U's!
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Sunday 6 December 2015

Colchester Calling...

Well, well, well... this FA Cup is the gift that keeps on giving. Another incredible game between two sides giving it absolutely everything in the best competition in the world. This time Colchester out-fought Altrincham 3-2 with a last minute winner by Callum Harriott. A brilliant advert for the FA Cup.

For the first time since the 2nd Qualifying Round, all three of the lads were back together, this time for the 121 mile journey to the Weston Homes Community Stadium (another catchy stadium name). After watching the FA Cup games on Friday night and Saturday afternoon we were ready to watch some classic cup football.

We rocked up at the ground early enough to investigate what Colchester had to offer. The 'Legends Lounge' seemed awfully quiet and for a bit we pondered what a Colchester United legend actually was.

But soon enough we found the club shop which gave Liam a perfect excuse to look like a prat as he modelled the Colchester United away kit.
Who ate all the pies?
They have invented seats since our last game!
2pm seemed an odd time for kick-off and without a chance to grab some lunch at home we walked all the way around the stadium to try and find a burger van. After walking around two-thirds of the ground we stumbled across some of the weirdest pre-match entertainment. On a sleepy Sunday afternoon Colchester had decided to book a heavy-metal band who were playing from the inside of a container. The locals looked bemused by the whole thing whilst we quickly moved on in search of some lunch.

Nearing kick-off there was a sense of quiet confidence by the U's fans but there was nothing much quiet about the travelling support who were enjoying a bit of a FA Cup party in Essex.

The game itself was a belter and started off in lightning pace with a wonder goal from Jake Moult who put the underdogs ahead in three minutes with a 30 yard lob. I seriously doubt we will see a better goal in our FA Cup story.

Colchester levelled ten minutes later in an incredibly open first half which saw both teams go close to taking the lead again.

The second-half had barely even begun when Michael Rankine (former York City forward) put Alty ahead once more. Were Altricham going on a giant-killing once again, surely not?

But again Colchester were quick to level when Tom Lapslie headed in from short-range.

The second-half continued to produce chances for both teams but neither could grab a winner. Heading into injury-time the lads were debating whether they could make it to Altrincham for the Tuesday night replay.

Just as I had decided that I was going to take an extra day off work to make it up to Altrincham, Callum Harriott (who had been excellent all game) fired in a winner from for Colchester. It was so cruel on Altricham who deserved at least a draw out of the game but the lads didn't mind as they cheered with the rest of the home support chanting "We don't have to go to a replay!"

As I said Altrincham played superbly and it seemed really harsh to cheer the favourites as the dumped out a minnow (46 places below them). The Alty players had given it their all and were left sitting down on the pitch with the heads in their hands.

The lads with Eddie the Eagle
The journey back was filled with dreams of who Colchester will face in the Third Round. Whilst an away trip to either Birmingham or Middlesbrough (our own teams) would be fun, we couldn't help hope for a tie at Old Trafford or Anfield.

Up the U's!
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