BAD BLUE BOYS 0 RCA SMBs 0 *** FA CUP 1st PRELIMANARY ROOND

Posted 'high noon bells' Sunday 8th September 2019

GEORDIE TIMES EXCLUUUSIVE!

WE CAUGHT THE MOMENT THAT THE WHITE CARAVETTE 

DEPARTED FROM THE CAR PARK 

AT PRECISELY  '4:46 BELLS! (TOP RIGHT OF PICTURE!)

"THE TALE OF THE CARAVETTE AND ONE TO FORGET!"

With the International break we had a free weekend and heeded for Federation Park to watch the Tyne/wear derby cup tie between 'The Bad Blue Boys of Dunston' and sund'lind 'RCA SMB's.

THE BIG KICK OFF!

Normally these games are entertainin', but this one certainly wasn't and petered oot into a very borin' goalless draw. "ZZZZzzzz!!!!"😴
Both sides missed one easy chance each and the 'highlight' of the game wasn't on the pitch, but in the car park behind the left hand goal from us!

One Dunston fan aalways brings hiz caravette to the games and parks it near the back of the car park!
He aalways leaves aboot 10 mins before the end to beat the traffic from the near by Metro shoppin' centre!

DUNSTON FREE KICK AT 'THE TEA HUT END'!

We took guesses az to exactly wot time he would leave!
'Davy the Silver Fox' said '4:37 bells'---'Grumpy Stumpy' said '4:39 bells' and I said 4:40 bells'

We were aall on tenderhooks as each predicted time passed and he eventually left at precisely '4:46 bells'!
However! there woz a lot of injury time and the ref finally blew hiz full time whistle at 4:55 bells', so he actually drove off some 9 minutes before the game ended! (So My prediction that he would leave 10 mins before time woz anly a minute oot!)

Wor big mistake woz that we made wor predictions at the start of the 2nd half and didn't take into account any extra time added for injuries!

Oh! the joys of futbaall, 0-0 draws and caravettes!!!

"THE PROOF THAT WE WOZ THERE!"

MEE MATCH TICKET!

(THE ATTENDANCE WOZ 392)

TEAM SHEET

FOOTNOTE:

Wor little sister 'The Times of London' says that the above game went to extra time and penalties and that Dunston won the shoot out 10-9!

The Geordie Times can tell yoo that it DIDN'T and that the players were in the clubhouse 10 mins after the 90 mins were up!

There's a replay in mackemland this Wedinzday neet!

For the correct scores reeed 'The Geordie Times' and not wor 'little sister' from London!

THE BAD BLUE BOYS v THE RCA SMBs *** FA CUP 1st QUALIFYIN' ROOND

Posted '1:15pm bells' Saturday 7th September 2019

With nee Premyaa Leegue games this weekend because of International qualifiers, we find worsels in need of 'a fix'--and where better to gan than a Tyne/wear derby game in the FA Cup!

'The Bad Blue Boys' of Dunston are takin on mackem side RCA sund'lind at '3 bells' this afternoon at Federation Park, Dunston (aka UTS Stadium), which iz 2 miles from SJP across the Tyne!

I love these games az there iz nee pressure or nail bitin' (unlike NUFC games v sund'lind) and with just 300 expected, it iz easy to get sorved in the Dunston clubhouse within the groond!
The winners pick up a prize of £4,500, while the losers get £1,500, which isn't bad for smaall non leegue clubs!

Win or lose we will enjoy the afternoon---az lang az 'The Bad Blue Boys' win of course!

A match report (and pix) on the game will appear here sometime tomorrow!

MORE MAD-SAD GROUNDHOPPER NEWS!

Posted '4:30pm bells' Thorsday 5th September 2019

THE ROY WEST CENTRE, HULL
("THE PITCH LOOKS A BIT NACKERED, LIKE!")

Followin' on from a new groond on Tuesday at Macclesfeeeld the draw for the Premyaa Leegue U23s Cup haz been made and NUFC U23s have been drawn against Hull City, West Brom and Scunny or Soothend United!

The Geordie Times haz done some research and have foond oot that Hull play some of their U23 games at The Roy West Centre which iz The East Riding Coonty FA heedquarters, which iz near Hull Uni 

WBA play their home games at The Hawthorns and The Palm Trainin Groond in Walsall and we have been to both before!

Should Scunthorpe beat Soothend next week, then we could be playin' at the home of Bottesford Town FC and Hall Road Rangers FC who groondshare at Birkdale Park, Bottesford near Scunny

Soothend play their U23 games at their main ground, Roots Hall, where we have been before, so we definately want 'Scunny' to win!

So that's a possibility of TWO new groonds to visit in the forthcomin' months alang with Shrewsbury Toon's New Meadow ground, where we are playin a EFL trophy game on Tueday 8th October 

Theeze are excitin' times for The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers, for sure!

PS: I will be updatin' mee groonds visited 'list' sometime tomorrow

342 moss rose macclesfield

Ground number 342
(80th current League ground---out of *90)
(140th ground visited that has staged Football League/Premier League football following NUFC)
Date of First Visit: 3rd September 2019
Moss Rose, Macclesfield

Macclesfield Town 2
Newcastle United U21s 1 (Luke Charman)

EFL Trophy (group stage)
Attendance: 525 (74 Toon fans in away section plus several others in the home section)

"JUNCTION 27 WHERE ARE YOO?"

The day started off for me with a bus to the Toon and then onward to Durham by train with *'International RUSScue', where we cadged a lift from 'Blondie Alan the Morris Dancer' to Macclesfeeeld in deepest Cheshire!
*This woz Russ's maiden visit to a resorve away match---anothaa 'NUFC mad-sad groundhopper' to add to the 'saddos list'!

I'd brought a hand drawn map of how to get there (above) and az a truck driver who gans to the north west every night durin the week (apart from match days!) I woz trusted to get us to wor destination!

We got onto the M60 clockwise from the M62 and I told 'Blondie Alan' that we needed to torn off at junction 27----aall went fine az we got nearer---junction 24---junction 25---junction 26---junction 1???
"Where the hells junction 27, like???", I shouted!
Anyway, we torned off at junction 1 and az the map woz the route from junction 27, it woz now useless, az the directions to Macclesfeeeld were from there!

There woz a proper map on the back seat (Blondie doesn't have 'sat-nav') and lookin at it I could see that indeed there WOZ a junction 27, but it woz on the anti-clockwise side of the M60 only!
(ie: nee exit on the clockwise side!)

ANYWAY!--enough of that!----we rejigged wor directions and went doon the A34 instead and followed the signs to Macclesfeeeld which thankfully wasn't tooo far from wor original route! (10 or so miles extra via the A34)

I mentioned that there woz a pub caalled 'The Golden Lion' which I'd added to mee hand drawn map, but Russ said that HE'D sussed anothaa pub oot caalled 'The Railway View', which had real ale beer!
So we parked up at the Moss Rose groond and heeded there instead, az there woz still loads of time before kick off! (az yi dee!)

IZ THAT A WONKY GATESHEED ANGEL ON THE MANTLEPIECE?

After a few 'gargels' there with 'Dave from York' and 'Alex of St George' (who we gave pub directions to) we heeded for the groond where we purchased match tickets from a little window at the side of the main stand!---The tickets looked like receipts from Asda or Tesco and NOT match tickets?
<<< We heeded for wor seats  in the ridiculously named 'Big Brand Ideas Stand' and there wer quite a few Toon groundhoppers present in the away section!
There didn't look to be more than 500 in attendance, aall told, and anly one stand woz open, which shows the total apathy for this competition from the locals! 
NUFC U21s wore wor orange change strip, while Macclesfeeeld wor blue and white.

We didn't start off well, az Macclesfeeeld had more of the play and they took the lead in the 19th minute with a spectacular left footed strike by Fitzpatrick and we went in 1-0 doon at the break az the rain poured doon!---A poor 1st half from 'us'!

LUKE CHARMAN'S SPECTACULAR GOAL! (LUKE IZ ON FAR RIGHT IN ORANGE)

In the 2nd half we seemed 'up for it' at last--- and we scored a virtually similar goal to Macclesfeeeld's, when Luke Charman hit a brilliant left footed shot from ootside the box with just 3 minutes on the clock after the restart, to send 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' wild with delight!

The home side however, got the decisive winnin goal by Gomis in the 63rd minute with a close range shot!
The Toon tried in vain to get the equaliser but it wasn't to be az we trundled oot of the groond for the 160 mile jorney yem-----via junction 25 on the M60 this time! (Junction 27 where are yoo???)

PS: Moss Rose woz the anly current Leegue ground where NUFC have played before, where aa hadn't been tee!---so aa now have 'the complete set'! -----"YAHOO!" 😜

*There are currently just 90 Leegue groonds az Bury have been kicked oot and Coventry share groonds with Bormingham

FINK 'The mad-sad groundhopper'

*"WE WOZ THERE!"

MATCH PROGRAMME

TEAM SHEET

BUS AND TRAIN TICKETS TO DURHAM

NOT A GOOD SIGN FOR THE FUTURE!

YOO MUST HAVE VERY LONG ARMS TO REACH THESE TOILET ROLLS INSIDE THE GROOND'S TOOL-SHED'!

THIS BOG STANDARD PICTURE 

WOZ TAKEN BY 'DAVE FROM YORK'!

NUFC MAD-SAD GROUNDHOPPERS NEWS!

Posted '1:42pm bells' Munday 2nd September 2019

IF WE GET THERE, MOSS ROSE WILL BE GROOND 

NUMBER 80 VISITED, OOT OF THE 90 LEEGUE GROONDS 

"THE BIG MACC!"

Tomorrow evenin' at '7:45 bells' wor U21s take on Macclesfeeeld Toon's forst team in the EFL Trophy (group stage)  at Moss Rose!

This will be the 2nd new Leegue groond for 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers in 9 days, followin' on from wor forst team game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in "norf Landan!" a week gone Sunday

3 of us are travellin' doon in Blondie Alan's car and we shud arrive there in good time for a few pre match 'gargels' in a hostelry somewhere near the groond (Or indeed in Macclesfeeeld's club hoose (IF they have one?)

We will be housed in the ridiculously named 'Big Brand Ideas Stand'!😳

Because of Bury's very sad demise and Coventry's groond sharin at Bormingham, there are now anly 90 current Leegue groonds---and this will be 'The Mad-sad groundhopper's 80th current Leegue groond watchin' NUFCs forst team and resorves, with 10 still to dee---aall of them in Leegues 1 or 2!  (6 in Leegue 1 and 4 in Leegue 2)
NUFC resorves have played here a few years ago (v Stoke resorves), but the forst team were playin' at Cristil Pallis on the same day, so we couldn't be in 2 places at the same time and 'missed it' because of this!)

A full 'Geordie Times' match report (and pix) will appear here on Wedinzday---sometime!

THE TOON 1 THE ELTON JOHN MOB 1 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2019-2020

Posted 'high noon bells' Sunday 1st September 2019

VIEW FROM ROW 2, SEAT 97, ON THE MILBURN STAND BALCONY

"YET ANOTHER ONE TO FORGET!"

After the great win at Sporz last Sunday it woz 'back doon the orth' in this dour display against pointless Wotfaad in from of wor lowest leegue crowd for 7 years! (44,000 plus!)

It took 'The Elton John Mob' less than 2 minutes to strike the forst blow, when Will Hughes slotted home at The Gallowgate End with wor defence at 'sixes and sevens'! (Great start--eh?)

WE just couldn't get 'oot of the blocks' az we 'slogged away', passin sideways and backwards for lang periods! "ZZZZzzzz!!!!"😴

We finally made 'the breaktrough' just before the half time break when a Krafth cross foond Hayden in the box  who knocked it doon for FABian Schar to force the baall into The Leazes End net, to send the 43,000 Toon faithful into raptures ---and relief! (Wotfaad had 1,000 fans)

EMPTY SEATS IN THE LEAZES END
(WOTFAAD FANS ARE TOP RIGHT)

The 2nd period woz a bit better, but we couldn't find the winner az Wotfaad wasted time!  Almiron woz caught 'offside' at least FIVE times in this half, much to the frustration of the crowd, who were very quiet for lang periods!
Muto who had came on az sub late on, ran doon the wing and hiz effort hit the side nettin' from a very tight angle, when it would have been better to pass the baall!---more frustration for the crowd!

A 1-1 draw then!, which amazingly moves us up from 2nd bottom to 14th of the table---for the time being!---

It's THE LIVERBIRDS next in a fortneets time at Anfeeeld, who are on a 14 game winnin' streak!----an eazy 3 points for 'us' then!
(There's an international break next weekend)

Footnote: £21 million man Almiron missed 2 good chances and haz now played 14 times for us and iz yet to score a goal or assist a goal!

Dubravka, Krafth Manquillo 78), Lascelles, Schar (Ferandez 85), Dummett, Atsu Muto 82), Hayden, Saun Longstaff, Willians, Almiron, Joelinton

Attendance: 44,157

Explanation: Elton John iz Wotfaad's club president---Hence, 'The Elton John Mob'

THE TOON V THE ELTON JOHN MOB *** TOMORROW AT '3 BELLS'

Posted '3:30pm bells' Friday 30th August 2019

THE MILBURN STAND FROM BARRACK ROAD

The games are comin thick and fast az we play 'The Elton John Mob' of Wotfaad tomorrow at SJP
Wotfaad are the anly team below us in the leegue with 0 points from 3 games
So we reeely must win this a grab the 3 points!
The good news iz---Joelinton and Almiron are expected to retorn after bein' rested v Lestaa in midweek 
The bad news iz--Matt Ritchie iz oot for at least 2 months with ankle ligament damage and Saint-Maximun iz oot for 3 to 4 weeks with a hamstring injury!😟  

We fully expect that at least 6 changes will be made from the Lestaa Leegue Cup game on Wedinzday
And taking aboot Lestaa, wor leegue game at their place haz been moved for a thord time from the original '3:00 bells ko to '5:30 bells ko for the telly on Saturday 28th September---and now it has been moved to Sunday 29th September at '4:30 bells' to help Man City who are in Champions Leegue action the follow Tuesday and their game v Evaatin scheduled for that Sunday haz been moved to wor telly slot on Saturday (ie: we have swooped dates and ko times!)

A full Geordie Times match report will appear here on Sunday

Score and attendance prediction: We Nevada predict an NUFC score az yoo Nevada naa with wor lot!
We reckon the crowd will be aroond aboot the 49,000 mark!

THE TOON 1 THE BASIL BRUSH BRIGADE 1 (TOON LOST PENALTY SHOOTOUT 4-2) ***LEEGUE (CARABAO) CUP 2nd ROOND

Posted '1:16pm bells' Thorsday 29th August 2019

VIEW FROM ROW QQ, SEAT 85 IN THE GALLOWGATE END

REST OF THE WORLD 10  NUFC 1 !!!

For the tenth time in wor history (oot of eleven attempts) we lost a penalty shootout in a competitive game!
This gans way back to 1971 when we played Pecsi Dozsa in the old Fairs Cup---and since then we have lost anothaa nine---winnin' just ONE v Wotfaad in 2006!---A absolutleee shockin' 48 year record!

AZ the game kicked off there looked to be aroond aboot 20,000 in the groond in the lower levels with 750 or so Lestaa fans in the top deck corner of The Leazes End! 

A much changed team (from wor win at Sporz) took the field, with 7 changes from the startin line up in norf London (so much for playin wor strongest 11!)---But in fairnesss to old 'Broken Nose'--to risk the likes of Joelinton up front would have left us bare, especially az Wotfaad are due at 'wor place' on Saturday---ie: Premyaa Leegue status iz much more important than gannin oot in the 3rd or 4th roonds!)

We actually started off well az we attacked The Leazes goal and had a few chances to take the lead but just couldn't make the breakthrough!
The Basil Brush Brigade of Lestaa had chances az well and it woz they who took the lead with a wickedly deflected free kick by Maddison which hit Matt Richie and completleee wrong footed sub goalie Karl Darlow az the baall hit the back of the net!
Matt Ritchie then suffered a bad injury when a horrendous tackle by Choudhury, which desorved a 'red card'---however the ref decided that it woz 'a yellow' and the Lestaa player stayed on the pitch!---Ritchie wasn't so lucky and limped off 3 minutes into stoppage time! (0-1 at HT)

Again we came oot and started well az we attacked The Gallowgate End and the equaliser came 8 minutes into the 2nd half when a Schar free kick foond Willems in the box and he waz brought doon by a Lestaa defender!
Before we could shout "PENALTY!" the baall fell nicely to Muto and he had the easy task of side footin the baall into the goal to send the 20,000 faithful into raptures!

The game petered oot and unusually there woz nee extra time and the game went to a dreaded penalty shootout after the 90 minutes were up!  I say 'dreaded' az we have lost so many in the past and it woz to prove true yet again!
NUFC won the toss and opted for the penalties to be taken at The Gallowgate End where the vast majority of the crowd woz!

It wasn't to be however, and for the 10th time in wor history we lost a penalty shootout, 4-2 this time, with both Shelvey and Hayden havin their efforts saved by Schmeichel in the Lestaa goal! 

Lets face reality though!---NUFC wouldn't have won the cup anyway, once 'the big guns' joined the fray in the thord roond!

Changes made from Sporz startin' line up are in gold
Toon team: Darlow, Krafth (Manquillo 50), Clark, Fernandez, Schar, Ritchie (Atsu 45), Matty Longstaff, Hayden, Shelvey, Willems (Dummett 78), Muto

Attendance: 22,727 (anly 750 or so from Lestaa)
'The Geordie Times' predicted 19,000 to 20,000)

Explanation: Lestaa's nickname iz 'The Foxes'--hence 'The Basil Brush Brigade'!

THE TOON v THE BASIL BRUSH BRIGADE OF LESTAA *** LEEGUE CUP 2nd ROOND

Posted '2:05pm bells' Wedinzday 28th August 2019

THE FOXES ARE COMIN' TO TOON!

After wor excellent and unexpected victory ower Sporz on Sunday, we face 'The Basil Brush Brigade' (The Foxes!) at SJP in a '7:45 bells' kick off tooneet in The Carabao Leegue Cup!

 Wor heed coach 'Broken Nose Bruce' haz said that he will field a very strong line up, but with injuries concerns, we will see just how strong wor line up iz come kick off time?

"THE SIX SICKIES!"
We hear that Lascelles (calf), Atsu (muscle), Joelinton (groin), Almiron (ankle) and Schar (knock)  are aall doubtful to play and that Saint-Maximum (hamstring) will be oot for a while!
Aalso, we here that sub goalie Darlow will replace Dubravka! (Who ISN'T injured!)

So much for 'the promise' of playin a full strength team to try and win a cup! (That's 6 players oot from the Sporz win aalready!)
5 of those 6 are expected to make a miraculous recovery and shud be available for wor Premyaa Leegue game at home to Wotfaad on Saturday!!!???
Lestaa,we hear,will play a full strength team includin' a certain PEREZ! (remember him?)

A sub 16,000 crowd woz predicted before the Sporz game, but the suprize victory in norf London could well add a few thoosand to the gate and we predict that the attendance will be aroond aboot the 19,000- 20,000 mark, despite havin hord that Lestaa have anly sold 750 tickets--- 

Prices DOUBLE today from £5 for sprogs and zimmerframeites and £10 for big kids TO £10 and £20! az NUFC have done in the past! (Crazy--if yoo ask us, az it puts off  'walk up' fans who might have come!---but now probably wont!)

A full 'Geordie Times' match report will appear here sometime on Thorsday---but will we be 'in the hat' for the draw later tooneet!?



"DEAD AND BURYED!"

AFTER 134 YEARS BURY FCs TIME IZ UP!

One team who 'wont be in the hat' are Leegue One Bury FC, who have been hoyed oot of the EFL after they failed to provide the funds to carry on!
A guy called Steve Dale (who admitted that he had NEVER hord of them previously!) bought Bury for ONE POOND  last January and he re-mortgaged their groond to the tune of £1.5 million just after he bought them! 
They can't pay the mortgage repayments of course--and so their Gigg Lane home for 134 years (when they were founded) could be sold to a housin developer etc!
This shud send shockwaves aroond futbaall, az greedy speculators buy clubs they have nee interest in ('The Fat Controller' included!)

Bolton Wanabeez who are 142 years old, are in the same position, but have been given a 14 day stay of execution to find a buyer--or else they will be hoyed oot az well! (And they were in the Premyaa Leegue just 7 years ago!)

Its a good job that St. James' Park iz part of the Toon Moor and can NEVER be torned into a hoosin' estate by 'Yee naa who'!

PS: 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' have been to Gigg Lane before!  The last time we played there woz for an NUFC resorve game against Moan U resorves in the 1990s

341, tottenham hotspur stadium

Ground number 341

(139th ground visited that has staged Football League/Premier League games, following NUFC) 
Date of First Visit: 25th August 2019 
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Tottenham Hotspur 0
Newcastle United 1 (Joelinton)

FA Premier League
Attendance 59,245 (3,000 Toon fans)
        

VIEW FROM ROW 15, SEAT 485, IN THE AWAY END

Forst of aall, apologeeez for bringin' yoo this story so lang after the final whistle. Thiz iz because I am still 'cattle trucked' after 22 hours on the road and rail to get to and from Sporz new abode!


"WE'VE GOT WOR MO-JOE BACK!"

With the train line between King's Cross in London and Peterborough closed for engineerin' work ower the bank holiday weekend, we decided to drive to Stockport near Manchester (aye!---STOCKPORT!) and catch a train to Euston (near King's Cross) instead!
This meant gettin' oot of bed at the ungodly hour of '4:30am bells' to make sure of gettin' to Stockport in time to catch the '9:30 bells' train!
It woz then 'onward' to London and we heeded not tooo far away from Tottenham for the pre match gargels in The Brownswood boozer!

After several 'liquid lubrications' it woz time to heed for anothaa boozer in Tottenham for the final one, before heedin for the brand new shinny stadium, 10 minutes away!
On closer inspection it looked like a giant biscuit tin that had been 'plonked' in the middle of a hoosin' estate, az we approached the away tornstiles!

"IZ THAT A BISCUIT TIN IN THE DISTANCE?"
THE HUGE STADIUM DWARFS THE HOOSES THAT SURROOND IT

At the 'stop and search' tornstiles, 'Sarnie Steve' had hiz 'half time sarnies' confiscated  by an over zelious steward and he woz 'non tooo pleazed' I can tell yoo! "The b*stards have nicked mee scran!" he angrily told us az he entered the concourse! (minus hiz carrier bag full of sarnies of course!) He iz now known az SarnieLESS Steve!😂


Anyway!--enough of that!---The sun shone brightly in the scorching  heat of ower 30 degrees as we entered the away end---A massive single tier terrace at the far end and 3 triple decker stands, made the stadium look huge az the game kicked off---the 59th groond that NUFC have played on in The Premyaa Leegue era (includin' Sporz at Wembley and SJP of course!)

TOON FANS HAVE TO SHIELD THEIR EYES FROM THE OLD 'CURRENT BUN' IN THE SKY

A goal from 40 million poond signin' in the 27th minute (hiz forst for us) sealed this game for 'The Orangemen' (we played in aall orange) when Atsu hit a precision pass to Joelinton and he made nee missteak with a left footed effort to score the one and anly goal of the game.

THE SCOREBOARD SHOWS THE SCORE!

IZ THAT A BIRD ON TOP OF THE ROOF?

This sent the 3,000 Toon fans in the visitors section wild with delight and despite huge pressure from the home side they just couldn't break doon wor resilient defence and we somehow managed to hold on and win wor inaugrial visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which iz a very impressive venue indeed!

Dubravka made a brilliant stop just before the break from a Son effort and we aall thought 'iz this wor day'?---and it woz az the team who were 11/1  to win actually DID and one lucky Toon fan had a 3 poond bet on the 1-0 win and Joelinton scorin' it---and won £903!

Every Toon players deserves praise az we fought against aall the odds to win for the TENTH time at Sporz in the Premyaa Leegue era (9 times at White Hart Lane)

"V-A-R MY LORD V-A-R!"

There woz a dodgy moment near the end though when Kane and Lascelles 'tangled' in the box, with Sporz players claimin a penalty!
VAR woz used to see if it woz!  An anxious 2 minutes followed before the decision of 'NO PENALTY' woz given to the delight of the 3,000 faithful, who started singin "V-A-R MY LORD-V-A-R!"  (Brilliant!)

A totally unexpected victory indeed, when many feared a hammerin' (includin' little old me')
"OH WE OF LITTLE FAITH!"

Az Bugs Bunny would say, "That's aall for now folks!"

The jorney back woz a replica of the jorney doon via Euston, Stockport and Tyneside and aa got yem at '2:00am bells, nearly 22 hours after gettin' up and woz completely 'cream crackered' from the heat, the hootch and the diverted travel!

But woz it worth it?----yoo bet it woz!

Toon team: Dubravka, Krafth, Dummett, Schar, Lascelles (Fernandez 82), Richie, Hayden, Saun Longstaff, Joelinton (Muto 88), Almiron, Saint-Maximun (Atsu 17)

PS: Is this the best stadium in the world?---If not, it gans very, very close. Certainly it iz the best away groond I have been to, including' The Nou Camp and The San Siro Stadium!