Long Good Friday.

As away days go you have to say it didn’t get off to the easiest of starts. Although it’s a long way, it’s quite a simple journey to Carlisle and we’d set off in plenty of time, or so we thought.

Newark wasn’t as difficult as it can be, then on to the A1 and it was plain sailing, for a while. You’ve probably done that journey, the A1 north, quite a few times, I have certainly. In most countries, Germany, France, Spain even, that road would have been a motorway years ago. Not us though, oh no. With the sort of skewed logic that produced the car park, at busy times, that is the Lincoln by pass, the A1 has been “improved” in sections so you go from bits that are decent, to parts that are definitely not. On Friday even the motorway sections, at junctions, ground to a halt. Again and again and again. That's all without mentioning the A66 but I'm trying to forget that.

We found ourselves overtaking and then being overtaken by a couple of our coaches and at first it was good fun, waving and being waved to. Then the sat nav started to get a bit pessimistic. From an ETA of one o’ clock it became two, then ten past. We left the coaches behind and I started to wonder, will they make it?

Our sat nav sent us an alternative route, and I followed that route, to not universal approval in the car but, when we finally arrived and heard some coaches had not made it for the kick off we wondered if it was them and I was glad I took the diversion.

Even when we got to Carlisle we claimed the very last car park space. I should have guessed it was not going to be our day.

I may as well at this point introduce you to Mr Lee Mason, you’ll have heard of him I’d imagine. For me, the game was going the same way as the MK Dons one except to say Carlisle were sitting off and City were sitting off which was what I had expected to happen when said referee floored Jason Shackell with a really soft yellow. Yes, you’ve seen them given but this was a no one messes with me, I’m the star of the show yellow and when Shackell really did commit a yellow card offence off he had to go and with it City’s chance of getting something from the game.

It was a brave performance but, unlike previous battles City could not quite make it over the line when down to ten men. Unlike MK Dons, where we had a referee who gave some protection against the home sides rough house tactics there was none from Mr Mason who was prepared to dish out a yellow to Cian Bolger for coming on without permission but not when Harry Anderson was assaulted, there were other instances too. Not interested. What I ask is the responsibility of the fourth official by the way?

So there we are, no party. We wait for Monday and the arrival of Tranmere Rovers. You don’t need me to tell you it won’t be easy however I have a plan. At MK Dons I discovered I had put last seasons shirt on. I mused whether to stick with it for Cheltenham and again at Carlisle. Look what happened. So if you see someone in a black, out of date away shirt it’s probably me.

The things I do for that football club.