Hawky wrote:Playoff final tickets in hand, looking forward to a trip to Wembley. Take it you're not making the trip back Parksey?
I was sorely tempted. I had an idea to stick some holidays in during early April after the Bournemouth and Watford defeats, as I felt we be stuck in the play offs and potentially get to the final (the top four had pulled away a bit by that point, though I thought Derby would be tough, and they would likely have been harder to beat than Brentford). But I didn't gamble in the end.
I actually looked at flights immediately after the match, for a week, and they weren't too bad. I think they were £401 return which is great considering it was a week and a half away.
I decided not to seriously think about it. Maybe, *maybe* I could have been an awkward twat and asked for the time off at short notice ( I could also have been an absolute dick and faked compassionate leave, but I never entertained that thought beyond the concept cropping up in my head).
Without sounding pessimistic, I first think we may get beat (though it's such a close run thing really and will likely come down to whoever performs best on the day), and I think it would be doubly-gutting to travel and lose. I have had a feeling since the first third of the season that it would end with Wembley heartache, though I admit I base this on nothing more concrete than being a dour realist.
Had it been a cup final, I may have come back. It sounds odd, given what is at stake is worth more financially than any match in world sport, but a trophy is more lasting. We could go up next week and be back in the Championship in 12 months, whereas due to our sparse trophy cabinet, silverware would live longer in the memory. I also missed the Carling Cup win due to a pre-booked holiday, and was on a trans-Altantic flight when everyone else witnessed history. I couldn't pass that up a second time.
I am still going to watch it on Now TV, but it just won't be the same. It won't even be the same as watching the finals in 97/98 with my family.
Ah well.