Once more with feeling!

I have to say that I'm quite nervous about tonight. There is a real sense of expectation in the air, but also some unrealism. I felt this a week last Saturday. It's like you just can't quite believe that this is it, and also 'bugger me we are in the play offs!'. I mean we normally sit there and watch other teams battle them out, but this time, for sure, we are there.

Looking back at the events of the last couple of weeks, it's been incredible. The queues for tickets, the interest in the Football Club. The last game and everything that went with that. That last gasp equaliser that means tonight we play the MK Dons and not Lincoln. It's truly amazing. But take it all in, because it doesn't happen everyday, and Town fans everywhere are pinching themselves.

The fact that we are 180 minutes away from Wembley is also unbelievable. And watching the FA Trophy Final on the tele at the weekend gave some idea of what it will be like should we do it.

I say should because if I'm honest I just don't know how we will do. MK Dons is a big ask, but then wasn't it me who wrote in one of my articles back in January, I didn't think we'd make the play offs because we were 12 points behind Wycombe, we don't win games in hand etc, etc. As I've said of late, believe!. We just have to. What an opportunity this is. We have to grab it. Why can't it be us?

I went around the New Meadow again on Friday with the shrewsTRUST crew, and it has really come on since my last visit on a snow capped day in February. The seats give the ground definition, and Dave Matthias, Gary Bright and I, sang the first chant of 'Shrews-bur-ree' from the back of the 'Rail side'. The roof is low, and the acoustics are amazing. We are going to make so much noise there. There again with 2000 Leeds fans in the North Stand were going to have to aren't we!

I'm really excited at the mo. When you follow Salop its glory at a chance. I don't follow Town for the glory, but when it happens, it's great. 1975, 1979, the 80's Glory days. 1994, and 2004. Let us not forget that glorious events at Stoke because that is still in my eyes the clubs greatest achievement, and the feelings I have right now are of that day, and how it felt, and what it meant, and I just hope that in a couple of weeks we are all at Wembley, celebrating. As I say why can't it be us?

The 'End of Era' was that. I didn't blubber, because I think that last minute goal sort of took the gloss a little over the proceedings. But I have to say that when I went down the Narrows at midday to go and get a scarf and T Shirt, I filled up. It was spontaneous, and unreal. I walked up into town and back down the Wyle Cop one last time, looking over the English Bridge, and seeing the floodlights, and the stands, the river flowing past, and all my footballing dreams and memories came flooding back. And I am so going miss this place.

But we have new history to make. MK Dons have taken that to their hearts. Yes, the way the club was formed and allowed to move from its London base is scandalous, and every true football fan wants them to fail, but I'll be honest I have absolutely nothing but administration for the way they have fought back from a club die on its arse, playing in front of crowds even AFC Telford would think poor, and then moving to a town with no real footballing pedigree apart from Milton Keynes City, and that famous old wooden stand at Wolverton. The way they have got a solid fan base together, despite two relegations shows that if you invest in the community people will follow you, and there are lessons their fro clubs with a lot more heritage and history than MK Dons. The tragedy of all this is that it should have happened at all, and I'm sure there are previous owners, previous administrations in Merton, who are as guilty as the FA and the current owners for allowing this to happen. And happen again it must never be.

I'm sure AFC Wimbledon fans are wishing us all the best, but again I don't want us to do it for AFC Wimbledon, or the footballing world. I wants us to do it for us. For Shrewsbury Town, for the years we been to away game after away game, on some crumbling terrace, at some poor ground, soaked to the skin, wondering what the hell were doing here. For all those times, lets beat MK Dons, lets get to the final, and win the bloody thing!

When I think back three years to Farnborough away and 0-0 at half time, at a ground no better than Shifnal Town (actually that's an insult to Shifnal because Phoenix Park is miles better) and how I felt. A team going nowhere, been beaten by Hereford and Telford in recent weeks, and I did think 'right that's it'. We don't do it here and no more. And low and behold we won 3-1, and in a lot of ways we've never looked back.

We just have to believe. Try not to let our nerves affect our players. Lets really get behind them tonight. Just sing and shout and chant and cheer, and do everything we can to progress to a dream day in North London on May 25th.

How would I play it? I would try to blitz them and win it three nil by half time but that's why I'm a Health and Safety manager! I think GP will play it to make sure that whatever happens, we go to the N.H.S with the game still alive, and I think and predict a dour classic, with Town being strong in defence soaking up the MK Dons pressure, but hitting them on the break with Asamoah and Cooke linking up.

Whatever happens tonight is going to be so special, so memorable. Gay Meadow, once more with feeling. Lets get to it!

Finally, thanks to everyone who came to the shrewsTRUST do after the Grimsby game. It was an amazing night, from Victor Kasule making a guest appearance, from GP and the board turning up. I'd like to say thanks on behalf of the interim board for all your help and comments of thanks and enjoyment. We are hoping to do something similar in September, so keep you eyes wide open for that one.

Right, lets see if I can concentrate for a few hours more! Then a ticket queue for the second leg, a last pre match Telepost pint, and the first (and last) Football League Play Off Semi Final at Gay Meadow. BRING IT ON!

Blue and Amber always

Ade Plimmer