It's done!
By Leipziger
May 30 2013
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and with promotion to the Premiership now secure, we can really begin to dream about where the journey that began way back in September at the Memorial Stadium in Bristol will take us.
Last night was amazing, a night of passion, relief, joy, celebration, as the Falcons Family came together and the team, with 7,500 shouters behind them, finished the job.
It wasn't easy, and staying in the Premiership will be even harder, but the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
I'll stop all that now.
The Falcons named an unchanged starting lineup, the only change in the squad Matt Thompson replacing Michael Mayhew on the bench, but Rory Lawson was promoted to the starting XV late on for Warren Fury.
Nine points ahead on aggregate, home fans were looking for an early try or a couple of penalties to all but settle things, but it didn't happen like that. Jake Sharp was first on the scoresheet with a Bedford penalty. For most of the first half Sharp and Jimmy Gopperth traded kicks and both sides' backs were frustrated, as they had been at Goldington Road last week.
The biggest lead Bedford had was 3-9 after Wor Jimmy, in his final Newcastle game, had equalised Bedford's opener, but at 6-9 a breakthrough came on the far left. Ryan Shortland floated down the wing and just about squeezed through the last defender to dive over the line, the TV official confirming the score.
But by half-time the Blues were back in front on the night, 17-18.
Not much beer was consumed under the clock during the game – the South Stand was so packed that it would probably have taken most of half-time just to get down to the bar never mind get served. So nothing but tiffin cake and a hip flask to try to settle nerves.
At eight points ahead overall, there should have been no worries, but few teams are as capable of turning around a situation, for better or worse, as our Falcons.
No worries. The second half began as the first had, with Sharp knocking over a penalty, but roared on by thousands of screaming Geordies, the Falcons plugged away at the Bedford defence. Mark Wilson might have scored had he not been faced away from the Blues' line just inches behind him, and Suka Hufanga and Carlo del Fava also made drives.
When the try came it was by a player who thoroughly deserved it, having barely put a foot or hand wrong in the last few weeks. Alex Tait was the scorer as the backs moved the ball quickly towards the left and stretched the Bedford defence too far.
Gopperth's conversion hit the post. The aggregate lead was nine points again, the scoreboard reading 22-21.
Getting into the final few minutes, further penalties from both teams had resulted in the Falcons leading 28-24, just a point short of the 14-point aggregate lead that I felt would make things completely safe. Finally, Gopperth sent his final penalty for the Falcons high into the night, and provoked loud cheers and big hugs all around Kingston Park.
The game was safely seen out and there was nothing more formally for the Falcons to do in the Championship but for Will Welch to lift the trophy. It's a weird-looking trophy, it looks like a weapon out of Star Trek, but it is not so much the cup itself that matters, but what it represents.
The players gave the supporters a bow before heading back into the dressing room, and ultimately over to the West Stand for a few well-earned beers. Some will not be here next season, but go with all of our gratitude.
For those that remain – thank you too and hopefully there is much more to come!
I'm feeling a bit philosophical today – must be the lack of decent sleep. Whatever the reason, I started with a couple of proverbs, so I'll end by paraphrasing a bit of football commentary I once heard:
“The trophy is important. The place in the Premiership – far more so.”
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in the west side of the South Stand [ drunkards corner] access was available as long as you asked nicely
we managed to keep the guiness flowing nicely.
Cracking read Leipy, and I will add my thanks for your excellent reports & articles, much appreciated by so many.