Hardwick Sports and Social Club go to Wembley.

Sunday 17th May 2009 saw Members of Hardwick Sports and Social Club join the great exodus of the Amber Army down to Wembley to witness Cambridge United finally return to their rightful place in the Football League via the Blue Square Conference play off.

Memories of last seasons devastating 1-0 defeat to Exeter were still fresh in the mind and today was the day that we would be there to observe history being made. We would all be able to proudly tell our grandchildren, one day in the future, that ‘we were there’.

A crowd of confident and expectant supporters had gathered in the rain swept Egremont Road car park and, at shortly after 11.00am, we were on our way with a full contingent of 33 football experts on board.

It soon became clear that most of Cambridgeshire was on the move as every other car; van and coach, on the A1 South and North Circular seemed to contain excited U’s supporters.

The occasion clearly got to one individual who, wrapped up in the excitement of what lay ahead, decided that he simply had to empty the contents of his stomach (breakfast?) on the grass verge as we joined the A41. I must point out that this person was not from our coach but the incident did raise the first raucous cheer of the day. In fact events conspired to ensure that this proved to be the loudest cheer of the day!

The famous Wembley Arch soon loomed before us; the Temple Of The Beautiful Game beckoned the Believers.

Having departed the coach our merry band dispersed to enjoy the many and varied cultural delights of the local Wembley area. Some of the local Industrial Estates were of significant architectural interest. A group of us eventually ended up in the car park of the Premier Inn (adjacent to the exit from Wembley Park Station) where we enjoyed many witty exchanges and humorous badinage with the few visiting Torquay supporters. The beer flowed like wine. The excitement built.

Shortly after 3.15 we enthusiastically joined the many faithful thousands on the final leg of the journey as we walked along the famous Wembley Way to the ground. Judging by the numbers of Police around I wondered if there was a local G20 protest in the area; I haven’t seen that many horses since the last Grand National. Someone should have rung ahead and told Mr and Mrs Plod that we United fans are a thoroughly decent and respectable lot. My patience was then tested by a 6’6” 20 stone bouncer/jobsworth/security guard who insisted my octogenarian father in law presented a public order risk as he was in possession of a plastic bottle of orange squash and insisted he decant it into a plastic beaker or be refused entry. The world really has gone daft.

Now, finally seated, the crowd reached fever pitch as the United Gladiators entered the magnificent arena, a thousand torn up Yellow Pages directories were launched skyward. What could possibly go wrong?

4.05pm – the match kicked off, we lost 2-0.

The trip home was subdued.

The end.

N.B. A word of thanks to Carriageway Coaches of Landbeach who ensured that we all got there, and back, safely. Further thanks to the Officers and Committee of Hardwick Sports and Social Club who generously agreed to subsidise the cost of travel for Members. Final thanks to Mark Hurry who worked hard to guarantee that we had a full coach and that all the arrangements went smoothly.

Chris Cracknell.

Football Correspondent,
Hardwick Sports and Social Club.