Everton - 1 Manchester City - 0, Goodison Park: 12.01.08

It's hard to support a team from a distance. To follow Everton from North Wales was expensive but to do it from Cardiff, well it's almost impossible, especially when I have to work pretty much every weekend. My working commitments mean my only hope is for Everton to be drawn away to Cardiff or Swansea in one of the domestic cups. It's therefore been a while since I could consider myself a regular at Goodison Park. I'm embarrassed to admit it but it's going back to a time when Manchester City's Richard Dunne and Michael Ball were young players wearing the royal blue of Everton. It wasn't the best game to make my return. Missing key players, endless long balls and a distinct lack of goal mouth action made it a drab affair but come the final whistle I was glad of the three points.

As always it was a good day out. Although I made a rookie error by enjoying a few pre game pints with my mates (including my first pint of Chang) Those familiar with the Upper Bullens Stand will know once everyone has sat down for the game there's no chance of getting out for a pee. This left me aching for the half time whistle for a toilet break. The thing I was most pleased about the first half was not Joleon Lescott's goal but the fact I hadn't pissed myself. Once the whistle came I painfully made my way to the gents only to find it (as always) over populated. When you're there unsuccessfully trying to position yourself next to the trough it's hard not to feel like the runt of the litter. There's something extremely unsettling about having a stranger lean against you as you're both urinating, it takes a level of concentration I don't really possess. I have to dig deep. While I'm in the loo I miss the half time entertainment. A fan randomly picked from the crowd has the chance to win a £30,000 Audi, if he can hit the cross bar with a football from a good distance. And he does it to the delight of the masses! When asked by the announcer "What do you think about your new Audi?" the man replies with the trademark scouse wit "It'll do for now". The second half was pretty bad, I don't think there was a single shot on goal for Everton. I think the highlight was Joe Hart falling over when he took a goal kick...or was that the first half? It was pretty bad. There was a fantastic roar from the crowd when the final whistle came and a overall sense of relief.

We'd parked up near Anfield and as we walked back towards the car we passed a small child no older than four sat alone outside a terraced house sandwiched by two boarded up houses. As each Evertonian passed him he pointed at them and said in his squeaky scouse accent "Everton stink you know, Everton stink!" He repeated this as each of us walked past. We imagined that his father was probably waiting behind the door ready to punch anyone who dared to say anything back to his nipper. Initially we all chuckled but we soon came to the conclusion that it was probably not the best way to introduce your young child to football. Lesson one, abuse strangers in numbers. In twenty years the little fucker will probably be throwing patio chairs at rival fans and policemen during the World Cup.