Picked up the rental car in Ilford. We struggled with what to book. My leg is still recovering from surgery and radiation so I didn't want anything too cramped but its hard to tell on the net how much room some of these obscure models have and in most cases you don't get what you booked anyway, you get something similar. I was also keen for cruise control so that I could rest my leg on the motorways. We booked a Skoda Octavia but were given a spiffy Volvo V60 which is the next class up. Heaps of leg room, cruise control, built in Sat Nav, leather seats, voice activated audio, 6 star safety rated. It's a $60k+car. Jackpot.
Headed north to West Bromich which is very close to Birmingham in the midlands. Carole got a great deal on a Premier Inn for £19 ($30) and the room was palatial with ceilings about 20 feet high with massive windows and curtains. Don't know if there is a bed bigger than a king but I think each side of the bed was in a different post code!
Caught the bus across the road for the short trip to West Bromich Albion's home ground, The Hawthorns. No Hammers on board and some rum looking types. On the top deck there was a pit bull sleeping in the aisle! Grabbed a quick chicken tikka on a baguette and headed to the away turnstiles. We were patted down as we entered but Ben was left alone so we'll have to remember to hide our flares and weapons under Ben's coat next time!
Great seats about 15 rows back but as always it's problematic for Ben and to a lesser extent Carole as the away fans stand up during the game and sit at half time whereas the home team sit during the game and stand during the interval. At half time Ben tried his luck and went and sat on the steps in the aisle of the front row and no stewards moved him on so there he stayed, later joined by Carole.
West Brom have no super stars but have started the season off incredibly well occupying 3rd at one stage until a recent slump of 3 losses on the trot. West Ham are missing several crucial players due to injury including our main striker, Andy Carroll and our marauding midfielder Momo Diame. And we missed them both, especially Diame in the 1st half where we allowed them far too much space in midfield and it was only their poor finishing that saw us go in level at the break. We came out with a greater sense of urgency in the 2nd half and closed them down much better but they still had several chances to take the lead but our defence was resolute with our 2 centre backs Winston Reid (a kiwi) and James Collins (a welshman) being immense. Perhaps they have a sense of solidarity over their shared cultural fondness of sheep. Carlton Cole came into the game a bit more and we also had some chances but towards the end we settled for a draw. A very good point away from home.
The papers called the game a snore draw and a Christmas turkey but it was far from that.
We couldn't get back to the bus stop after the game as we were corralled out with the away fans in the wrong direction but one of the thousand police bobby's told us we could catch a tram back into town. Melbournesque.
Sunday night away games are pretty dead afterwards as people head home for work the next day rather than stay over and the bar at our digs was dead. Had a nice feed (steak so probably more mad cow, I'm still banned from donating blood thanks to a Uk trip in 1991), and then back up to our Palace drawing room.
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