It's almost time.......

With the present day insatiable desire for ‘celebrity’, the colloquial use of the term ‘legend’ has become a cachet for any person granted sporting hero status, no matter how short their moment ‘in the sun’.

But as I get older, my own ‘Gallery of Football Legends’ can still be accommodated without the need to move into a bigger house. Moore, Best, Pele, Greaves, Law, Charlton, Banks….. they are all in there…..and lined up alongside Jack Howarth (Aldershot FC’s greatest ever player)…..yes, that would be about it.....until the events of yesterday, I guess. 

Aldershot Town’s game with Swindon was postponed when the Robins found their way to Wembley, securing a place in the ‘Something Paint Pot Cup Final’…. (they lost 2v0 to Chesterfield). So I was left with a pretty stark choice…..go to our livery yard and help my wife with the horses, or take up the offer of an afternoon at Adams Park, where Wycombe Wanderers were set to entertain MK Dons. It was an easy decision. 

And by midday, after an uneventful drive up the motorway,  I found myself in a very comfortable ‘box’ overlooking the ground. 

Now I have never been that interested in watching any football match without one of the teams being the Shots. But as Saturday’s game unfolded, I found myself turning into a Chairboy (for the day). And it wasn’t the fact that I was surrounded by Wycombe fans that stirred my interest. Although my feelings were aroused by being so close to the pretty horrible MK Dons. No, the final seal of support was achieved by the fact that after only ten minutes of play, it was quite apparent that this was a game of ex-Aldershot ‘keeper, Nikki Bull v the Dons. 

Nikki brilliantly saved a penalty early in the first half and then went on to make a further four saves that cheated MK Dons from adding to their lone strike, which hit the back of the net following a typical Wycombe defensive mix up early in the second half. Wycombe were terrible, and really never looked like they were going to score, and then…..with the referee adding four minutes of stoppage time, the Chairboys won a corner. 

Nikki Bull left the sanctuary of his goal and sprinted the length of the field to line up with twenty other players in the Dons' penalty area. The corner was played in hard and high from the right hand side of the field. Nikki ran and jumped. He took off like a ground to air missile. The defence stood and watched in awe as Bully simply flew. Of course he got nowhere near the ball….but someone did and it was 1v1. 

Bully skipped along the length of the Greene King IPA Terrace shaking hands with hundreds of fans….I was on my feet cheering and clapping. I had flash backs of Jack Howarth and Reading…..and John Dungworth and Shrewsbury……but this was Adams Park…..! The final whistle was blown and the players left the field. 

MK Dons trudged off looking pretty deflated….oh yes, and their team included Alan Smith….his demeanor reminding me of what a horrible little person he is. A bit like Joey Barton I suppose, but without the literacy. Wycombe bounced down the tunnel, the disappearing 'big blob of blue' leaving the pitch empty, save for Nikki Bull. 

Nikki walked purposefully to all four corners of the ground waving….and clapping….and cheering…..and saying ‘thank you’. I might just make some space for you Nikki in my ‘Gallery of Legends’….I feel it is almost time.