29.12.2011

Yep.  One hell of a day.  Quite a nice start to our 25 match challenge... fitting really as we began our afternoon with a tour of Wembley.  It is massive and the arch does have a purpose.  A rather significant one at that. It holds up the roof.  It is the largest covered stadium (meaning spectator seats, not pitch) and has the most toilets of any stadium on the planet.  Usually good news for girls, but in my experience finding a bathroom in a soccer stadium is usually never a problem for chicks.  It's one of the rare times I see boys standing in line to take a pee.  But back to the stadium tours...

It was a rainy but rather warm day here in London, around 48 degrees F.   
Another cool fact about Wembley?  The second level of seats is approximately the capacity of White Hart Lane.  We checked out the locker rooms and the highlights for me were one: picture with a Casillas jersey and a picture of a Green jersey.  You know the one... England.... Rustenburg... WC 2010.   Yep :)  
 
We walked through the tunnel to the pitch side.  They played the ceremonial FA music and everything.  Shawn got some really nice pictures, one of which is below.  The others we got (including those from Craven Cottage) won't be up until Saturday... we have to pay to upgrade the site so it holds more than one picture and tomorrow night we will be on a train heading back to London from Liverpool.  

Wembley was impressive.  Sheer size.  And the Wembley Tavern where we had a pint wasn't bad either.  Friendly folk, an owner who was rather pleased with the Old Firm result yesterday as well as complementary of the growth of US soccer.  

Speaking of US soccer - so wish we had an American Outlaws or USA scarf to have draped over the Green jersey in the locker room...but lesson for next trip.
  
Now for the opposite... we headed to Craven Cottage.  Thanks to my sister who worked out a good rapport over email with the reception staff at the Cottage...we got a personal tour - pitch side of the Cottage.  Luke took us right up to the side line and around the Hammy End side.  Holy Ground.  So intimate is the size - complete opposite of Wembley.  The history and breathe of the club oozed from the structure.  When we get those pics posted you will see a glow... they were growing the grass on the pitch.  It was an agriculturally interesting sight, but for a Fulham fan, brought to fruition the holiness of the grounds.  The end lines were a glow.

I could talk about how we had to navigate several tube lines being down...or the fact that you have to request coffee black or you get cream cream cream... or the fact that in search of dinner we had Hen from a bottle (boo) before going to a place with a deal for a burger (veggie option too) + beer for only 5 pounds.  Not to shabby.  

But now Shawn is asleep --- he should have gotten 12 hours of sleep like I did last night :)  and I am looking forward to getting to match #1 tomorrow... Liverpool v Newcastle at 7:45pm here...  so we are waking up early - picking our tickets up from the local post office and taking the train to Liverpool.  We will hang out there see what interesting things we can get ourselves into... soccer related a priority of course... and the going to the match.  No idea if we will be in Reds or 'Toons sections.  Then we will be taking overnight trains through Manchester and then back to London.  Where we will sleep.  Post.  Eat. Drink. And then get to Brentford for the MK Dons match.  

Oh Yeah... Courtyard Hooligan's... be on the lookout for something in the mail soon... Maxen...you'll appreciate it for sure.  Love ya and more soon.  Cheers


~beth