I'm told that you should only expect disappointment if you go back to a place that you remember fondly from your youth; better to leave the golden glow of your memory unsullied by the reality of today and all that. I ignored all of that and went back to Loftus Rd for the first time since 1997 last Saturday, and a few things had changed...but not that much... - I used to stand on the paddock next to the away fans in the 80's, and I always thought that they made more nosie than the R's home crowd because of the low roof at the School End making their singing echo. I sat in the SAR stand on Saturday, and even with little to sing about, for 10-15 mins after half time I could feel the R's fans noise. Love it love it love it...that R Block is the place to be... - Maybe its a product of being older myself, but there seems to be a bigger percentage of 30+ blokes around now. I always felt like we were a young crowd back in the day...the place feels a little more intimidating now, not violent but just a bit edgier. We've all grown up.. - Still a great place to see 'faces'; blokes you only see at Rangers, but that you have 'known' for years - And finally, the R's themselves...the most reliably unreliable team there is. I should have known that on a day where they should have romped it in they'd turn in their worst display of the year...in honour of my return. They are bastards to a man, but they are our bastards.. I'll be back again next trip, and a big thanks to Finney, 'TV' James & Rob Dundee for looking after me....champions to a man....made me fell part of the R's family. U R's..... | |