FMO's Take on last night

[Fantastic Mr Ox]

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I hope you like it.

[Peterorange]

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I hope you like it.

Good stuff. Those two photos could have been taken in India, they really reminded me of my time there!

[Fantastic Mr Ox]

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I hope you like it.

Good stuff. Those two photos could have been taken in India, they really reminded me of my time there!

I know. I spent a month in India some years ago and it genuinely almost felt like I was back there walking in amongst all the sights, sounds and smells of upper Green Street.

A wonderful place, beats Brick Lane hands down for authenticity.

[slappy]

An enjoyable read. I like reading about other people's matchday experience, as you say, there are plenty of match reports around, and if you were there you will mostly nod your head and agree with what's written, or perhaps argue about one or two individual performances.

Wycombe I found strange as it is the first &quotmodern&quot proper ground I've been to in years. 4 sides, with even an upper and lower banked stand. I'd only been to Burton for night games before, so didn't realise how shallow all the stands were, and that it is not actually that big. Similarly Rushden, with the exception of the away stand we go in.

Once you got to Adams Park down the arse-end of a small industrial estate, it was in quite a picturesque setting, nestling in a valley amongst hills and forests (as shown in the picture).

The main drawback I had with West Ham was the queues on the way out for Upton Park station, which I saw were right down the road. Also slightly surprised by the temerity of the Hammers fans to be lording it up on the way down the road after their momentous win. Avoiding the queues I stopped for box of 1 piece of chicken and chips for a bargain £1.20, and then carried on by foot to Plaistow. There we watched 5 trains going the other way, then finally one emptyish train coming our direction, but which sailed straight through, with mainly police on board, presumably having hijacked the train so they could get back to base before the chippy shut.

[theox]

Its interesting that FMO mentions the Luton debacle as I had a conversation along similar lines with my mate on the way out.

That is easily the lowest I have ever felt at a game but last night I did not feel low at all. Nothing was really 'lost'. We had taken a premiership side to the brink and could feel much pride from our performance.

Roll on Accrington and the important issue of the league!

[Fantastic Mr Ox]

The main drawback I had with West Ham was the queues on the way out for Upton Park station, which I saw were right down the road. Also slightly surprised by the temerity of the Hammers fans to be lording it up on the way down the road after their momentous win. Avoiding the queues I stopped for box of 1 piece of chicken and chips for a bargain £1.20, and then carried on by foot to Plaistow. There we watched 5 trains going the other way, then finally one emptyish train coming our direction, but which sailed straight through, with mainly police on board, presumably having hijacked the train so they could get back to base before the chippy shut.

It's a bit late now to let people know, but my route back into London was probably the quickest and least frought with crowds, despite being many legged.

Walk up Green Street past Upton Park Tube to corner of Plashet Road (5 mins) to catch 238 bus to Stratford Station.
Catch shuttle bus from there to Stratford International Station (5 mins || about 10 mins transfer time).
Catch High-Speed train from Stratford International to St Pancras, running every 15 mins (takes 6 minutes).
From St Pancras - tube straight to Paddington, 5 stops (no more than 15 minutes).

All in all, you could have been back at Paddington within 45mins of the final whistle doing this route, with no crowds!

[Dartford Ox]

The main drawback I had with West Ham was the queues on the way out for Upton Park station, which I saw were right down the road. Also slightly surprised by the temerity of the Hammers fans to be lording it up on the way down the road after their momentous win. Avoiding the queues I stopped for box of 1 piece of chicken and chips for a bargain £1.20, and then carried on by foot to Plaistow. There we watched 5 trains going the other way, then finally one emptyish train coming our direction, but which sailed straight through, with mainly police on board, presumably having hijacked the train so they could get back to base before the chippy shut.

It's a bit late now to let people know, but my route back into London was probably the quickest and least frought with crowds, despite being many legged.

Walk up Green Street past Upton Park Tube to corner of Plashet Road (5 mins) to catch 238 bus to Stratford Station.
Catch shuttle bus from there to Stratford International Station (5 mins || about 10 mins transfer time).
Catch High-Speed train from Stratford International to St Pancras, running every 15 mins (takes 6 minutes).
From St Pancras - tube straight to Paddington, 5 stops (no more than 15 minutes).

All in all, you could have been back at Paddington within 45mins of the final whistle doing this route, with no crowds!

And now you have me totally confused FMO (not a particularly difficult thing to do) . In your blog you mention returning to deepest/darkest Kent so I assumed your destination from Stratford International would be Ebbsfleet or Ashford. Instead St Pancras.

I had toyed with the idea of Ebbsfleet to Stratford but landed up parking at the 02 arena and 4 tube stops from North Greenwich to Upton Park.

Getting home inside an hour was sheer joy.

[Fantastic Mr Ox]

The main drawback I had with West Ham was the queues on the way out for Upton Park station, which I saw were right down the road. Also slightly surprised by the temerity of the Hammers fans to be lording it up on the way down the road after their momentous win. Avoiding the queues I stopped for box of 1 piece of chicken and chips for a bargain £1.20, and then carried on by foot to Plaistow. There we watched 5 trains going the other way, then finally one emptyish train coming our direction, but which sailed straight through, with mainly police on board, presumably having hijacked the train so they could get back to base before the chippy shut.

It's a bit late now to let people know, but my route back into London was probably the quickest and least frought with crowds, despite being many legged.

Walk up Green Street past Upton Park Tube to corner of Plashet Road (5 mins) to catch 238 bus to Stratford Station.
Catch shuttle bus from there to Stratford International Station (5 mins || about 10 mins transfer time).
Catch High-Speed train from Stratford International to St Pancras, running every 15 mins (takes 6 minutes).
From St Pancras - tube straight to Paddington, 5 stops (no more than 15 minutes).

All in all, you could have been back at Paddington within 45mins of the final whistle doing this route, with no crowds!

And now you have me totally confused FMO (not a particularly difficult thing to do) . In your blog you mention returning to deepest/darkest Kent so I assumed your destination from Stratford International would be Ebbsfleet or Ashford. Instead St Pancras.

No, I work in Ashford - but live in Central London. So last night I got off at Stratford International on the way home from work, then resumed my journey back to St Pancras after the game, basically!

[Steppers]

As I said on another thread, I was sat in that empty tube train going through all the stations smiling at the unfortunates that it did not stop for and some that had obviously walked to beat the queues.

The lady driver even told off some of the others on the train for laughing at people on the platform and winding them up!!

I can understand why they didnt make public the fast queue for oxford fans but surely thwy could have pulled the ones out of the crowd that were queuing with the west ham fans.

[Baboo]

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I hope you like it.

Certainly did. Marvellous stuff. Keep it coming.

[Mooro]

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I hope you like it.

I very much appreciated your marvellous description of High Wycombe, a place in which I have had the misfortune to reside for the past six years....

Sat inbetween the likes of Marlow and Beaconsfield, it really is a hole -just a shame that God, having had the time to build the various hills on each side did not have the time to fill it in.

[amershamwrighty]

I'm with Mooro on that.

On Tuesday evening, walking up Green Street, listening to some West Ham juveniles cackling at us Yellows about their comprehensive thrashing of my team, I mentioned to my mate &quotYou might be in the 3rd round, but at least I'm going home to leafy Buckinghamshire rather than this sh*thole.&quot.

[Mally]

I'm with Mooro on that.

On Tuesday evening, walking up Green Street, listening to some West Ham juveniles cackling at us Yellows about their comprehensive thrashing of my team, I mentioned to my mate &quotYou might be in the 3rd round, but at least I'm going home to leafy Buckinghamshire rather than this sh*thole.&quot.

It's at times like this you forget that others are less fortunate than the rest of us and have to live in some terrible places. I'm sure I speak for all of the more fortunate individuals on here who live in Oxfordshire when I say my heart goes out to you - Buckinghamshire for God's sake!

[amershamwrighty]

Fair cop, Mally !

If ever Michael Palin were to do a travelogue on Buckinghamshire, he might sum it up as a County of two halves - one half is dead pikey (eg Wycombe, Chesham) and the other half is right up its own a*$e (eg Gerrards Cross, Chalfont St Giles).