For I Am Ten Again : Cardiff City Vs West Ham Part One: The Anticipation

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

For one day only Brexit does not matter. For one day only I'm not interested in Welsh or Scottish independence, or in the reunification of Ireland. For one day only I turn a blind eye to climate change, or Trump or Putin. For one day only the social mess of a disunited kingdom is not a priority.

For one day only I will not monitor daughter's revision for GCSE exams, or  buying a house (still ongoing) or how wife or mother is.

For one day only it does not matter.

For I am ten again. My first true love West Ham United are playing Cardiff City and as regular readers will know I have a ticket!!!. I have monitored the situation since I knew the match was taking place. I have constantly rung the Cardiff City ticket office to find out when they would be available for non season ticket holders. I have specially gone to the Cardiff City stadium.

And I have a ticket!!!!

It is as I'm writing this 5:37am in the morning. I have actually been awake for about an hour before. It's not insomnia this time. It's as if Christmas Day has come to Cardiff on the ninth of March.

The plan is simple. So that wife will be able to watch the Scotland Wales rugby game she will drop me at the Cardiff City stadium at about 1:15. That doesn't bother me. I'll go into the gift shop. Buy the programme and other stuff from there and other matchday vendors (I remember last time I went there to watch a friendly there was a place in the stadium selling football books - wonder if it's still there) and I'll go into the ground early.

For whilst I am ten again I'm not a stupid ten year old in a fifty five year old man's body. Will get in early not to be caught out as someone who doesn't regularly go to Cardiff City games and so not familiar with entering the stadium. I will also be sitting amongst the Bluebirds. So whilst I'll be a Hammers fan I'll also be a quiet one.

Any other problems? Well unusually for me West Ham come into the game as clear favourites. They are ninth in the Premier League after a disastrous start and I think victory will mean they're safe from relegation this season (so early!). Cardiff City on the other hand are still in a relegation struggle. They have suffered not just defeats but embarrassing ones at that. If the highlights in the last defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers is a guide they looked ordinary and deflated.

However any West Ham fan will tell you that it's typical to beat Liverpool and lose to Cardiff City. So there's a worry.

I said before that I genuinely wish Cardiff City (and indeed Swansea, Newport etc) well.....just not today.

The other real problem, is that the reality will not be as good as the anticipation. The fifty five year old in me knowing full well that reality bites...and sometimes it bites hard.

But let's hope that doesn't happen.

COME ON YOU IRONS!!!! (which as you will guess I won't be shouting being amongst the bluebirds fans this afternoon)

Until the next time.