A Wry Smile When Plans Go Awry

Hopperational Details: logistical problem on Wednesday 7 February 2018.

Please laugh with me, not at me.

In my defence, this is not a groundhopping trip.  Hello from Chennai, or Madras as it was called in the days of my ancestors, and who are the real reason that I am here.  The plan is to see some of the architectural relics of this old colonial corner of the Empire, and maybe try to understand a little more about what led my forebears to take the life decisions that they made, which several generations later leads to me trying to complete this connecting loop.  I'm sure my ancestors never thought that one of their descendants, a century or two later, would be on their trail.

The trip was originally booked to fit in with my schoolwork Mondays and then the February half-term, whilst avoiding both insanely high temperatures and monsoon rains.  The football fixtures were not published at the time I booked the flights and hotel.  The defence rests, your honour.

I checked the www a week or so before departure and was mildly irritated that Chennayin FC, who play in the Indian Super League, had a home league game at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium whilst I was in the sky.  Oh well, that was unlucky but a quick check of the I-League, India's second tier, showed that Chennai City had TWO home games during my stay, also at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.  I bought two tickets online for around £5 and £2 respectively, fighting my way through the credit card checks and quirky websites of the ticket agents.  The plan became to get to the first game, and then to the second one if time allowed.  It is fair to say that I was chuffed to bits.

Well, fast forward, and I duly pitched up by tuk-tuk at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai today.  I was greeted courteously but with looks of bewilderment as I presented my print-at-home ticket.  Eventually, after much head-scratching, someone was fetched with enough grasp of English (and much better than my Tamil) to explain that there is ... wait for it ... more than one Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

As the information fell into place, it was explained that Chennai City are playing their fixtures in the city of Coimbatore.  It's in the same state, but it's about six hours away.  Now, groundhopper comrades, I reckon I've been a bit unlucky here, but I am confessing all.  I only checked to two decimal places when I could have checked to three.  It never occurred to me that either Chennai City might not play in Chennai, or there was more than one venue with the same name.

Of course, I know that Wembley FC don't play at Wembley, I know that Gloucester don't play in Gloucester, and that The Hawthorns is home to both Stanway Rovers of the Eastern Counties League as well as WBA.  So there is precedent.

I walked round the stadium, took a few pics, but could not get in because it was being used for a schools event.

So as I write this from my hotel room, it is goalless as we start the second half.  It's not been an expensive mistake, but at least we've now all had a laugh about it...

Back to normal randomness next week.