Lovely Day for Glovers

Bobby Moore's head (above) and foot (below) ...

 

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Sunday 19 May 2013 at Wembley Stadium
Result	Yeovil Town 2 Brentford 1
Competition	League One Playoff Final
Hopping	17th visit to the new Wembley, and the second time embedded in Yeovil supporters.  I saw them lose out to Blackpool back in May 2007.
Pre-match preparation
Brentford were third and Yeovil fourth in the regular league table.  Brentford’s end-of-season has been astonishing – they were a penalty away from automatic promotion in their final game, but missed it and conceded to their rivals Doncaster on the break.  They recovered to beat Swindon over two legs in the playoff semi-final while Yeovil were coming from behind to beat Sheffield United.
This match in one sentence
A second Yeovil goal just before the interval proved crucial as they were forced into a rearguard action for most of the second half.
So what?
Yeovil Town are up to the Championship next season for the first time in their history.
The drama unfolds
Yeovil took the lead with a superbly taken goal after only 7 minutes.  Maybe it was lucky that the rebound from Sam Foley’s shot fell kindly for Paddy Madden, but the curling finish with the outside of the boot was classy.  1-0 after 7 minutes By the midpoint of the half, and my scene-setter clip, Brentford had settled and it was an even game.  Yeovil are in green-and-white. The second and pivotal goal came at just the right time for Yeovil.  Foley contributed by beating his man and reaching the byeline on the left, but his cross was headed out for a corner.  This resulted in a headed goal at the far post for Sam Burn (credited to James Hayter at the time) whose header was cleared but not until after it had crossed the line having passed through a group of players in the six-yard box.  2-0 after 41 minutes and at half-time It was clear that Brentford would need to score early and Clayton Donaldson earned a corner from a strong run into the box.  Harlee Dean timed his run to perfection and headed home unchallenged to give Brentford hope with plenty of time left.  2-1 after 51 minutes Another Brentford corner caused chaos and Marek Stetch made a brilliant save on his way to the man-of-the-match award.  The momentum was with Brentford and Yeovil could not keep the ball.  They defended ever deeper, but Brentford also became more desperate.  Stech was not beaten again.  My final clip is the 6 minutes of stoppage time and includes some of the finest agricultural hoofing ever to grace the hallowed turf of the national stadium.  Yeovil hung on for a historic win.  Final score 2-1
The programme
Something random
The density of osmium is a staggering 22.6g/cm3 … is that random enough for you?
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Up to 191 goals for the season now, and the 13th three-goal game.
Mars Bar Watch 2013
All sorts of crazy choconomics in the WH Smith at South Mimms Services on the A1(M).  A standard 58g Mars Bar costs 85p (bad enough in itself) but they sit just below the Duo (2 x 42.5g = 85g of Marsy goodness) for 95p.  I bought a small 46g Galaxy bar for 85p just for a change and even the assistant pointed out that I was committing chococonsumerism craziness because the giant 125g bars of the same stuff were on sale at the till for £1.  I have no willpower so I declined but I probably won’t sleep now.  Good job I am not the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
What Next?
No idea!  I will try to fit in another match or two, but the main thing is that I will be asking Hopping for Moorfields sponsors to pay up fairly soon.  Please adjust your budgets accordingly!

It's Just Bantam

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 18 May 2013 at Wembley Stadium
Result	Bradford City 3 Northampton Town 0
Competition	League Two Playoff Final
Hopping	My sixteenth visit to the “new” Wembley and my first game for several weeks (due to work commitments!).  It is the second time I have sat among Bradford City supporters.  The last time was at the end of 2001-2 when I managed to suppress my elation at Igor Balis’ stoppage time penalty winner at Valley Parade as West Brom took a giant step towards a first season in the Premier League.
Pre-match preparation
Bradford City have had a remarkable season, reaching the League Cup Final (and losing to Swansea) and sneaking into the final playoff place.  Both they and Northampton beat higher-placed opponents in the playoff semi-finals.  Bradford may find their Wembley experience to be an advantage, though to be fair that’s what West Brom thought after their FA Cup Semi-Final as they went on to lose narrowly to Derby County at the end of 2006-7.
This match in one sentence
Bradford City nailed the win in the first half-hour and this was as close to a stroll in the park as you could get for a Wembley final.
So what?
Bradford City are promoted to League One.
The drama unfolds
I had chosen the highest-altitude ticket in the stadium and took my place in block 527 high above the half-way line.  Here’s a scene-setter clip taken during the early sparring.  Bradford are in gold and black, Northampton in maroon.  Both sides have half-chances and long throws from Northampton pose an early threat. Bradford City took control of the game in the 15th minute.  An overhit cross from the left fell to Garry Thompson on the right of the penalty box and he chipped it intelligently back to the far post where James Hanson had a fairly simple header to open the scoring.  1-0 after 15 minutes It was only another four minutes before something similar happened.  This time the overhit cross was driven to the near post from the right by Nathan Doyle, and this time Rory McArdle stole a yard of space and glanced a header home.  2-0 after 19 minutes The game was effectively over as a contest before the half-hour mark.  Kyel Reid had acres of space for a left-wing cross which was headed back unselfishly across the 6-yard box by Thompson to Nahki Wells who finished easily.  3-0 after 28 minutes and at half-time The second half was largely forgettable for the neutral.  Northampton keeper Lee Nicholls made a fingertip save to stop a fourth, and although there was plenty of effort.  I took another couple of clips as the party atmosphere grew to my left and the right side dispersed in disappointment.  The last one has Northampton's final chance for a consolation followed shortly by the final whistle.  Final score 3-0
The programme
Something random
For readers not paying attention to my Twitter feed, the reason for my absence from the groundhopping world for a month or so is a change of job.  I made a leap back into a full-time teaching position as Director of Science at a large comprehensive school in Hertfordshire, and so the work-life balance has been disturbed and has not yet reached a new position of equilibrium.  Ofsted turned up on my eighth day!  I will be back in the summer with a readjusted blog, probably with more tangents as I try to make sense of the world of education in England once again.  I have some stories to tell.
Hopping for Moorfields Update
188 goals in 54 matches and the 12th three-goal game of the season.  The day of reckoning is not too far away, sponsors – my enforced recent break means that the final value of each penny-a-goal pledge will be around the £2 mark.
Mars Bar Watch 2013
An utterly outrageous £1.20 for a standard 58g bar in the concession kiosks on Wembley Way.  I think they rioted for less provocation than this in 1789 in Paris, or was that marzipan? I’m not sure.  Earlier this week the Shell service station on Breakspear Way in Hemel Hempstead was running a special offer of 3 standard bars for £1.50.  Capitalism, eh?  Shell must be getting a backhander from the independent dentists.
What Next?
Off to Wembley again for Yeovil Town v Brentford on Sunday!