My day at Wembley!

Like many at Wembley on Saturday it was my first West Ham Wembley experience as the Hammers took on Blackpool for the biggest prize in the football, Premier League status.

Now the best way to explain my Wembley experience is to nick the lyrics from an Olly Murs song, “My heart skips a beat”.

After various changes of clothes, I went to the kitchen for some toast, 6 slices to be precise, thinking ahead to the impending pub visits. I had butterflies in my stomach I couldn’t wait; I just wanted to get on that train and go. But I couldn’t stomach the toast; I had to throw two piece of toast away. So despite only living 10 minutes from the station I left with 20 minutes to spare. A decision I regret as I had to wait for that ten minutes for Billy, mind you that is becoming a bit of a ritual.

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So on the train we got, I turned to Billy to say “I’m not enjoying these pre match nerves”, he just smiled having been to both previous play-off finals and the FA Cup final. But you could see in his eyes just how excited he was to be going to Wembley. What seemed like the longest train journey in history came to an end when we reached our stop, St Pancras International. A short tube journey to Baker Street, after much deliberation with the people we were meeting, one being my Dad, after a silly suggestion from Billy of Covent Garden, it was safe to say Baker Street was taken a lot better.

This is when my nerves turn to sheer excitement, as we walked out of the tube station we saw a sea of claret and blue, it put in perspective just how special inside Wembley was going to be. So we met up with the others and looked for somewhere to grab a drink. The Globe was quickly ticked off the list, as the older generation that were with us said “It’s too rammed in there we just want a quiet drink.” So after a 10 minute walk we came across a pub called the ‘Marylebone Wood’. After two swift pints in there, drunk on excitement Billy disappeared outside, and we found him chatting to two other Hammers fans. We dragged him away and headed down to the Globe.

This is where I got really excited for Wembley, You couldn’t get into the Globe, and we had to wait on the other side of the road. As pint cans of everything and anything were being handed out. This is where the atmosphere started to grow for Wembley, singing to confused tourist who expected a quite trip around London, not when West Ham is in town.

Around quarter to two we headed for Wembley, we jumped on the tube at Baker street and the sing song continued, sorry to disappoint the chap next to me, who turned to me and said “I had

the whole train and I’m next to the only one who can’t sing” He was right I’ve listened back to the videos, it’s safe to say I won’t be receiving a call from Simon Cowell anytime soon. A few belting chants later including, “Bloomfield road to Upton Park stick your deckchair up ya arse” swiftly followed by “Bloomfield road to Upton Park stick ya donkey up your arse” and we had arrived at Wembley Park.

And the sea of tangerine and claret and blue, sent shivers down my spine, it was actually happening we were at Wembley. Despite the scarfs being ten quid I had to buy it, I’m a sucker for merchandise on the bright side I did get a free scarf too! A slow walk down Wembley way to take it all in, I met my Dad at the Bobby Moore statue, another moving moment on my roller-coaster Wembley experience. I wore my Bobby Moore 6 shirt, as I felt it was right, West Ham are going to the Home of football,

where Sir Bobby had all these memories it just felt right to respect that.

Fifteen minutes or so later and we were in, a swift pint later and we took to our seats to watch the atmosphere grow. The pre match sing song felt like an away day, it was brilliant. The game started and after early Blackpool chances, the heart began to pump that little bit faster. Then a long diagonal ball from Matthew Taylor picked out Carlton Cole. The world felt like it stopped for

a minute as he took control of the ball, the next thing I remember is leaping up and down like a madman, being grabbed from both sides and hugging James who was too my right. West Ham United were leading at Wembley. And as we started to blow our bubbles the noise was deafening, it felt incredible to be apart off.

Early in the second half the delirium turned into heart break as an almost identical goal from Tom Ince silenced the Hammers faithful, Tom Ince had scored, could it be worse the son of Paul Ince scoring. The heart began to race again as the Blackpool dominance continued, the claret and blue army nerves were being tested to the full. I spent most of that second half with my hands clasped around my neck, shouting “get it out”. As the clock ticked down it was beginning to look more and more likely that my first Wembley experience was going to go the distance. Then in the 87 th minute the moment happened, a swift counter attack from the Hammers left Ricardo Vaz Te with an open net, it began to go in slow motion as he kicked the ball. It ripped the net and this time the celebration was even crazier we were 3 minutes away from the Premier League, as I grabbed hold of James and Billy, arm flying everywhere. My heart was pumping faster now, surely on adrenaline, the clock ticked down. I didn’t know what to do, so I got my phone out and recorded the last few minutes.

Admittedly looking back on the footage I’m not sure what I was filming, but the memories of the full time celebrations will always be on my phone. The full time whistle went and as I was bouncing

around a pesky Sky TV camera spotted myself James and Billy, as our over excitement was seen worldwide.

 

 

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Seeing Kevin Nolan lift the cup was something I’ll never forget, it’s something I thought I’d never see being a West Ham fan lifting a cup at Wembley, as I gazed around at the smiling West Ham face, it dawned on me “this is something special.”

As I met up with my Dad after the game, I don’t think the win had quite sunk in yet, I was speechless, all I said to him was “I was on TV”.

We got off at Baker Street again, in search for a pub to continue the celebration, only to be disappointed to see the Met police had shut every pub. After long deliberation we decided to call it a

day and head home. It’s been too much excitement for one day.

I got home, had a few beers in my flat watching the Champions League final, and let the moment sink in. West Ham United are back in the Premier League.

Thank You all the West Ham fans, players and staff, for helping to realise a dream, the atmosphere didn’t disappoint.

Come on you Irons!

Tweet me @Bowdenwhu, with your memories of West Ham at Wembley.

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