Wembley Snatched Away Again!

For the second time this season a trip to Wembley was snatched away from West Ham at the final hurdle, this time in the FA Cup quarter final.

I've been looking forward to this one for a while, what with many other committments away games have been few and far between. This was my first for a long, long time and Henry's first ever. Match tickets obtained and train tickets booked we set off from Milton Keynes and arrived in Stoke late morning. From this point onwards our plans fell apart. We had intended to get to the stadium and eat at the Harvester close by before the match, but us and the hundreds of others on the "West Ham express" were herded (in the nicest possible sense) to the nearby Staffordshire University bar which had been set aside for our exclusive use.

Having drained a pint of Guinness (or Coke in Henry's case) we jumped on one of the double decker buses provided by the police to get us to the ground. It turns out that Stoke's supporters are pretty low on the human scale according to the Old Bill. With two motorbikes out front and a van behind we were taken non stop to the Britannia with all other traffic held up for us. We felt like VIPs. We grabbed some food (at the usual expensive captive audience rates) and took our seats amongst the other 4,500 travelling Irons.

As the game got underway we were immediately put under pressure and Green made a top quality save from Etherington after just a couple of minutes. It wasn't all that long before the first goal arrived. Predictably a Rory Delap long throw wasn't cleared and Stoke went ahead, athough the TV showed that it shouldn't have stood. As is ever the case we got behind our team and they did improve, although still managed to make Jermaine Pennant actually look like a footballer.

Half an hour into the game finally we managed an equaliser. A great ball through from Hitzlsperger found Piquionne, who controlled with his arm before lobbing the keeper and bundling the ball in. Fabulously the ref gave the goal and we taunted the Stokies with "We only score from handballs!" before shouting "handball" every time one of our players touched the ball. The goal brought us a bit more into the match and at half time it was still all square.

The second half started dramatically. After just 15 seconds the ex-West Ham winger Etherington ran into the box and took a dive. Ironic really as the Stoke CEO had written in the programme that their players have been intructed by the manager NOT to do such a thing. Presumably Etherington will be fined heavily for disobeying orders. Anyway, the ref predictably bought it and Etherington himself took the spot kick. Green, however, leapt to his left to save magnificently and keep the scores level. If there is a better 'keeping plying his trade in England I have yet to see him.

Not yet finished, later in the half the referee awarded Stoke a free kick about 30 yards out. It was driven straight at the wall, and despite (as TV evidence showed) Carlton Cole pulling his arm away as the ball approached he wasn't quite quick enough and it caught his elbow. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred play would continue but not with this ref. Oh no, he awards another free kick for handball. This time, right on the edge of the box a shot is again driven in. Unspotted by referee or his assistants Thomas Hitzlsperger is grabbed around the waist and dragged out of the wall and to the floor. The ball flies through the gap created and Green can't stop it, although he almost does. 2-1 Stoke.

This prompts West Ham into action and they dominate the remainder of the game, hitting the bar and having a penalty claim denied. A claim that TV analysis can see no reason for being not given. Ultimately though the efforts are futile as the final whislt blows with no further score. The game has been decided by a referee who allowed three goals that should all have been disallowed, given one penalty that shouldn't have been and not given another that should.

An hours wait after the final whislte and our buses are given the same police escort back to the station, with the warning about the Stoke fans in the first pub we will pass probably attempting to stone the buses. According to the officer sat next to me, Stoke fans are, and I quote, "scum bags". Laughably the match ticket claims that they are officially the loudest fans in England. Today they weren't even the loudest fans in the Britannia as they were easily outsung by the Hammers faithful, despite a numbers advantage of 4:1. In fact we heard them on only four occasions - each of the two goals, a quick song after the second goal and at the final whislte. Mind you, if I had to watch a second rate team in a second rate stadium playing second rate football then I'd probably be a second rate fan too!

All in all, apart from the result (which in fairness should have been a draw), we had a great day out. I'm already looking forward to the next one - Wigan in May if I can get a couple of tickets. Come on you Irons!