Sunday 17th May 2015

Saturday.

Game on.

The football season, (yes, this will be mostly about football, normal service will be resumed tomorrow, or the day after) is over. Or mostly over. The Premier League still has a couple of games to go, but the Football League and the rest of non-league football has ended. With the exception of the play-offs, and those of you who read regularly like, will know that to make it back to the Prem, we, first, had to beat our nearest and dearest rivals, Ipswich over two legs. Last week's game ended 1-1, so, all to play for.

I had asked friends if they could get me a ticket, and at eight yesterday morning, I was tweeted one was available. But I had to be in Norwich at eleven. That was never going to happen. So, I had to accept I would be following the game from afar.

Jools had chores to run in town, so left me to mess around until it was time to watch the game, she was planning on being out for two hours, so seeing her return in less than an hour was a surprise, only then did I see the dent in the front wing of the car. She was at the car park at the Co-op, when a woman driving the wrong way drove into the front of the car. She is OK, the car is driveable, but the wing and front of the car needs replacing. Along with the front wheel too I suspect.

So began the notifying of the insurance companies, whilst we did that, we missed a call from her Dad. Despite our warnings that no one can look into your computer without your permission, he had allowed it that morning, and lost control of their PC. We advised him to pull the plug on it, and remove it from the router. The guy from India called back and wanted to know why they had done that. But the damage was done. By the time we got there, and I ran a virus check, eight critical threats were removed, including the remote access software, but even then, it was not enough. We arranged to take it to a repair shop to be re-formatted.

Even worse than that, was when we told them they would have to cancel all their bank cards, check transactions for that day. All round buggered up their lives.

Time was running out, we drove to Deal to drop the machine off, and explain what had happened. Eighty quid for that. And it seems that their tablet is infected too, but it is cheaper to get a new one.

It was quarter past twelve, the big game had kicked off, so Jools dropped me off at The Alma, where the match was being shown. I went in, ordered a pint, and so the torture began.

With the game all square, any mistake could be decisive, and in the 1st half, it was cagey, if anything Ipswich were the better team, and they game played how they wanted. Just before halftime, their digital box failed, and so we were left looking at a black picture. All through halftime, the landlord tried to reset it, and finally, 5 monutes into the second half, or maybe ten, the picture was restored. But, by that time, all had changed. Thanks to an old boy who had the shame showing on his mobile, I watched as an Ipswich player handled a shot on the line: a penalty to City, and a red card for him. Wes put the spot kick away, and I leaped around the pub, nearing the end of my third or forth pint.

City one up, playing against ten men, should be all over. But a ball hoicked into the penalty area following a foul, a couple of missed clearances, and the ball fell to a Town player, he skipped past Ruddy, and put the ball in the net. Carrow Road fell silent, apart from those in Blue in the corner.

Four minutes later, after a couple of blocked shots, the ball came to Redmond, and he fired the ball in, under the Town keeper: 2-1.

And to finish the game, Jerome was put through by Redmond, 1 on 1 with the keeper, who would get the final touch? Jerome, and the ball tricked under the keeper's armpit and int the back of the net. 3-1. Game set and match. Carrow Road explodes. I leap around the pub once again, order another pint.

The game peters out, and City win, the crowd are on the pitch, they think its all over. It is now. Of course.

I thank the landlord, and we drive home. Or Jools does, I am full of beery goodness. I manage to stay awake through the Prem games, but all was about City's win: social media in Norfolk and among fans, went mad.

I spent a couple of hours waiting to see if I could get a ticket: I could not. Oh well.

One final act was to cook dinner, I was sober enough to work with a sharp knife, I make breaded butterfly chicken breasts, and we have the rest of the pasta salad and breaded aubergine too. It was the first thing we had eaten during the day. It was good.

We sat in the back garden as dusk fell, until the bats came out, and did aerobatics above our heads, catching inspects to eat.

What a day.