Aston Villa vs Chelsea FA Cup Final 20th may 2000

19th May - Chap excursion to Field Marshal Simbers for some night before ales. This may incorporate a trawl of the local  beer drinking establishment or a tour of the ale houses of Solihull.

20th May - catch the 9.06 am Chilcers Line train from Widney Manor to Marylebone station and then the tube to Queens Park to meet Syrup in the Folley bar frequented on semi final day.

20th may - 15.00 pm - The main event.!!!!!!!!!!

Review

Ugggggggghhhhhh! - Unfortunately the result spoils the weekend !

Friday Night - The Chaps assembled at Field Marshal Simbers' (FSM) house for the evening before entertainment. After a game of boule (or bowls, or something played with spherical shiny objects) and some beer and red wine, the chaps set of to the Hogshead bar in Solihul town centre. Various beers were sampled (due to the regular changes of barrels - Pedigree, Flowers and Breksbere -I think!!!). Leaving the pub the chaps went for the healthy food option to provide energy for the trek back to FSM's (Fish & Chaps, kebabs, etc !!!!!!). On arrival back at FSM's we consumed another can of ale, before departing to the land of dreams (Villa winning the cup!!), except for the sortie by the daring trio of Chap, Heggy & Sponge into the untamed wilderness of FSM's kitchen to get some more beer !! (Sorry Simbers).

Saturday - Awake to the morning reveille (Sponge farting !!!!). The chaps depart for Wembley after consuming toast and orange juice at FSM's. Catching the 9.06am train on the Chilcers Line, the journey provides a fairly uneventful morning except watching the card sharks at play.

Arriving at Wembley the chaps hop on a tube to Queens Park, only to be greeted by the horrific sight of a closed pub !!!!!!. Quickly, a contingency plan was formulated i.e. the chip shop next door before the pub finally opened at 12.15pm. Some of us took the less fluid volume option (four bottles of red wine between three), whilst others slowly caressed their pints. Syrup arrived at 12.45 in time to neck some amber nectar. The chaps depart the pub for Wembley at 1:45pm, arriving at the ground in up beat mood. The usual songs are being banded about and all looks set fair for a grand afternoon. How wrong we were, the less said about the football, the better as Chelsea win 1 - 0 in a game that had et & pens written all over it.

The Chap's sadly depart at record speed from the ground at the full time whistle to catch the train back to Brum, whilst contemplating what might have been!!.

The after match plans were now in disarray, so it was left to Sponge & Chap to neck the last couple of beers in one of our old stomping grounds' Sara Moons.

Hopefully, we won't have to wait another 43 years !!!!

Chap 22.05.00