Crusaders FC

 I was completing the quartet of Belfast based premiership clubs today, having already done Linfield, Glentoran and Cliftonville. Crusaders and Seaview were my favourite though, a real nice little ground, due only to get better through the UK governments levelling up fund, and real nice people associated with the club. It was a last minute decision to go there having been scuppered with my plans for Bangor Celtic in the FAI Cup, with them now playing at Crumlin United, where I had already visited, I wanted a new ground ticked off. I got the 0850 train from Connolly to Belfast, however upon arrival at just past Lurgan station, disaster struck as there was a tree on the line. They reversed us back to Lurgan, so I wasted no time in booking a taxi to Seaview at a cost of £60. I'd rather that than potentially miss the game though. The taxi driver was good to chat to, being a Polish football fan and we discussed the World Cup in great detail. Having arrived at the ground in real good time I walked up the road to McDonald's and ate there before getting some fruit in the Lidl over the road. I'm glad I did as the burgers in Seaview looked very uninspiring. The opposition today were Ballinmallard, who have recently lost their social club to a fire. Fantastically, Crusaders were donating all gate receipts from the game to them as well as hosting a fundraiser afterwards featuring former Newcastle winger Keith Gillespie. I wish more clubs in England showed this togetherness sometimes. Too many small clubs have gone to the wall over here in the last few months.

I was just so glad to be at the game, I started with high hopes at kick off but not long into the game it soon became evident it was going to finish 0-0 and that was indeed the case. The best chance were first half through Finlay Thorndike for Crusaders as he wriggled past numerous challenges before failing to finish and then second half as Ballinmallard crashed a free kick off the crossbar. Still it was a very watchable game with no lack of effort and some half decent passing on a good surface.

Full time and it was the long trip home, back to Dublin for the midnight flight which was an hour late, I've caught the same flight before and it was an hour late then too, good old Ryanair. Then a taxi home, into bed around 0230.

One last word for the taxi driver from Seaview to Belfast, donating a Linfield training shirt to me after another real good football chat, he was amazed I travelled over to watch the Irish league, with all the locals usually going the other way to watch the premiership in England.