Page 162 - 368603 LP250721 AWY AWY AWY Book (238pp A5)

We were given twenty minutes break and I was pleased to maintain a noble tradition of being first to the bar. And why not? At £2.90 for a pint of Kronenbourg, it was 60p cheaper than most places I frequent. Maybe I should start hanging out there more regularly, though the security is pretty tight. The mood among the fans was great and it was nice to meet folks from clubs that I've never met, and hopefully will never meet barring cup games. I didn't recognize a lot of the shirts and I discovered that Lincoln also play in red and white stripes. I was a bit wary beforehand that they'd try to make a big love-fest out of it and have me singing alongside a Newcastle fan while we weaved flowers in each other's hair but it didn't turn out like that at all. In fact I couldn't see a Newcastle fan anywhere but their mascot was among the ten or so represented. What resembled a very large sex-toy turned out to be Harry (maybe Freddy) the Shrimp, the mascot of Southend. I mentioned to the lad at my side that Sunderland loanee Jean Yves Mvoto was currently at Southend and he suggested that Harry the Shrimp was perhaps him. The second session went very well too, and no doubt a few ales had helped, so that we were all done and dusted by 5.15 and not the projected 6.30. The whole thing was very well filmed and photographed, and after the recording had finished we had a sing through for the benefit of Sky T.V.
It was a very enjoyable afternoon and I doubt if I'll have the chance to repeat it so I'm still buzzing as I write this. These days when some people are trying to portray we football supporters as a bunch of moronic thugs, a diverse
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