One got off at Taplow

I’m sure the lady on the train intercom actually said: “If you do not show a valid ticket, you may have to pay a penalty fare,” but to me it sounded more like, “if you do not show a valid ticket, you may have to take part in a penalty shootout.” That’s what happens when you haven’t seen a game for five weeks. Your marbles become misplaced.

Then, on Saturday (4 July), the agony was finally over. After the sun had burned down from a cloudless sky throughout the morning, there were spots of rain on the window as the 1.12 to Twyford pulled gently out of Paddington station. It was packed, with every seat taken and a few people standing. Of the 300 passengers 299 were going to the Henley Regatta and one got off at Taplow.

Taplow United of the Reading Football League were at home to Combined Counties League Bedfont in a pre-season friendly. I’d never been there before. The Stanley Jones Memorial Ground in Berry Hill was an eight-minute walk from the station and a crowd of 38 – about 37 more than I was expecting – sat on the grass as the visitors, now managed by ex-pro’ Neil Shipperley, did the early attacking.

United rode their luck a little in the first half to keep it at 0-0. It was 45 minutes each half with rolling substitutions, the first of which was made after 20 minutes as Bedfont’s No.8 jogged off.

It was a warm afternoon, but certainly not close to the 33 degrees experienced in London three days earlier. My first goal of my 50th season as a football fan was scored by Bedfont on 53 minutes. Three minutes later it was 2-0 and it finished 3-0. It wasn’t a bad game for a friendly.

So I’m up to 5,674 games now. I’ll probably do one midweek game and then go down to Bournemouth for the weekend. It’s great to be back.