FtF goes to Derby

Having a young family - and all that entails - means that away trips are a rare luxury these days, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

The team's perilous league position makes it vital that as many fans as possible follow them on the road. So with that in mind we set the alarm for 5.30am on Saturday for the long trek to Derby.

Living on the south coast meant catching the 7am train up to London Victoria, then a District Line tube to Putney Bridge. Then it was a 20 minute stroll through Bishop's Park - always guaranteed to put you in a good frame of mind - before arriving at the Cottage in time to join one of the 14 coaches laid on by the chairman.

A three and a half hour trip - including a half-hour stop for lunch at a service area - saw us arrive with about 20 minutes to go before kick-off. Thankfully, someone had brought along a DVD of Al Murray, Pub Landlord, which succeeded in calming our nerves on the second leg of the journey.

For those who have never been, Pride Park is a pretty impressive stadium. Set on an industrial estate - the type filled with the usual selection of outlets, such as Halfords - it is clear of local residents and the usual noise gripes, and has the benefit of a huge car park used by season ticket holders and plenty of space for away coaches.

After walking through that annoying, drizly rain, and going through the turnstiles, we were met with a wall of noise. It may be a cliche but our fans were in very good voice and there was a real feeling of optimism. Would it last?



We took our seats in the upper tier and sang all the way through a rather hit-and-miss first half which consisted of that sinking feeling of seeing a deflection past Keller for their opener - and then the unconstrained joy of Joe's equalising header. Here we go. Plenty of time to snatch the winner.

Half-time arrived with the scores level and it was off to scout some food. The gates were actually opened allowing you to buy burgers from outside stalls, have a smoke and stretch your legs. The stewards and police were courteous and chatty. All we needed now was three points and a happy trip home was guaranteed.

Despite a scrappy start to the second 45 we were sent into delirium by Hameur's messy, deflected goal. "We're winning away...how sh*t must you be we're winning away" we sang to the home supporters. Needless to say we hadn't sat back down before their equaliser came. I didn't even see it. Soul destroying.

Chances came and were squandered; Keller pulled off some great saves; but there was a feeling that this just wasn't going to be our day...or season for that matter. The away faithful were getting restless. Calls for Roy to "sort it out" and make some changes were finally answered with the arrival of Eddie Johnson and Danny Murphy, but it was too late to have much effect.

As the minutes ticked down, Derby fans stared singing: "Going down, going down, going down" to which we responded: "So are we, so are we, so are we". At the final whistle there was a mixture of applause and boos with most people resigned to the fact that the Great Escape no longer looks likely. The guards, it seems, have discovered the tunnel being built and there's not enough time left in which to build another.

It may have been a draw but it felt like a defeat and the mood on the coach was sombre. A three hour run back - including a five minute break on the hard shoulder while the driver relieved himself! - meant we were back at a rain swept Cottage shortly before 8.30pm. It was then a walk, tube, mainline train and drive back home which saw us through the door around midnight.

A disappointing day, full of what-ifs and what might have beens, but we felt proud to have been part of Roy's Army for the day. Even if we do go down we can take heart from the fact that we couldn't have had any more fans at recent away matches, nor been in greater voice.

The tickets for Reading and Pompey away have already arrived. If this is going to be the last hurrah! in the Premier League - for a year or two at least - we at FtF are determined to enjoy it. Roll on next weekend.