Hilly's birthday, an early train and a visit to Kenilworth Road

I was woken from my slumber on the Saturday by a text from Paul Hill at 5:15am, yes that's right dear reader 5:15, on a Saturday, 5:15! This was due to us all being dirty traitors and using the train rather than supporters coach, a decision which had brought some "interesting" comments from some members of the supporters club.

The birthday boy at 6:15am!

However, as it was Hillys birthday we wanted to drink and mess around and generally have a jolly boys outing. However, due to the complexities of privatised railways and a group saver option, the only way we could get the cheap train to Luton was piling on the 7:13 train, so Mr Hill was texting me to let me know he was awake and would be collecting me at 5:50am to take me to Foxhill (via the crime free leafy suburbs of Combe Down) to get into Bath, before a walk to the station to be there for 7ish. As I said, this was a ridiculously early morning for a Saturday.

However, surprisingly there were no hiccups and the 8 stripes were indeed at Bath Spa/already on the train from Bristol, so all assembled in the carriage, cracked out their morning pork pies/sandwiches/pastries and dined, while wishing a happy birthday to 12 year old Sophie (I think!) But Paul Hill exceeded himself again in his friendliness by wishing his fellow birthday person best wishes.

8 Stipes outside St.Pancras

Then the first beer was opened...at7:30, ridiculous but amusing, personally though I waited! We arrived at London Paddington for 9, so hopped on a tube to St Pancras (Pancreas if Hilly) before moving to a cafe opened by Italian World Cup legend and serial Serie A winner Demetrio Albertini (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demetrio_Albertini) OK I admit, it was unlikely to be the Albertini, but the cafe was lovely, with good cheap food (in London who knew!?!) and some cracking Eastern European fillies (to quote Timbo)

Shameless selfpromotion in Luton toilets

We then moved into the Fullers pub, the Euston Flyer where the rest of us imbued our first pints of the day. A pleasant time was had while waiting for the 9th stripe travelling from Brighton to join us, once he arrived and another pint was supped, we boarded the train to Luton (I'm intentionally glossing over the issue we had finding the platform, a nightmare!)

Artwork on Bricklayers Arms wall

A comfortable journey continued although the accents where getting more annoying, and we arrived at Luton around midday. Christ Luton is ugly, I mean truly ugly, it had none of the industrial charm of Barrow or the quirky niceness of an autumnal Braintree. We went into the Bricklayers Arms which was a superb pub, full of very friendly nice Luton fans, and enjoyed messing around with the chalkboard in the toilets and admired the painted Luton artwork on the wall.

A couple of friendly fans escorted us to the ground, and we entered through everyone's favourite away end! The Oak Road Stands' entrance is through the ground floor of a terrace house and ignoring the ridiculous price (£18 for nonleague ffs!) it is definitely my favourite entrance as it is like none of the 48 grounds I have been in before!

Oak Road entrance, simply unique!

The crowd was an impressive 5,000 and it will be a while before we play in front of a crowd that big again. Luton won the game at a canter, without ever really needing to get out of 2nd gear, however, the stripes battled gamely and could/should have scored twice with Sean Canham missing a chance and Gethin Jones missing a point blank header.

One area which we did win though was crowd noise, despite there being 80 of us, so therefore approximately 4,920 Luton fans we made much the more noise with some cracking songs including Que Sera Sera (http://drinkupyecider.blogspot.com/2012/02/que-sera-sera-whatever-will-be-will-be.html) a Palmer inspired "The Stripes are staying up, cos everyone's in admin" and a rendition of BCFC which knackered my throat so much that I had to buy a drink and was appalled at the £1.80 I was charged for it (and £2.70 for a pie!)

The players applauded long and hard at the end, Adie later tweeted all you could hear was us, and I admit I almost shed a tear (booze probably helped the emotional state!) when we proudly clapped the players and they proudly clapped us back, we might be down but God I love the stripes.

Leaving the ground having only lost 2-0 we were reasonably pleased, headed back to a few pubs before arriving back at Bath Spa at 10ish. Hilly headed into Bath to continue his birthday celebrations while I decided to head home. A cracking jolly boys outing that was enjoyed by everyone, and once again showed that the train is an amazing way to travel. We might be losing, but football isn't all about the game it's about the people you watch it with and the fun you have while getting there.