Three for the fans down Ashton Gate...

...We'll follow til we're dead, me boy, follow til we're dead.



I simply had to take a quick break from blogger retirement to mention an amazing season for Bristol City, even though it just wasn't to be in the end.

The victory over Palace in the play-off semi-final prompted an Ashton Gate pitch invasion for the second consecutive season.



The atmosphere that night was probably the best I have ever witnessed, with chants doing two or three full circuits around the ground before being replaced by another. It seemed to make the difference when the players were tired in the extra time, and when the second goal went in to kill off the opposition I experienced yet another bear-hug from the guy with tourettes who sits behind me, as he screamed a string of obscenities into my ear.

So this was my first glimpse of the new Wembley, as I walked out of the tube station. Five seconds later an announcement read 'please do not stand at the top of the steps taking photographs'. I was relieved to see a row of people behind me caught red-handed.



The walk up 'wembley way' (which according to google earth is now called 'olympic way' - nonsense!) brought back memories of the first time I had made that walk as a seven-year-old, and the nervous excitement I had felt then was much the same as now.



Despite being about 10 rows from the highest seat in the stadium, the view was amazing. Compared to the old Wembley, with it's gradual slopes and giant greyhound track, you felt a lot closer to the action. Maybe it was a good idea after all.







In other news, my football team 'Hope FC' has folded but the tune i wrote using the name 'Hope' in it's memory has been played on BBC 1Xtra.

Oh and and I turn 30 tomorrow.