With Covid 19 lockdown restrictions slowly being lifted across the UK fans are now being let back into sports stadia in limited numbers, not only for football, but also for other sports such as Rugby Union. My mate Nige let me know he was able to get some cut price tickets for the London Irish game against Exeter at the new Brentford Stadium which they share with Brentford FC. I know nothing about Rugby, but the Irish connection and the chance to visit a new ground was enough for me to say yes.
I hadn’t been to a sporting even with a crowd since the two Bromley games in December and I hadn’t been on a train or tube for well over a year, so this was a bit of an adventure. I headed in to London Victoria from Bromley South, noticing that even though it was fairly busy, passenger numbers were nothing compared to what they used to be. I found a seat on my own on a rush hour train and started listening to Amon Amarth. The tube to Gunnersbury was the same, although the atmosphere was one of caution, everybody keeping their distance and looking even more solemn than usual.
Once I’d met Nige at the station we initially headed off in the wrong direction as there was no sign posting for the new ground at all and just to add to it the rain started pouring down. Once we found the right way the ground wasn’t too far at all, but despite a large number of stewards milling about it was very difficult to find out where to go. We went to the wrong entrance first, which involved walking through a construction site, the standard response from any steward was ‘you have to walk all the way round’! Around the ground there is loads of building work going on with flats and other developments.
Soaked to the skin we finally found Entrance P and scanned our E-tickets on the electronic turnstile. Disappointingly there was no club shop open and only an on-line programme available. Inside the stadium you have to wear a mask and keep a 2metre distance, but this all got forgotten about in the queues at the bar, which are all cashless. A pint of Guinness and a Chicken Balti pie came in at just under a tenner and were both excellent quality. You have to specifically ask for napkins or a fork, neither were handed over willingly. Looking round at the punters there were a few wax jackets and people wearing jeans with shoes and a jacket, but there were also a lot of people who wouldn’t have looked out of place at football. It was also nice to hear a few different Irish accents.
We headed up to our seats just before kick off an as it was a Rugby game we were allowed to take our drinks with us, which was nice. The stadium was very impressive, a large main stand where the players came out of, with the other three sides of covered seating that all gave an excellent view. Multi coloured seats gave the illusion that there was more than the 4,000 fans in attendance, which is 25% of the total capacity. Although games are supposed to be only open to home fans at the moment, there were a number of Exeter fans there and all wearing club colours. We were near the back of the stand behind the goal and just behind us were lots of Brentford flags that have been left up for the behind closed doors matches during the season.
I didn’t have much of a clue as to what was going on once the match started, the only previous Rugby Union game I had been to was back in 2000 when I saw Ireland play Japan at Landsdowne Road, but Nige provided expert commentary, explaining that Exeter were near the top of the table and ruthlessly efficient at what they do. Whenever Irish got close to the try line the noise in the stadium sounded like far more than 4,000 and Exeter fans also made some noise, including the Native American war chant inspired by their Chiefs nick name, which annoyed Nige immensely. Exactly what the link is between a city in Devon and Native Americans I have no idea, it did seem a bit inappropriate. The action was pretty ferocious at times, the tackles were hard and when there were breaks, some of the players showed real pace and skill, but I was still a little puzzled by it all. There was a bunch of teenage kids behind us who were Brentford fans and were trying to wind people up by cheering for Exeter and making snide comments about the Irish, but no one rose to the bait and they got bored.
The use of TMO put the farcical implementation of VAR in football to shame, decisions were made quickly with clear information on why the Ref had given his verdict and the action was played back on the big screens in the stadium.
By half time all of the drink and food had sold out in our section, although I did manage to get a last coffee, which was nice although a bit steep at £2.50. I guess with only this game and Brentford’s up coming play off semi final as the two games they are hosting with fans before the summer it would have been difficult to judge demand.
Exeter won the game comfortably in the end 31-12, playing with an intensity and professionalism that you need to be right near the top of the game. The fans applauded both sides off the field at the end of the match before heading off to the exits. I would definitely go again, hopefully when the fans are back in bigger umbers and the facilities are all open.
To be honest the best bit was getting to catch up with an old mate, chatting nonsense, having a drink and actually being out.
We got back to Gunnersbury very quickly and at least it was dry, but my ticket got stuck in the machine as it was still wet! Luckily the lady working there sorted it out for me and I got back to Victoria ok. Sadly a real reminder of the financial impact of Covid came with the fact that just about every food and drink outlet had closed down, no upper crust baguette or Cornish pasty for the journey home. With my clothes still soaked I picked up a cab for last bit of the journey home from Bromley South,
‘You been to Chelsea mate?’ the Cabbie asked, ‘No, London Irish Rugby’, ‘Oh, I’m a football man me’, ‘Yeah me too mate, me too.’
Col.
