......on the road......

  Huddersfield

• Journey there? Travelled by car, and stopped off at a motorway service station where the team coach was due to pick up the players who live in the north-west. They were Darren Ferguson, Jim Whitley, Brian Carey, Keith Hill, Willie Miller and Lee Trundlem, who gave my dad a complimentary ticket for the game and said he would score two goals! I placed a bet at Ladbrokes for seven home wins and headed for Huddersfield once more.
• Pre-match? Went for a walk around the nearby retail park, and finally made our way into the stadium, where I placed another bet on the game: Huddersfield to be winning at half-time, with a full-time draw at 8/1.
• Admission? £15/£8.
• Ground? Made by the same company who designed Wigan's JJB. The McAlpine is a ground designed for the fans, where inside you are no more than 90 metres away from the centre circle and no more than 150 metres form the furthest corner-spot. This brings optimum viewing.
• Away end? We were given the Travel World stand behind the goal to the right of the main stand which was occupied by about 500 Wrexham fans come kick-off.
• Atmosphere? Considering the number of travelling fans, we didn't make much noise, apart from the drum (and the not very rhythmic drummer). Their fans were quite vocal at both sides of the pitch but nothing special.
• Food and drink? I didn't buy any food at the ground but many of the Wrexham fans made the most of the pie-and-pint deal at the refreshment bar.
• Game? The first half was 50:50 and ended up fairly at 1-1, but in the second 45 we conceded early and went downhill with Leon Knight destroying our defence. Ferguson was dreadful and lazy, and we took off Trundle who looked most likely to score.
• Programme? An average magazine with a very old picture of Denis Smith (he had hair in this photo).
• Journey home? Listened to the FA Cup first round draw on local radio in which Wrexham were drawn out first away to Hereford and Huddersfield out last at home to Gravesend.
• Best moment of the day? At half-time Steve Thomas, who was sitting in the away end, suspended, tried to get into the main stand to talk to his teammates but couldn't persuade the steward he was a player. Eventually, after signing many autographs and pleading for 15 minutes, and showing the steward that his training kit was identical to those of the subs, he let him through! ?