TUESDAY, APRIL 23
Brandon Town 3 Watton United 3
FROSTBITE at the weekend and now sunburn today: welcome to spring in Britain.
I am on another birdwatching mission, this time at the RSPB's amazing reserve at Lakenheath. Just six miles away is Brandon Town of the Anglian Combination Division One who just happen to be playing at home this evening. It's almost as if I'd planned it…
Jane SatNav takes me to the ground on Church Road, which is a roped-off park pitch adjacent to the leisure centre. I enter the clubhouse to check the match is on but before I can say a word a club official dashes up to welcome me and shake my hand. He has mistaken me for the referee!
After owning up to being ‘just' a Hopper and confirming the start time of 6.30pm, I make the short walk to a chippie on the main road.
There is a constant traffic jam in this bottleneck town. The massive portion of fish and chips is wonderful but I cannot finish it all.
Back at the ground, the players are warming up, though it is hardly needed in the hot sunshine. Families are having an evening out at the game, which is nice to see. Three mums and their well-behaved kids are chilling on a picnic blanket beside me. Suddenly, one kid screams in pain: he has burnt his hand on his mum's cigarette (because it's always an excellent idea to smoke near small children).
While comforting the sobbing child, she casually mentions to her friends that “he's done that before”.
Unbelievable!! The club official I met earlier approaches and asks if I would like to copy down the teamsheets, which is nice. No admission fee is asked for and there is no programme.
The game is entertaining. Watton look a strong side and seem to have things wrapped up when they go 1-3 ahead.
Remarkably, Brandon score two late goals to snatch a share of the points; no-one is more surprised by this than their players and manager!
Another superb day out combining football and birds. I may not be the ‘saddest' man in the world but I bet it's a close contest…
sad.hopper@ntlworld.com
