Okay, so I actually went down to see the Birmingham City versus Sunderland game recently. Thought I’d jot down how it went, just my own experience of the day.
Getting Myself Sorted
Woke up Saturday, wasn’t really sure what I was gonna do. Knew the match was on, obviously. Checked the kickoff time, figured why not. Wasn’t too hard getting a ticket sorted, managed it online without much fuss which was a bit of a surprise, usually it’s a pain.
Decided against driving. Parking around St. Andrew’s is always a nightmare, costs a bomb too. Just hopped on the usual bus route, takes a bit longer but less hassle overall. Saves you the stress of trying to get out afterwards too.
Pre-Match Vibes
Got there maybe an hour before kick-off. You could feel the buzz already, loads of blue shirts milling about. The usual smells too – onions frying, that sort of thing. Grabbed a programme, had a quick flick through.
Didn’t bother going in the pub beforehand, just wanted to get inside the ground. Went through the turnstiles, found my seat. Always takes a minute to get your bearings, find the right block and row number. Seat was decent enough, pretty good view of the pitch.
The Sunderland lot were making a bit of noise already in their end. Always respect away fans who travel, fair play to them.
The Game Itself
Right, the actual football. It started off a bit cagey, like these games often do. Lots of midfield battling, not many clear chances early on. You could feel a bit of tension, folks around me getting a bit restless.
Then things livened up a bit. We had a couple of half-chances, got the crowd going. The noise level definitely went up. Their keeper made a decent save from one shot.
Sunderland looked okay on the break, had a bit of pace. Caused us a few problems at the back. Think they hit the post at one point, lucky escape for us there.
When we finally scored, the place just erupted. Proper limbs everywhere. That’s what you go for, isn’t it? That feeling. Didn’t last though, typical.
- First half felt quite even.
- We scored, massive cheer.
- They scored not long after, groans all round.
- Second half was pretty end-to-end for a bit.
It wasn’t a classic game by any means, but it was competitive. Felt like both teams really wanted it. The ref made a few odd calls, got some stick from the crowd, standard stuff really.
Heading Home
Final whistle went. Felt a bit flat leaving, always do when you don’t get the win you hoped for. Still, wasn’t a disaster. Shuffled out with everyone else, slow walk back towards the main road to get the bus.
Took ages for the bus to come, always packed after a match. Stood there just thinking about the game, the key moments, what might have been.
Overall, yeah, it was an alright day out. Saw some football, felt the atmosphere. Better than staying in, I suppose. Just another Saturday following the Blues.
