"As for Maidenhead, the conga (which was amusing) aside, quite a strange bunch really – some the oddest chants I've ever heard at a football match" ~ localboy86, Amber Planet forum, 26th April 2015

Sunday 25 August 2019

Away Day Diary: Yeovil Town 1-2 Maidenhead United (24/08/19)


Yours truly was Billy No Mates on the 09:04 from Maidenhead; my lucky pants (2/2 UPDATE: 3/3), a black and white striped sticker spotted on Platform 2 of Reading station, and Doves' Black And White Town playing randomly on my iPod, instilled confidence that the Magpies would maintain their unbeaten record against the Glovers

Even though I'd been told that Yeovil Junction station was remote, I certainly hadn't appreciated to what extent! The lack of a cash point - indeed the lack of any facilities, bar a car park - meant that it would be a 30-minute uphill trek, along a country road with no footpath, towards civilisation ...

Or what seemingly passes for civilisation in these parts! #moretattsthanteeth I bumped into the Macleods - taking time out from a stay in Wells - outside the Wetherspoons and, after two rounds in there (decent pints of Chesil and Rev. James) and one in the Beehive (scrumptious, homemade pork pies from Wells Market, washed down with rum-infused ale), we were parked up at the out-of-town ground - everything seems to be out-of-town in Yeovil; a truly bizarre place - with just enough time to spare

Very hot weather excused a scrappy game of football that was not dissimilar to the recent one at Torquay (albeit our performance levels were down, and the Glovers not nearly as impressive as the Gulls); Josh Kelly had opened the scoring at Plainmoor and only the crossbar prevented him from doing the same at Huish Park, but I felt that the win was never in serious doubt once we had - somewhat fortuitously - gone ahead ... despite Jake Cassidy missing a subsequent penalty, Yeovil having a goal disallowed for offside, and then some doofus pulling one back for them (immediately after the in-form Danny Whitehall - so good that he doesn't need a warm-up - doubled our advantage, late on, with a pinpoint strike from outside the area)

Inn of choice for celebratory post-match bevvies was the Arrow; I enjoyed a first pint of Blackthorn since my Bristol days #UTG

Love the social media meltdowns from fans of the BELTs that we turn over and, after saying goodbye to Les, there were plenty for me to savour on the train journey from Basingstoke (I was going to write 'Basingrad' there but, bearing in mind the number of high-rise flats that are planned for Maidenhead town centre, thought better of it): Exhibit A, B, C, D, E, etc., etc.


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