Pinching a Point (and Two Tickets)

Gillingham 1-1 Norwich City

Having taken over as BBC Radio Norfolk's Breakfast Show presenter I was coming into this game on the back of a week of 4am starts. It needed to be entertaining or I could have become the first ever commentator (I assume) to actually fall asleep during a game.

When I handed back to the studio at the end of the game I was actually quivering, not through fatigue, but the thrill of Darel Russell's 94th minute equaliser. The canaries played most of the game with ten men when Fraser Forster was sent off and Simeon Jackson slotted the resulting penalty past debutant 'keeper Declan Rudd. A man light, a teenager in goal and 1-0 down. Recent Norwich City experience has conditioned me to expect a 3 or 4 nil defeat in such circumstances but they fought back very, very well.

I wasn't alone, the fans on the temporary away stand at Priestfield - the sort of thing you might see on the 18th hole at The Open - went so crazy I was later told by a supporter there was some serious concern the structure may actually tip up.

My moment of realisation that I had become uncontrollably excited by a draw at Gillingham was shaken off by my feeling of good fortune when I saw the Norwich players being forced to take an ice bath in the open air as we waited for post-match interviews. They taking it in turns to be dipped in a paddling pool of freezing water. How can that be good for you?

There was one slightly hairy moment when I didn't think I was going to even get in. The press reception at Priestfield turned out to be an unmanned wooden desk. Someone had clearly abandoned their station but when it remained a staff-free zone after a few moments I began to get restless and a quick investigation revealed the necessary press passes were indeed just sitting there on the table. So I carefully reached over and sorted through them until I found the two BBC Radio Norfolk passes. Or that was the plan.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Gillingham coach Mark Robson (I didn't recognise him, but a quick scan of the kit sponsorship page of the programme later solved the mystery) had walked into the tiny reception to see some bloke with both feet off the floor leaning over a desk to help himself to two tickets. I was all ready to get all official with him and produce ID cards etc but thankfully Robson had a League One match to prepare for and actually was not that bothered at my brazen act of ticket thievery. As soon as a second member of Gills staff walked in, I was off the hook as some football style unfathomable but very loud male banter ensued between Robson and his colleague.