Volzy At the Final

[White Noise]

http://www.volzy.com/diary.php

18th May 2010

At last, some reflections on an amazing day in Hamburg last week.

For me, I think it only really hit home that Fulham were actually playing in a European final when I set my alarm for 3.30am the night before in order to get our flight out to Hamburg. It's also nice when you board your flight at some ridiculous hour that you then end up sat on a parked plane for a further two hours that you could have spent in bed! Damn those technical faults!

But at that stage, I think the excitement kept us going. Once we got to Hamburg we got dropped off in the Reeperbahn area of the city where UEFA had set up a special fanzone. We hung out there for a bit and ended up bumping into a lot of familiar faces. I also had a couple of bits of media to do while I was there - for Five Live and Sky Sports - so I  got those done. It was particularly funny having Gary "The Rev" Piper, Fulham's chaplain, travelling with us (he's in the pic with me speaking to Five Live), especially while walking around one of Europe's best known red light areas! We also didn't waste any time getting stuck into a sausage early doors. Can't beat one of those for your breakfast.

I spent the afternoon showing the friends I was with the sights of Hamburg as it's a city I've got to know well over the years. I managed to pick myself up a World Cup Panini sticker album which should keep me busy over the coming weeks, and before long we were back on our bus an on the way to the stadium. That was when the atmosphere really kicked in for me. The fans had obviously got stuck into a few beers - and some sausages - by then and had certainly upped their noise levels.

It was a great laugh on our bus to the stadium. We had a group of lads next to us who all played in the same Sunday League team (I've forgotten the name - sorry boys...). These lads were playing in their own cup final the following Sunday so they asked me to record a motivational team talk on video which they then wanted to play in their dressing room before their game. So I gladly obliged using Lawrie Sanchez's all-time most inspiring line that he used on us once - namely, "Football is football is football is football." I wonder if it worked?? I doubt it. Let me know if you're reading this fellers...

It took quite a while to walk from the bus to the stadium. Not necessarily because of the distance but I think I can safely say that I had more photos taken with Fulham fans than I did over the entire course of my wedding day! It was great to chat to everyone though and it's so nice to feel appreciated still. If anyone has any good pics please send them in to [email protected] and I'll stick them up on the site.

Inside the stadium the atmosphere was amazing. There was no mistaking what a special day it was for everyone, and I think the game really lived up to expectations.  Both teams really competed and showed so much desire to win, and I loved seeing Fulham score in game like that. It was amazing to be among all the Fulham fans when the equaliser went in and the collective joy of that moment will live with me for a long, long time. I hugged a lot of total strangers!

But everyone was equally as distraught with three minutes to go in extra time when Atletico got their second, which seemed to pretty much come out of nowhere. It was like having a knife stuck in your back, but at that moment something happened that I will never forget. The players were on their knees with their dreams crushed and I think every single supporter felt the same, me included. But the Rev, a couple of seats down from me, picked himself up and encouraged by what I can only assume was a divine force, turned round and started waving his arms at that thousands of Fulham fans to get them going behind the team once again - it was amazing and everyone really responded which was great to see.

It was certainly a day of high emotion and it took a long time to digest it all afterwards, partly because I was so knackered! But what a day nonetheless. I was just so pleased for the club to have made it to the final, and was so happy to have been able to be there myself and be a part of it all. And I'm obviously very sorry for everyone involved that it didn't end up in victory but we had a lot of fun out there and we've had a lot of fun all the way through the amazing journey to the final, too.

The only downside was the six hour wait at Hamburg Airport on the way home where German efficiency seemed to go out of the window completely but we won't dwell on that!

And now the countdown to the World Cup starts...

Don't forget to send in those pics!

More soon...

[Serotonin]

I bumped into him outside the stadium!

[epsomraver]

Met Voltzy at the airport among the many thousands all trying to get home , he was with Patrick who I know who  used to do the match day programme , he is a good bloke , shame we cannot sign him in some capacity.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

MV Team Talk wwfc

Here is the vid from the team talk

[epsomraver]

Patrick is the scruffy one with the stubble in the background at the start, good Fulham bloke.

[HatterDon]

Wore my Volzy #2 on the day. I still love the guy.


Interestingly, whereas I've worn the shirt dozens of times over the last two seasons, he never wore it once. Sigh.

[SoCalJoe]

What a beauty. I can't believe the lads didn't respond to such motivational speeches from Sanchez  :022:


P.S. How did the Westminster Wanderers fare?

[Burt]

Brilliant. The guy is a legend. I love the way he said "we" and "our"... He is one of us.

:sir_roy:  :sir_roy:  :sir_roy:  :sir_roy:

[FatFreddysCat]

I actually want to marry the fella, what a legend  :54: .

[Rambling_Syd_Rumpo]

Brilliant. The guy is a legend. I love the way he said "we" and "our"... He is one of us.

:sir_roy:  :sir_roy:  :sir_roy:  :sir_roy:

He is one of "us" always was,always will be :clap_hands:
do you know why? because like us he "still believes" :clap_hands: :clap_hands: