20 August 2012

ONE HULL OF A TRIP

The result aside, Saturday's season opener (no, we definitely didn't start the season in the COC the Tuesday before) in deepest, darkest Yorkshire was an absolute pleasure. Well, apart from the hangover on Sunday. We played quite well and it was nice to be back doing what we do best: watching the Albion and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. And all in the glorious sunshine. We'd heard some pretty negative things about Humberside over the years but (almost) all stereotypes were smashed on Saturday. Which is probably why Danny Last (of European Football Weekends fame) recommended Hull as the TSLR Away Trip of the Month in the first issue of this season, TSLR040, available to purchase now for a measly pound. Some things I learnt from our trip north were...
1) The Humber Bridge is a spectacular construct
2) Hull's telephone boxes are indeed cream
3) A gaggle of 14 year old locals offering up themselves for a fight was hilarious (fear made us run away, obviously) 
4) Convincing Tony Bloom to have a cider with us post match was lovely - what a corking bloke (I think a pint in exchange for a stadium is a good deal)
5) Throwing Haribo at other TSLRite tables on train journeys is fun
6) The KC Stadium looks better from the inside
7) Sunshine will always douse a town in a lovable glow
8) There's a Philip Larkin statue at Hull train station (cultured, who'd've thought it?)
9) The whole town does not smell of fish all of the time
10) It's nicer than Southampton (but then you probably knew that already)
11) It's nicer than Croydon (this could go on - basically it's nicer than some places south of Watford)
12) The KC away toilets have one tiny urinal
13) Taxis are really quite cheap
14) So is beer
15) Texting an Albionite's girlfriend from his phone whilst drunk is less funny when sober
16) The bacon in the hot (expensive) sandwiches on the train tasted remarkably like frankfurters 

Seriously though, a very pleasant day was had by all. Hull appears to be the new English Riviera (we were obviously inebriated when deciding upon this). And that's perhaps why there was only the one chorus of 'I Want to go Home' during the match on Saturday. Anyway, see you at an even better football ground tomorrow. TSLR040 will, of course, be on sale. Thanks to all those who've already purchased our new colour covered fanzine in Wiltshire, Yorkshire and online - it's almost time for Sussex to step up.

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