Wembley adventure 2010
I’m not one for using alarm clocks; the word ‘alarm’ itself puts me off. However I was persuaded by the only person more excited than me about our upcoming trip to Wembley to watch the mighty Leeds Rhinos in the challenge cup final to set an alarm. “Set it for six” Elaine said. “Why” I replied, “there are only two of us!” We negotiated and I set it for 6.20 safe in the knowledge that, as is usual when I employ outside influences to take charge of my subconscious mind, I would be awake well before it went off. Of course I woke up early, I am a little boy at heart and today is the day we get on a bus and go to Wembley, I hardly flipping slept at all. So I got up early, made us a cup of tea, took it back to bed and then got up and on with our adventure.
Our next door neighbour who is a top bloke had already offered to take us to Leeds to catch the National Express coach directly to Wembley so we pitched up in his drive as arranged at 7.15 a.m. Both Elaine and I were decked out in our team colours and I carried the rucksack that contained enough ‘stuff’ to keep me occupied during the four-hour journey. I have to say that when we booked the National Express coach directly to the ground we did have our reservations (emotionally as well as literally) given that both of us had used the same mode of transport many years ago and both had memories of sharing a double seat with some big bloke who took up half the aisle as well or with a smelly student whose Mum and Dad waved him off with a wry smile on their face knowing that he was, for the next ten weeks at least, someone else’s problem. Even some of our more snobby friends had giggled when we told them about our choice of transport to the game. Our reasons for booking it though were simple...
• It was direct from Leeds to the ground and straight back again
• There was no hassle going into London on the train and out again on the underground
• It was only £67 return FOR BOTH OF US
As we pulled up at the magnificent stadium some four and a half hours later we both agreed that we had made a good choice. The journey down was comfortable. There was a loo on board. And the only other passengers were also supporters of the mighty Rhinos who were surprisingly quiet on the way down but not as quiet as the return journey would prove to be. A stop was made at Leicester Forest service station which by the time we arrived resembled the South stand at Headingley ground the night of a home game. There was even one enterprising bloke who had set up shop selling Rhinos memorabilia to the many people who were prepared to shell out for it.
We only really appreciated the wisdom of our choice of transport though when we reached the stadium itself. Our coach carried on past every car and coach park until it reached the road which runs directly under Wembley Way, and there it stopped. Our driver parked directly next to the steps into the ground which literally left us about 200 metres to walk to get to our seats...which were brilliant. This was Elaine’s first trip to a major final so her seat had to be a good one. Row 43, block N right on the half way line.
How do they know?
Because I asked nicely and because Stephanie who works for the corporate side of Leeds rugby is so lovely we were granted our (my ) request of end of row seats. Even the prices at the stadium weren’t going to spoil our day. Now don’t get me wrong here, I wouldn’t dream of paying four quid for a pint of Guinness at home but this is a major stadium and you expect to pay more. Ok so £4.30 for a 33cl bottle of lager is a bit steep but if there are people who are prepared to pay £4.30 for a 30cl bottle when they could pay ten pence less for a pint of the same stuff but choose not to whose fault is that? I did have to agree that four quid for a ‘beef’ pie that probably contained less beef than the entire buffet at a tree huggers wedding was a bit steep but again, no one forced me to pay it. It was all a part of the experience as far as we were concerned. Even when Elaine accidentally kicked over her Guinness at her seat she was able to get the guy next to her to say it was his fault and insist on buying her another!
As usual the main event was preceded by the final of the National Schools competition. We watched the game in its entirety and must surely have seen the emergence of a future star of the game. A young man called Liam Paisley who played for the eventual winners, Dowdales School from Barrow, was everywhere and was eventually to be crowned man-of-the-match presumably for his none stop running and hat trick of tries. I say hat trick because he was credited with a hat trick. However as he crossed the line for his third try with enough time and space to dance the dance of the seven veils if he chose to, his young mate came screaming up behind him and Liam selflessly handed him the ball and let him have the glory of scoring a try at Wembley. Surely the unselfishness of this act must indicate a young man who has a great future in the game...I’m not too sure his coach would be too happy about it though. The trophies for the schools game were presented by Ellery Hanley. As the presentation was shown on the big screen a young boy behind us asked his Dad “Who is that black man?” Bloody hell, talk about out of the mouths of babes. I’m not sure whether the stunned silence was because an innocent young lad had the audacity to point out that Mr Hanley was a different colour or that even at his young age he didn’t recognise arguably the greatest rugby league player that Great Britain has ever produced. The whole thing was put in perspective though when his Mum said “that’s the man who was on the dance programme on telly”...oh how the mighty fall ey? Personally I was mightily impressed at the way Ellery spoke with every single one of the players on both teams, winners and losers, and also gave the captain of the winning team a moment he will never forget when he lifted him onto his shoulder with the cup. I am all for having winners and losers in children’s sports and a few words from a legend to the losers must have gone a long way to helping them come to terms with it.
‘Abide with me’ was a song that my Dad always sang along with, that and ‘Edelweiss’, so when the opera singer sparked it up I sang it for him along with 85,000 other people who were hoping that the other 84,999 would drown out their dulcet tones. It still brings a tear to my eye and makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck though.
Abide with me
The game kicked off.... and 80 minutes later it ended. The mighty Rhinos had not managed to add the Challenge Cup to the Grand Final trophy and at least half of the crowd would go home disappointed. That was to be my second disappointment of the game though. My first was when we saw a fight break out in the stands, and I don’t mean handbags at ten paces I mean an all out fight. Ok ay so it was as the opposite end of the stadium to where we were but in all of my years watching rugby league this was the first time I have ever seen anything like it and I was genuinely shocked. We were surrounded by opposition fans, as were they, that’s the beauty of our sport. It is a family game. There is no place for this sort of behaviour.
A short walk to the steps and we were back onto the bus for the drive home which was to say the least very quiet. There were no conversations about how bad the ref was or how the other side were lucky. It was just accepted that we were beaten by a better team on the day. I wondered about the motivation of both teams. I have no doubts that both teams went there with every intention of winning but I couldn’t help wondering if, as holders of the trophy from 2009, Warrington’s will to retain it was greater than Leeds’s will to obtain it? Is it the same in life - are we more fierce about protecting what we have worked for than we are about getting something new?
The National Express coach pulled into Leeds at 9.30 where once again our neighbour Mark was waiting to pick us up and take us home. By ten thirty we were back in bed with a cup of tea giggling at the fact that the last sixteen hours had gone like this...
• Tea in bed
• Into Marks car to Leeds
• Out of Marks car straight onto a coach for Wembley
• Out of the coach straight into the stadium
• Out of the stadium straight into the coach
• Out of the coach into Marks car
• Back in bed with a cuppa
We worked out that the furthest we had walked all day was about 200 yards and yet we have another adventure to cherish forever.
As for the game, yes I am desperately disappointed but what I feel is probably not even close to what the players are feeling today and for the immediate future. It’s not the taking part that counts it is without a shadow of a doubt the winning that counts. Elaine and I went to Wembley to watch our team win and we lost. We are back home now and going back to our jobs tomorrow. For the players THIS IS THEIR JOB and I know how I feel when things don’t go well at work so far from annoyance with these guys I have nothing but empathy. They will bounce back and my life will go on being the adventure it is because when all is said and done it could be worse, it could be a lot worse, I could be a Castleford fan.