Friday, June 25, 2004

It was all going so well.
We went to the pub at half three, and settled in at the front, on a comfy sofa.
We ate lunch, we drank, we discussed the new seasons fixtures.
We cheered the team coach as it headed to the ground.
We sat smug as people crowded into the Friary, looking for decent seat, we saw some other England regulars and talked about the fortunes of Wednesday and the Rommedahl signing.
We sang as a whole pub to "World in Motion" "Vindaloo" "Tubthumping" "Three Lions" and the National Athem.
We even sang along to "bye bye baby" as the Portuguese anthem played.
Michael Owen scored, We danced on the sofa.
Rooney went off injured, our hearts sank. I turned to MH and said there's no way we can defend the lead for the rest of the match.
But we looked like we might pull it off, Postiga came on and I said, "its ok, what's he ever done at Spurs, we're sorted."
They scored, we sang even louder, leapt onto the table at Sol's goal, only for me to be the one to break the news to our group that it hadn't been given and while we were celebrating the Portuguese were whizzing up the other end.
Rui Costa scored in Extra Time, Lampard scored.
We were been hugged by strangers, screaming and shouting.
I knew we wouldn't go through on penalties, but there was still a small chance.
The penalties...
I saw Becks sky his, I saw Owen Score.
Then i saw it.....

A bottle landed on the table in front of us, upsetting the glasses and pitchers.
MH turned to me, "I've been hit."
I thought she meant the plastic pitcher that went spinning off the table.
"so what? Its only plastic, stop being a girl."
"it hurts."
"It will do, come on England."
The girls behind us, crowding MH, "are you ok? Do you want some air?"
"it hurts."
"Give her some water."
she held the water, then pushed it into my hand.
she passed out and slid off the back of the sofa onto the cushions.
Chaos, bouncers, thinking she was drunk, trying to drag her out, people dancing at the other penalties, the kind girls behind trying to help.
She came round a couple of times.
"The match? Are we winning?"
What a girl! Despite been injured, she still wanted to know how the penalties were going!
she kept passing out.
Eventually it was over, we were out, but I don't know who scored the winning penalty, or who missed our last one.
We carried her out.
And then the panic started.
MH was in a serious RTA 5 years ago, she still suffers from back and leg problems.
she came round again.
"I can't feel my legs, I can't feel my legs. I don't want to be paralyzed again!"
The policeman got an ambulance - fulfilling an ambition of mine to ride in one.
She was attached to a back board, to a head and neck brace.
we rode to hospital, her attached to an oxygen mask.
I had to ring her parents, to let them know what was going on, I never want to have to do anything like that again.
She's fine now, we left the hospital at half 2 and got takeout pizza and watched the penalties again.
She's very sore, has crutches, and more pain than she's been in for several years, but she will be fine.
All this cos some wanker decided to throw a bottle.
sometimes I wonder about the human species.

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