Town have to take their chance!

As I write on the Thursday before the game, the nervous tension that covers my world at present is almost unbearable. I think back to how I felt that week before Stoke (Play Off Final). I remember I had a 3000 word essay to do for my Management qualifications, and I'd lock myself away in a spare room at Radbrook College, and invariable end up looking at Blue and Amber most of the day!

My thought process with regards Risk Assessments, Safe Procedures of Work, and whether we should go with the current cleaning contract, have been indispersed with visions of what will happen at the BUPA Stadium (so called because MK Dons play at the National Hockey Stadium - NHS - get it. Yawn!).

Will it be raining, and raining in our hearts? Will the fact that I'm going on the 'Lennybus', with Pete Bell, H, Bizzy Lad, Adam (a combination that usually doesn't see us win), mean a terrible trip home? Will me and bro be celebrating in the 'Station End' (can you believe this is the actual name of the stand we have been allocated, what an omen!) and dreaming of Wembley?

How come we are this close and yet so far?

The media I think wants MK Dons to win, because they could trot out and re-use all the old stories of Wimbledon, the move, get your token AFC Dons fans complaining, get TV celebrities who really have no understanding of it all, waffling on. Show pictures of the to be fair nice new stadium. Que if it's us, and they'll probably wobble on more about the fact that's its Lincoln's time to win or what a huge glory hunting fan base Brizzle Rovers have.

So Shrewsbury Town, lets show the footballing world, that history, loyalty, tenacity and plain old good sportsmanship (apart from a few idiots on Monday) deserve to go to Wembley, win at Wembley and be in League One next term, and of course thumping Leeds twice along the way!

I have seen nothing in the matches so far that scares me. If we can just get Leo and Asa linking up better I cant see how the Dons can deal with them. Similarly if we continue to deal with anything Mr Stirling can hurl at us, why can't we win!

Ok, I think if you ask most Town fans, honestly, deep down, we expect to go down there and get beat, but why? As I've said before B E L I E V E !!. We have been good enough to get here, we have beaten MK Dons once before this season, and now it's just a cup final. A one off game, and the prize is just amazing!

I remember back to Twerton Park, Bath. 1996. Town 1-1 from the first leg. Nobody gave us a chance. In fact we only took 500 to that game, because nobody believed. And yet look what happened. Not even Marcus Stewart at his cheating best could deny us. Not even the fact that Rovers fans were booking their coaches for Wembley at half time could stop us.

I'll never forget leaving the ground with all those Brizzle fans so gutted it was untrue, and it has to be one of the most contented moments I've had in football.

It's 11 against 11, and anything is possible. Town have shown in adversity they can fight. They never give up. Think to Macc Town away, and yes the MK Dons game and Accy Stanley at home.

We have a team of players that doesn't give up, and as fans we have to do the same. We have to believe, and keep believing. Because believe me, if we get to Wembley, we have to win the thing, and not limp out like we did in 1996.

Monday's game was tense. The atmosphere was fantastic, the pitch truly awful, but for all MK Dons obvious technical advantages, we battled and worked so hard, and if Leo and Asa can get an understanding who knows!

A fair few comments have been said about Monday's game, and the pitch invasion after, and some naughties that were going on at the end. I think it was naïve to think that people wouldn't go on the pitch, being this would be the last ever time that it could happen. Town fans lets face haven't been on the pitch every other week since 1910, basically because they've had nothing much to celebrate. My list of entering the playing area is as follows:

Man City home 1979.

Aldershot home 1979.

Exeter home 1979.

Northampton home 1994.

Exeter away 2000.

Brighton home 2001.

Morecambe away 2004.

Barnet home 2004.

And finally MK Dons home 2007.

All were pretty friendly although I have to say Monday night did leave a sour taste in the mouth.

It seemed to start when MK Dons wanted to clap their team after the game. They started chanting 'w$%^ers' at the Town fans on the pitch. One or two Town followers took exception to this and headed towards the Station End. One or two of the 'chav element' decided to get on the fence and beckon their Shrewsbury counterparts. I then saw a bottle come from the Station End, didn't see anyone get punched, although I did see what appeared to be two golf balls being thrown from the pitch into the Station End.

A number of comments have been made on the boards about pitch invasions etc. Fans may not be aware but every time there is a pitch invasion the club is fined £1000 under Football Association rules, and warned about their future conduct. It would maybe help, if the FA, and the clubs actually made everyone aware of this, rather than the bog standard 'please keep off the pitch'.

I think secondly and maybe this is one for the future they could announce that the pitch needs to be cleared so that the players can come back. They actually did this at the Hawthorns last night, although it proved to be a red herring as the authorities decided not to allow the players back on for safety reasons (?).

Thirdly, I think if the players and management team had come back into the Directors Box, then the idiots that did wonder over to the Station End probably wouldn't have done so.

I think we all as Town fans wanted to do was

* Go on the pitch

* Say goodbye to Gay Meadow

* Thank the Board and team for getting us to the Play Off

* Get everyone up for Friday

Don't honestly think that with a bit of thought this could have been too hard to do.

Anyway, after eventually making it onto the pitch, I walked around for a while. Saw familiar faces that had like me been going down the Wyle Cop (or up from the Telepost) to see the Shrewsbury Aces. I wanted to stay longer than I did, and maybe have a few quiet moments, but the crowd seemed to leave the pitch and I took a few photos for prosperity.

I actual still feel pretty numb from the experiences of the last couple of weeks. Its still doesn't feel real really. Even when I went round the New Meadow again on Friday, it's still hard to believe that I won't be taking that turn into the Narrows again. I really don't want to be around when the bulldozers go in. I think that would totally devastate me to be honest. But who knows by then, we will be in League One! Fingers crossed, toes and everything else crossed!

I think the one intriguing thing about Friday is the fact that there will be loads of Town fans in pubs watching the game. I bet for many who couldn't get tickets it will seem strange watching the lads. Armchairs comforts normally reserved for the Premier Team laggers.

Part of me would love to be able to watch the game in both locations. I bet the Crown in both Abbey Foregate and Coleham will be full of Town's, as it will at the Dun Cow, Boars Head and other pubs. Even the Anchor up Harlescott has got a sign saying 'Shrewsbury Town v MK Dons' outside it!

I just hope that when I come back to Shropshire late Friday night, early Saturday morning that the whole Town is celebrating getting to Wembley. Can you believe we are that close! You'd better!

Wherever you are Friday, sing your hearts out for the lads. Floreat Salopia. BELIEVE!

Ade Plimmer