From the stalemate at the Riverside on Friday night to this afternoons shock result at the Ricoh arena (via a number of goals in Norfolk), the Football League has kicked off!
I travelled to the Valley to see my team Charlton kick off their first campaign at this level since the 1980/81 season and we got exactly what we wanted. Goals. Five to be precise, and a sterling performance from League One new boys, Wycombe Wanderers.
The nature of League One this year means that teams like the Chairboys will have nothing to lose against the fallen giants of Charlton, Norwich and Southampton and results elsewhere hinted that it could be a long season for the league's latest acquisitions. Saints were held to a draw by Millwall, who after losing out in the play-offs last time out, will certainly be aiming for automatic promotion this year. Norwich, on the other hand, were welcomed into the third tier of British football by Colchester who administered a 7-1 spanking on Norfolk soil. Not the start Delia Smith, and indeed 'Club Legend'/manager Bryan Gunn had in mind.
Whilst the wily Addicks were playing some rather nice football and taking a two goal lead against Wycombe my phone didn't stop. I had the BBC goal updates on, and texts from various friends around the country, one of whom was watching the new look Notts County take on Bradford. Needless to say, one Lee Hughes hat-trick and a Sven inspired drubbing later and it was apparently "good to be back" at Meadow Lane!
I had added interest in the day, when I paid a visit to Ladbrokes prior to kick-off. Last year I delved into 1st goalscorer multiple bets (as if it isn't hard enough to pick out one!), and this year was no different. I chose four, in the shape of Nick Bailey (Charlton), James Hayter (Doncaster), Brett Pitman (Bournemouth) and Rickie Lambert (Bristol Rovers).
Now to my credit, all four of my runners scored! Only the 'Hitman' Pitman grabbing the games first though, but I feel this bodes well for my season again and Ladbrokes, if you're reading this, I will seek revenge via a first goalscorer Yankee/L15.
Distractions aside and back to Block P of the West stand, and Miguel Angel Llera, bandage and all, has just put us 3-1 up, and the crowd are loving it. A respectable turnout of 16,500 at the Valley ensured that despite a tense final fifteen minutes (no thanks to Zebroski's second goal of the game giving the Chairboys hopes of an upset), we held on to record our first win at this level in almost thirty years, and with any luck, we can find the winning ways that can, for now, get us back into the Championship.
Where next for me? Well, it's not officially Football League, but I am heading to Eastbourne Borough vs AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night to see the Dons continue their destruction of the lesser tiers of the pyramid re-write history which in fact, the original Wimbledon wrote. It's all very poignant, but for now they have a job to do in the Conference National and with Luton, Mansfield and Wrexham all hoping to reclaim the prize that is the football league, it'll certainly be a bumpy ride. Anyway, I'll be loving life at Priory Lane on Tuesday, and I might even try and get a few cheeky words with John Main after the game.
Love, Goals and Lee Hughes,
JC
