Page 128 - 368603 LP250721 AWY AWY AWY Book (238pp A5)

emerged into the sunlight and approached the turnstiles he still hadn’t produced a ticket and I was intrigued. As we got to the turnstiles he told me to go first and then he squeezed in behind and pushed so we both had to go through. There were no cops around and the turnstile operator didn’t seem to be concerned so we just wandered in. When we got round the corner, I gave him £30 – I suppose I could just have buggered off but he’d got me in for the agreed fee. Of course I didn’t have a ticket so I just sat down among an area of Luton fans and there were plenty of empty seats. I got into my seat just as Stokes scored for us and I was the only Sunderland fan in a sea of locals. I got my bearings and saw that I was very near the front and almost on the half-way line with a certain Mr Roy Keane standing arms folded right opposite me. Next thing Murphy scored a great second and I forgot where I was as I roared my approval.
At half-time I noticed a small plaque attached to a seat in front of me – ‘Ozzy Oliver’s. Wish we were here’. The sounds coming over the p.a. were pretty tasty with the Stone Roses featured among others.
We ended up winning 5-0 and Luton’s manager Kevin Blackwell said it was men against boys and that seems fair enough. Apart from a more sustained flurry near the beginning of the second half when we were already three up, Luton didn’t threaten much at all and the result was never in doubt. The local wasps were more threatening – maybe it was all those orange Luton shirts? Having lived through the hell
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