It was one of those days that only sports fans would ever experience and even then only sports fans of particular sports.
I choose the park and ride metro option to get to Wolverhampton which was a slight mistake given the amount of Wolves fans on the train. Its odd how you can spend only two hours in the car and be in a place where you are so obviously a stranger.
Luckily no-one spoke to me either on the train or walking to the ground (unlike Old T earlier in the year when two people separately asked me for advice about the Manchester Metrolink).
I was impressed with Molineux for being a new modern stadium that has simply been developed on the site of the old one. Much like the Vic it still feels like a real football ground having four separate stands and none of the identikit-ness of newly built grounds.
Stupidly I didn't buy a programme outside and once I was inside realised you couldn't get programmes inside. I asked a steward and he very very kindly said he'd go back out and get me one. I was very impressed! Even the Wolves catering staff were friendly and cheery and not like the usual 18 year old ASBO kids you get at most grounds. I especially enjoyed the chicken balti pie I had at half time.
My seat was one of the best I think I've ever had at an away ground. Right on the half way line in the lower tear of the Steve Bull Stand. A bit like being in the lower Rous but quite raised up.
The game flowed from end to end but as ever at an away ground it took a while for me to really get into the game as you are still taking in watching in a different environment. Add to that the singing and cheering is always a lot more prominent and important this all adds up to a lot of distractions. I was sitting in amongst a lot of singers which was a good thing.
The first half we looked like we played well but went 1-0 just before half time.
As the second half wore on everyone started getting fed up with Jordan Stewarts dire free kicks and there was near mutiny when Steve Kabba replaced Tommy Smith. However Jordan Stewart then scored a sublime free kick with just 5 minutes to go and we all went mad. With three minutes gone of injury time Steve Kabba ran into their penalty area and was clearly brought down and the ref pointed to the spot. More madness from the Watford end. Marlon King took one of the calmest and best penalties you are ever likely to see and we all went more than mad. It was just the best. One of those times when you know why you are a football fan because its just the best thing ever in the world. There are no moments I have like the second goal going in today that I have anywhere else in life. Nowhere that the emotions could change so quickly.
It really was one of those games where throughout the second half you were really really hoping for an equaliser but you knew that your hoping was completely pointless. We were fairly rubbish in the 2nd half and it was going to be a depressing trip back down the M40. And then the first miracle happened and suddenly we were all smiling. A draw would be a great result. And we were all cheering and urging the team on in a way we hadn't for the whole of the 2nd half. There was belief in the stand, the whinging had gone to be replaced with encouragement. And then it happened and it was just the best.
There was just time for Mart Poom to slip and nearly allow the ball to roll into our goal and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief (again to highlight the changing emotions of football, had that gone in we would have gone from being depressed to happy to ecstatic to depressed again in less than 10 mins) and then the ref blew for full time and we all went crazy again. Marlon was coming over shirt off grinning and then Aidy came clapping us and punching the air and all was right with the world.
Walking out of the ground all the Watford fans suddenly started singing 'There's only one Stevie Kabba' and everyone was grinning at the irony of it all.
Got safely back through the hordes of fed up Wolves fans. Managed not to grin too much and pretended to be deaf when the train conductor spoke to me.
It was a fine day out. One of the best opening days I can remember. Possibly the greatest one of all. It was as good as Barnsley (h) in 2000 when we won 1-0 with the last kick of the game and similar in that then the much maligned Dominic Foley scored. However that was the home opener and was the second game of the season as we'd already won at Huddersfield so I guess it doesn't count.
In the end it may well even be up there in the Top 10 or 20 games I've been to. Certainly the Top 20 moments. It reminded me of Steven Glass scoring the 2nd against Burnley in the Cup QF in 2003. The feeling was that good.
