Once I got to the station I found Laurence playing his usual trick of "let’s leave it as long as we can and nearly miss the train and jump on board right at the last minute". At Aldershot we thought we would be left without tickets as we thought he’d missed it. This time he was trying to arrange a ticket for Paddy’s mate Martyn [who had asked for a ticket at the last minute], but he managed to get his credit card stuck in the machine. Martin was left with no ticket, but a nice credit card. All I’m saying is I really hope he went to Sports Soccer to buy a new football to replace the one I’ve been charged for (they’re £8 there and pretty good as well).

We made it on board the train with literally no time to spare (the doors closed a couple of seconds after we got on board). I can’t remember much about the journey down as a 0930 start is about 3 or 4 hours too early for me. Only things I remember were Doctor Jim being strange, and [John] talking about some idiot who threw a kid in the river and other random things I can’t remember.

By the time we got to London I had just about woken up, and it was a good job as myself and the Doc got separated from Laurence and co. and found our own way to Victoria via tube, before joining up with the rest. We then went to East Croydon and on to Crawley. At Crawley we met Richard, Mouse, Woody and someone called Tanghaller who had attached himself to our group in the pub, with a few totally p*ssed Nomads who gave me stick for going to Leeds Uni. Meanwhile, Laurence [and Dobbo and the Doc] said [they were] "going for food" [but the pub was refusing to sell food] so [they] disappeared off there leaving us in the pub and wondering just how we’d get to the ground (fortunately we managed to get taxis).

In the taxi to the ground the driver got cut up by a "white van man" much to his annoyance. However, the white van man had his mobile number on the side of his van, which Richard decided to call to tell him exactly how we thought he was driving. Unfortunately the bloke’s mobile was switched off.

As for the game, well another shambles. Crawley’s ground is pretty good, and we weren’t as bad as we sometimes are, but we didn’t make their keeper make a save all match. Clarke’s total f**k up cost us the match, he tried to dribble round their number 10 and failed, and the rest is all too predictable with City going 1-0 down. I then tried to get Laurence to volunteer to be a sub for Clarke to add his aerial ability and tackling skills to our defence but Brassy decided against this tactical change and instead instructed his team to carry on playing crap, which they obliged.

Nogan’s poor miss just before the break was our best chance to get back on level terms. I could have scored that blindfolded. At half time I tried to start a Trust fundraising drive to pay off Clarke’s contract (£30 so far), and met True Faith with Laurence weirdly introducing me as himself and himself as Doctor Jim. Only he knows why.

The second half was dull apart from Clarke becoming probably the first City player ever that his own fans chanted "off, off, off" at after a clumsy foul. To be honest we might well have been better with 10 men such was his performance. Despite City being crap the Crawley fans barely sang a song all match, perhaps they’ll have learnt how to by next season. City never really got going until stoppage time, when a flick on found Clarke with a golden chance to redeem himself. His first touch was good, and he struck it well……too well, it hit the bar. There went our last chance. Overall another poor display and Crawley deserved 3 points.

On the way back from Crawley the Doc’s shoe appeared to go missing on the train. Perhaps someone could tell me exactly what happened then as I was in First Class but it ended up outside their [compartment], and City Reject decided it would be a good idea to take it. The Doc then panicked, and wouldn’t have found it if the plan to put it in City Reject’s coat hadn’t failed. My rucksack may have played a part in the missing shoe story but I’m not saying any more about that.

After returning to London we stocked up on food and drink, and on the way back go King’s Cross, some random London women decided it was funny to point at my rucksack and laugh. HAHAHAHAHA, a rucksack, that’s really hilarious isn’t it. I resisted the temptation to point at her bag and say "handbag" and start laughing.

Eventually we all made our way back onto the 1900 for York, where Laurence went on a drinking session with his purchase from Costcutter. Paddy and myself meanwhile ended up talking to a Sunderland fan sat next to the forum group about old City players who we had on loan, and talking about sh*te managers such as Brass and Wilkinson. However, by 2100 we got to York and went our separate ways.

Our next away trip was to be Burton - which was to be my first City away win. May there be many more of those.