Things are hotting up ... Have you got ‘Wembley Fever’ yet?
HUDDERSFIELD Town are set to face Reading in the Championship Play-Off final at Wembley on Monday, May 29.
More than 38,000 Blue White Army fans will descend on the home of English football for what is arguably the biggest game in the club’s history.
Masses of Town fans are expected to head south with coaches and hotels in high demand, Wembley merchandise flying off the shelves, weddings postponed and holiday plans rescheduled.
‘Wembley Fever’ can take a number of forms though, with the seven main symptoms outlined below .... LACK of awareness of time
Days merge into one solitary stream of consciousness as you lose all sense of proportion in your daily lives.
It seems months ago since David Wagner’s men beat Sheffield Wednesday with time appearing to drag until the Wembley showpiece, with everything else paling into insignificance. INSOMNIA
You struggle to sleep and, when you do you wake up, you have a panic that Town’s semi-final triumph was only ‘a Heffin dream’.
Or perhaps you dream of the final - your mind running through a number of scenarios ranging from the mundane to the heart-stopping drama of late goals, extra time or even penalties. INVOLUNTARY outbursts/smiles of acknowledgment Randomly you may break out into chants of ‘We’re On Our Way’ or ‘Ain’t No Body...’ or you find yourself nodding to random strangers you see wearing Town colours or merchandise out and about. BECOMING a traffic and travel connoisseur
Suddenly you begin to pay more attention to road closures, rail and tube strikes or the best and worst motorway service station stopoffs.
Do you stop at Newport Pagnell or try to get to Watford Gap before having a break? With it being a Bank Holiday will that affect traffic and set-off times?
Or should you get off at Wembley Central, Wembley Stadium or Wembley Park tube station? BREAKING out in stripes
You will have the urge to adorn every aspect of your life in the blue and white stripes of the club – children and pets are most at risk while shops will also get into the spirit of the occasion with shop windows and doors covered.
The obligatory car flags, stickers and foam hands will be purchased and used to decorate every aspect of your life - particularly your car. COMPULSIVE behaviour
As well as continually checking how long left it is until kick-off and where your tickets are, there will be a media overload of information to assault your senses which you will dutifully lap up.
Every minute detail will be searched for – updates on ticket sales, team news, nostalgia pieces, the layout of the dressing room, the referee – everything will be thought of and looked for. SEEKING out fellow sufferers
With such a long period of time between the semi-final and final, you may feel cut off and isolated from fellow fans.
For this reason you will seek out every opportunity to connect with your fellow supporters – joining fan groups on facebook or forums and seeking out any outlets to find like-minded individuals who appreciate the excitement and nervousness you are enduring.