Simply put, it meant that I would be given around two and a half hours to get from Heathrow to Wigan to watch the game, negotiating the M25 and M1 in rush hour and that’s before I have even got as far as the M6. An impossible task but one that was slightly eased when the Sky schedulers put their hands up and said they’d cover the fixture.
So I left home yesterday morning with my Wigan ticket that arrived safely last week as part of my away season ticket package sat at home going to waste as I had been unable to be around to even consider donation to someone else.
I managed to arrive at my hotel last night at 7.42pm, three minutes in advance of kick off, just enough time to check-in, dump luggage and head down to bar to watch the Swans. I wasn’t quite “only here to watch the Swans” but I was the only Swans fan in the village last night anyway!
At this point I probably wasn’t concerned at missing the game in the flesh. I was there last year when Gylfi scored twice and it’s difficult to feel too bad about missing a game at Wigan when you have seen your side win at Anfield, the Emirates and Stamford Bridge already this season. And I guess when the opening goal went in at the end of the first half I was probably less concerned at missing the game as I thought of the fans who were there watching the game.
The second half came and Angel scored and I cheered reasonably quietly to myself although evidently loud enough for the bloke next to me to hear “Are you a Newcastle fan” he asked which amused me that it was his immediate reaction to someone watching a game in a hotel in Barnsley.
Wigan restored their lead almost immediately and the newly found pundit next to me informed me that the game was effectively over as the Swans were a poor side when coming from behind? And then it was the momentus moment that we had waited all season for.
Itay scored.
And as that ball hit the back of the net and I laughed as all I could think of was the forum on here going into meltdown. Itay had scored a goal for the Swans but not just that it was one that significantly reduced Wigan’s chances of staying in the Premier League.
My emotions were all over the place at this point. We had twice come from behind to be level again. I was gutted that with only my 5th missed game in the flesh this season I had missed the moment we had waited for. I just knew at that point we were going to sneak a win. And to cap it all I so wanted the camera to pan in on Dave Whelan and see him crying into what was left of his half time Bovril. So many emotions from a goal on a Tuesday night in May.
I swear at this point there was a bloke in the away end revealing an ‘I saw Itay score’ T-shirt – I really hope he had been washing it between games this season although it would have expained why he was standing on his own bringing a new meaning to the ‘I’ll sing on my own’ chant. Almost.
My mate next to me was now in full flow claiming that a Wigan winner was inevitable as Swansea are weak at the back so my delight when Tiendalli scored the winner was contained with a smug grin in his direction but it was about the moment that Itay scored really. We all know that to be the case.
Now all we need is him to grab two at Old Trafford on Sunday and spoil what could be Fergie’s retirement party, now that would be something special.
I saw Itay score – or at least I should have!
