A Mark Master Masons Two Big Day’s Out.
   
Once again it was time for me to celebrate with my team who numbered Masons in their founders and who play in our Masonic sky blue colours, we should have done the Treble but we forgot to turn up against Wigan in the FA Cup Quarter final just like last years final!!   Not to worry I think they made up for it.
Austin on Tube
John & Steve on Tube
Now not too many problems on the visit to Wembley this time unlike last year if you remember when it took four and a half hours and three bus drivers to get home!! Skipped the usual early morning Cup Final breakfast in the pub, bacon, egg & sausage butties washed down with a pint before climbing aboard the bus, decided to play safe this time and go by car. Set off to Watford accompanied by my two Masonic Buddies John and Steve (one of whom John, hails from Sunderland!!) and of course Tom and Snoopy, arrived at the overland tube station in good time, well only just in good time, as there was only one parking space left!!
Wembley Way
The warm ups over
We shot up the pathway and I jumped into this office which I thought was for ticket information as it was part of the station, asked “what time’s the next tube to Wembley mate” no answer just bemused faces, it was a taxi hang out with guys smoking fags or whatever they were, now I don’t know if it was my accent or their English but needless to say all I got was a few hand gestures and grunts. Good Start I thought must be near London. Went outside found I was on my own, isn’t it good how your mates always wait for you, anyway a little way round the corner at the top of a flight of stairs leading down to the platforms was a great big ticket machine which after much study of which ticket was actually needed wanted many coins inserting in to it which I didn’t have!! No humans to serve you through a little window, no platform guy with a fag behind his ear sweeping up like the good old days, nothing.  Oh the joys of following your football team to away games. 15 minutes later after finding a shop to buy something I didn’t need to get change and setting a quick exam on London Tube Train tickets I had one in my hand. Now at this point whilst waiting for a train to arrive I did wonder how can this be a tube train when it doesn’t go under ground, but hey this is the South.
Big Cup on Pitch  
Made It
At last it arrived got on board virtually empty!!, now it’s at this point where I began to panic, is this train really going to Wembley? Had a quick sip from my hip flask and began to read those map things on the ceiling, all I needed now was a station name so that I could verify which line we were on and yes there it was, Harrow on the Hill, (sounds very posh) we’re on the right train. Arrived at Wembley Park, burst off the train full of excitement made my way to the exit and the giant steps leading down to one of the Wembley approaches and yes you’ve guessed just like the words of the Gilbert O’Sullivan song I was “Alone Again” what was it this time, toilets.!! Had another sip from my hip flask.
Buddies from different Teams
Lets get back to Manchester
Off we went with the happy throng even though most of those around us were from Sunderland, I said to my buddy from Manchester you need to take a photo of me for the web page as we walk along, which he did after several attempts, oh no where’s John gone (the guy from Sunderland) he’d disappeared and I had his ticket!! Well this is not good for the heart because I know he doesn’t usually have his mobile phone on not being very into the 21st Century and besides we were in a crowd of about ten thousand, who can here a phone ring? I tried and tried and as luck would have it he was sheltering under one of overhangs of the stadium and just as he answered his phone we spotted him. Now here I nearly said to them both do you think we had best hold hands from now on?
 
Made it through the turnstiles in good time and had great seats, plenty of entertainment before the game, there was a girl on a wire flying up and down not too sure what that was all about but there you go some people enjoy it more than the football. City did get a shock early on but came good in the end, final score was a little flattering but never mind we won the League Cup, great celebrations at the end and the Sunderland fans stayed in the ground as well until it was all over, great bunch of supporters and glad they managed to stay in the Premier League.
 
Time to leave now, We stopped off for a quick pint close bye, bottle of Bud £5, pint of larger £6, Burger £6.50.. Come on lads lets get back to Watford I’ve left some Spam butties in the car and a bottle of Dandelion and Burdock. Now that’s living. Not too many problems getting back to Manchester still had to queue on the M1 for well over an hour without hardly moving and isn’t it funny when it suddenly all starts to move you can never see any reason as to why it was stopped in the first place. Just think we have to do this all over again at the start of next season for the Charity Shield, can’t wait; I know we must be crazy!!  
 
Next Big Day Out.
 
Well it was a close run season but we got there in the end, Man City Champions again, getting to this game was much easier, set off early left Tom and Snoopy in their case, parked in my usual place and gave the guys on the gate a box of Jelly Babies. (my parking fee, only kidding) It’s where I used to work before retiring, but schh it’s still a secret location. Off we go lucky scarf, lucky hat, big City storm coat and gloves just like an Eskimo, had to ring my wife to remind her to record the game, I don’t do it myself now because the last time I did it before I left from home we lost!!
All smiles at the game
Pitch Invasion
We've Done it
Please Leave the Pitch
To say it was tense inside is an understatement, having said that it wasn’t as bad as the game in mid week, this time it was more a case of they will score but we’ll just have to wait. The crowd erupted and even did the Poznan which hasn’t been seen for a long time when they eventually scored and on the second one going in we all knew that was it done after all these games, Ricky Hatton and some of the old players were sat behind us and we were all dancing about and hugging each other, they then passed us drinks down from all the corporate boxes, what a great time was had by all. There it was gone for another season, the team received the Trophy and paraded it around the ground, even the West Ham supporters stayed and cheered the new Champions, sometimes football can be good for the soul, can create universal mass happiness, it has lots of lows and if you’re a City supporter like myself you will know all about that, but on days like this it seems all worthwhile. Here’s to next season just a small matter of the World Cup first.
Team Parade Trophy
Johny Marr (Smiths) & Noel Gallagher (Oasis)
Town Hall Celebration
Lets Have a Cake. City's Owners
Have a great summer and lets hear some of your stories and adventures, Mike the Web Master who does a fantastic job for us all would be delighted to receive them, Mark Well.
 
Austin N.Fletcher. Flixton Shepherd Eastwood.        
Thanks Austin another great tale, Mike, (A life long Liverpool Supporter)