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I MISSED WEMBLEY
It’s fair to say we all had the time of our lives back in May, and I’m no different in that sense. But the time of my life did not happen to come at Wembley Stadium, oh no. As a matter of fact, for me, it was some 5,000-plus miles away in an intricate little watering hole just east of the Las Vegas strip. I know, look at me, right?
Yes, sadly, I suppose, there was no swimming
in fountains at Trafalgar Square or being part of Sunderland taking over [everywhere we go] as I swapped all that for the trip of a lifetime down the West Coast of the States. I suppose I could have tried the swimming part in the Bellagio fountains, mind you.
I guess there’s only myself to blame for missing
out on our first [proper] Wembley success since
that one. But we’ve all done it. We’ve all had that momentary lapse where we do the one thing we shouldn’t and give those significant others in our lives the controls when it comes to booking holidays.
Part of me figured it would be OK. We’d go up automatically this time, right? The other part of me realised the flight home from Vegas would be, in fact, just hours after the full-time whistle would blow at Wembley. Blimey, some flight this could be. But in essence, when the trip was booked, Sunderland were the last thing on my mind. And let’s face it, a trip to the Golden Triangle of America is not to be sniffed at - and it wasn’t.
Sunderland had worn me down. League One had worn me down. If truth be told, the COVID hiatus
was almost a welcome one in that it took
the decision out of my hands over whether
to renew my season ticket having narrowly avoided death by Phil Parkinson. Another failed play-off jaunt at the hands of Lincoln City did little to warm the juices about another renewal last season before work commitments then took the decision out of my hands again.
But what is it they say about absence and the heart? As fans returned and those days with the lads were back on the table, suddenly I was missing out.
I got to a handful of games last season when
I could, I’ll shoulder part of the responsibility for my only away visit being to Rotherham for example, and it was good. But after watching Chris Maguire throw his weight around and square up to Lee Johnson in January, the thought of having to worry about missing us
at Wembley in May didn’t seem to matter, because we weren’t getting there. The rest, as they say, is history.
I was lucky enough to be at the home leg against Sheffield Wednesday. Wow. Where 12
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