Cod Almighty | Diary

Only Connect

11 May 2026

Miss Guest Diary writes: When Salford's paltry ticket allocation for the second leg of the play-offs was announced Mr B and I resigned ourselves to missing out on the game. I would add that I don't actually blame Salford for not giving us more than the minimum 10% of their stadium capacity as required under EFL rules. When your own fanbase is small and, judging by their lack of presence on social media, fairly disengaged, why would you want to invite a horde of passionate Town fans into your home ground? So, can someone explain to me then why I started having palpitations waiting for the online ticket portal to 'open' this morning when I wasn't harbouring even the remotest hope of success?

To be honest I felt relieved when I didn't even manage to get into the online queue because I had very mixed feelings about whether to actually go to the game if I did get a ticket. Travelling to watch Town's play-off matches this century has, more often than not, been a painful experience: Cardiff in 2006, Newport in 2013, Gateshead in 2014, Wembley in 2015. All are etched into my memory for different reasons.

Then there's the game at Braintree in 2016; one play-off game I didn't go to even though I had a ticket. The weather was very hot that day and I simply couldn’t face the thought of the long hot car journey followed by roasting on an open terrace for two or three hours. We carried forward a loss by one goal into that game – as we do this time around – and it all turned out brilliantly. If, by the rules of footballing magical thinking, my being absent from next Friday's game can contribute in any way to Town's fortunes in the match, I am happy that I can oblige.

Walking to the ground yesterday – not I hasten to add in the official fans' march: who in their right might would choose to arrive at the turnstiles (only three open as usual) in company with 1,000 others? – I concluded that I have reached the age where people are more important than results. So, instead of eulogising about the progress made on the field, I want to highlight the other side of being a football fan – time spent with fellow Town fans before and during games.

For me this season has been a bumper one for connecting and re-connecting with folk I have met, and in many cases become friends with, in my 36-year journey as a Town fan: from crazy golf and fish and chips with CA's Irish cousins before the Man Utd game to lunch in an art gallery's café with one of CA's founders and his wife before the Tranmere game, I have loved every minute. Sadly, I heard at yesterday's game that the elderly chap who had the season ticket seat directly in front of me for many years had died a couple of days after the Swindon game – I really hope he knew Town had made the play-offs - and I send my condolences to his family. All Town aren't we!

UTM