POSF: Torquay United v Notts County 12:00pm 12 June 2021

No problem Phil, good to catch up and still don’t know how you managed to book the whole room to ourselves.

All credit to the club to contributing to a cracking atmosphere and one of my best Plainmoor days out which will be remembered for many years to come,

Hard game by two very good form teams which could have gone either way. Had the luck with the penalty and then when they hit the bar and two hours of football was decided by that 5 minute period at the end of the first period of extra time. Glad it didn’t go to penalties.

Having Wright back and playing for 90 minutes was a big bonus and his two goals showed what we were missing this year. Bonus is no new injuries picked up with Cameron confirming he went off with cramp after taking on that left wing role which saw him covering much more ground than usual. I wonder if Whitfield may be challenging for that role With another 8 days to get fit?

It should have been shared by 1,709 people!

What a day!

Why can't all days be like that? I suppose because they would not be so special if they were.

A sleepless night before with nervous anticipation - excitement and hope tempered with a smidgeon of fear.

Perfect weather - hot and sunny but not unbearably so.

Bumped into (or avoided bumping in to by one metre) lots of old friends before and after.

Even those of us who always try to take the optimistic view knew this game was never going to be easy.

Danny Wright on the team sheet a huge boost - his presence just totally transforms our shape and belief.

Dream start - but a fleeting hope this could be a one-sided stroll in the sun (think Scarborough 98) did not last long.

We needed to work hard, keep our shape, our discipline and our self-belief to pull this one off. All boxes ticked. Credit to the manager and all the players. A tough job done well.

Great atmosphere led by the drummer. Did not see who it was but it sounded like the legendary Hayden of old.

Excellent idea from the club to hand out those clappers to add to the noise. Mine did not last through extra time with one hand flying off through over-use.

Common sense tells me it is silly investing so much emotion in a football team when there are so many important things going on in the world. But we can't help it can we? Despite the pain and the grief it causes us. Days like yesterday are our pay back. After the final whistle and after the players left the field, I just stood there on the Pop and soaked it up. You have to savour days like this and I hope and pray I have another one to savour next Sunday.

As we floated away from the Theatre of Dreams, the view out from Babbacombe Downs was fantastic. How can we be lucky enough to live in a place that has such natural beauty AND the best football team in the world?

Excellent food and beer and excellent service at the Babbacombe Inn. They were turning punters away but Chelston had used his influence to reserve the VIP area for his exclusive use.

Rob dropped us off at the bottom of Cadewell Lane to save the Chelston's ageing legs and I surprised the old boy by taking him up the back way to the Dumpling (through the woods to the back of Kitson Park).

They have opened up tables outside upstairs since I was last there - a nice sun trap for a final pint before home time.

If Carlsberg did football days....

Actually come to think of it, was it you Stefano and your voodoo witchcraft thingy?

Part one of my prediction spot on.

Nervously awaiting news of part two.