It’s 00.21am on Saturday April 26^th, just hours after our Falcons’ season ended to all intents and purposes.  I suppose one could say that Tracywilko and myself are fortunate in that when we left Sixways the score was only 17-9, though on the way to find some transport we heard what appeared to be the inevitable third Worcester try.

The day started off badly for your author simply because he had to go to work, never a good beginning to matchday, though upon leaving the office everything seemed well with the Tube.

Not so.  Arriving at Barbican, the Circle line was on its daily suspension and the Hammersmith line was off at Paddington.  So it had to be the Metropolitan line to Baker Street and then Bakerloo line to Paddington.  This did pass off without further incident, apart from taking ages to get from Barbican to Farringdon, and I met fellow London-based falcon Tracywilko at the station in plenty off time.

The 15.51 to Worcester Shrub Hill was fine, and upon arrival we were able to take a delayed train to Foregate Street, saving 20 minutes.

With nobody able to tell us where to get the bus to Sixways from there, it was to the bus station, and a conversation with some Warrior.

One professed to have spent many a night out admiring the Geordie female, and at this point the bloke exchanged greeting with a young lady walking past the bus stop, with a companion.

I suggested clubbing in Worcester could be on the agenda for the evening, to which my new friend issued an unexpected reply, “She’s my step-daughter”.  Ashen-faced, I apologised before he smiled and continued “I’ve got another just as pretty”.  Weird.

In the bar at Sixways, for some reason one Falcon and I began talking energy (as in power, electricity), and my reason for mentioning this will become clear later.

After a drink with Steve, RnR and the Slackers it was time to take our seats amongst 300-400 shouting Geordies, ready to cheer and sing our team into the European Challenge Cup Final.

All looked good with the Falcons attacking early on and Tom May scoring a drop-goal.  It didn’t last of course, Marcel Garvey taking a loose ball on halfway and racing in to score.

The TV referee ruled against a second home try on the left, us receiving a scrum instead, but the score was just delayed as on the other side as Sam Tuitupou took a kick through, picked up and crossed the line.  Now Slacker and I were adamant that Tuitupou had been in front of the kicker, but TV-related information suggested this wasn’t the case.

What is true is that we scored a penalty before half time, but lost Jamie Noon who succumbed to two injuries in quick succession.  Tim Visser replaced Noony, and after seven minutes of injury time we went in 14-6 down at the break.

This has to be the last straw with Steve Bates.  Just forget the result for a second.  To have only one loose back on the bench at any time is a risk, whilst also limiting your attacking options for the second half.  To have only one on the bench when our entire midfield were carrying injuries, is unforgivable.  Wake up Thumper.

I was sure by the end of the game we’d be seeing Lee Dickson and Brent Wilson on the wings.  Except that Tracy and I didn’t see the end of the game…

With the match set to finish 9.50-9.55, it was always going to be right making the 22.44 train back to London and preventing a night on the floor of RnR’s hotel room.  So imagine our horror when, just minutes into the second half after a Shane Drahm penalty, the floodlights went out!!

Personally, I blame the Falcon fan who works for an energy company which is involved with Worcester, it was sabotage I tells ya!

The darkness in itself didn’t present a problem, as long as the lights stayed off and we went back for a replay.  But when the lights began to come back on, and it was clear the game would at some point resume, we were worried.

Not to worried to sing of course, with the travelling hordes belting out “You haven’t paid the bills”, “Who turned the lights out” and “One L in lightbulb” (before someone realised there are two!), the Blaydon Races and generally supporting the team though most were in the changing room.

When the game finally resumed it was about 9.30 I think, and yet we’d played less than 10 minutes of the second half.  I told Tracy we’d have to make a decision soon.

It looked like it would be a tricky decision with the Falcons bombarding the Worcester defence with pace in the backs and strength and aggression in the forwards.  However, after Wilkinson missed a penalty for which Greg Rawlinson was sin-binned, Worcester came forward and camped in our 22.  Deciding the Falcons weren’t going to win, we reluctantly left just before 10pm.

Walking across the car park we heard Worcester score a third converted try through Tom Wood, and were then presented with a new problem.  Six-odd buses, but none leaving until they were full, and we were seemingly the first people to have left the ground.

There were plenty of black cabs around, so I flagged one and asked if he had a fare.  He asked my name, I said we didn’t have a booking but we needed to get to Foregate Street station.  The driver again asked my name.

I told him, and pointed out that the For Hire sign was on.  Reluctantly it seemed, the cabbie agreed to drive Tracy and I to the station.  Good, although less good was the contents of a text from RnR stating simply the score: 31-14.  At least we knew we hadn’t missed a miracle.

Arriving at Foregate Street in plenty of time, we set about finding an offy but couldn’t, so it’d be a dry trip back to the capital.  We did have the company of a nice Worcester fan from Oxford for the first hour though, he having joined the train at Shrub Hill after leaving Sixways with 10 minutes to go.

In just a few minutes we will arrive in London Paddington, from where a night bus to my gaff and precious sleep await!

It’s been a weird and mixed day, on the field a sad end to a tense week full of apprehension and anticipation, and the end of the Falcons’ season in a meaningful way.

But let’s see if we can’t try to return some fun to watching our team over the coming fortnight.  After all, winning might be the most important thing when watching the Falcons, but having great friends to share in the many disappointments with is some consolation.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• Falcons v Worcester 6/1/2008
• Falcons back in trouble
• 70 Minutes of Utter...

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS