Sitting in the dimly lit bar a rough group of blokes intently looked at the clubs television screen, clutching their beers as the presenter started reading out the cup draw.
"Number 19 Chelsea v number 1 Arsenal. A London derby at the Bridge." The announcer stated.
"Come on pull us out, we need a good draw." Stated one of the men as he drained his glass.
"What number are we anyway." Another one asked.
"32 I think though I could be wrong." Muttered the barman as he poured another pint of lager.
The draw went on and on till finally "Number 32."
"Great a home draw." The barman yelled they all nodded in approval eagerly awaiting their opponents.
"Will play number 43."
"Fuck me not bleddy united, crap draw should be a good fight though." The group laughed as they contemplated the forthcoming game.
Watching the same draw although in a much more pleasant environment was Amy Weston and her husband Peter.
"Hey that's not so bad its only thirty odd miles away we could make that one." Peter mentioned casually. "Maybe we could get Alex and Lauren to join us."
"That sounds like a plan I will ask them tomorrow." She replied a little uncertainly she liked Alex but Lauren had a bit of an attitude problem and her mouth had gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion.
As soon as the draw was made the local police decided to make it an evening kick off on a Monday night and imposing strict alcohol bans and closing pubs near the stadium. They knew that the two teams had a history of trouble as local rivals usually do.
Lauren Cooper twisted her long blonde hair in her fingers as Amy and Peter went on about the cup game.
"I am up for it." Alex said with glee "Come on Lauren it will be a great evening out."
"Oh I don`t know Alex."
"Ah come on Lauren it won`t be the same without you." He implored.
"Okay I will come with you." Lauren sighed she wasn`t all that keen on football and didn't really want to go but she did enjoy the banter with other fans.
"You better watch that temper of yours though Lauren we don`t want to cause a riot!" Alex laughed he knew his girlfriend too well and felt a warning would be wise.
She in turn just glared at him their relationship was a little strained and his sarcasm allied with her temper wasn't helping.
The month passed quickly and soon it was match day. Surprisingly warm for a January evening so light coats were worn and the team shirts of blue and yellow topped off with scarves fitted the bill as they set off for the game.
Also preparing for the local cup game were the hardened thugs in the dingy club far enough from the ground to still be open but close enough to get there quickly, the four discussed their plans.
"Well you can`t beat football, a good bit of skull smashing washed down with pints of Stella followed by a good rut with one of the whores down Uni` street." Rex stated "my usual match day routine." He added with a laugh.
Mary the barmaid just rolled her eyes disapprovingly "You need a proper girl Rex not a cheap harlot you're better than that." She chided.
"Well Mary I just haven't met one yet and in this shithole place I doubt I ever will." He laughed.
The others nodded in agreement. "Well we best get going the plod will out in force tonight so we had best get in the ground in plenty of time." Rex added as he placed his green and white hat on his oversized head.
The four friends arrived in the city by train a short trip that lasted only forty five minutes surrounded by their fellow fans all in good voice. The gaggle of fans strung out on the walk to the ground passing little groups of the home support on the way.
Rex and his cronies passed the groups of the away fans heading to the away end and gave some of them some verbal, but keeping it tame as the police were, as predicted everywhere.
Rex was as surprised as everyone else when one of the female away fans gave them a foul mouthed tirade back.
Lauren couldn`t help herself caught up in the building atmosphere she jeered back at them "Fucking inbred scum!" she shouted and gave them the finger.
Rex laughed at the feisty blonde girl, if it had been a bloke he would have knocked her block off and passed on by laughing at her boyfriend's discomfort and her friend's attempts to shut her up. He watched the group, no competition no point picking a fight with them as a no contest is no fun. Although the two females would be useful for something especially the feisty blonde there was something about her, he dismissed the thought and led his group to the home end of the stadium.
"Jesus Lauren you trying to get us killed?" Alex said visibly annoyed.
"Aw chill out I was only giving them a piece of their own medicine" She simply said as they reached the turnstiles.
"Alex can you put my phone in your bag my pockets aren't that good." Lauren asked her boyfriend.
"Yeah sure princess." As he showed the steward their tickets and entered the ground.
The ground was a packed cauldron of noise the outnumbered away fans did their best to out chant the home fans as the game got underway.
A scrappy first half ensued neither side really getting into their stride then just before half time the home side broke down the left hand side of the pitch the winger sent a cross into the box, panic ensued a defender did an air shot and the ball fell to the home teams number nine and he sent it high into the roof of the net. The home crowd went loopy the noise levels raised dramatically.
"Aw bollocks, fuck." Alex held his head in his hands.
"Bloody useless need to pull themselves together for the second half." Peter declared the obvious and went to get a drink.
The second half started and the away team obviously had been given a rocket by their manager and attacked from the whistle. A tactic which soon had the home support fearing for their slender lead.
The atmosphere in the ground soon changed when the equaliser went in the chants between the rival fans containing more and more animosity. Lauren dishing out the verbal with the best of them.
As the time ticked away Alex looked at his watch "I hope we can settle this before extra time or we will have a job getting a train home.
Peter nodded "Aye it would be tight." He agreed.
The forth official held the board up three minutes injury time.
As the board went up a united striker ran through the middle, as the defenders got in a tackle.
The striker threw himself to the floor. The away fans and team appealed for the penalty. The referee obliged, "Cheat, cheat, cheat." Rang around the ground. The striker picked himself up gave a rue smile to his team mates and calmly placed the ball on the spot.
Whistles and jeers from the home supporters drowned out any noise from the away end trying to put the striker off. The keeper flung himself to the right as the kick was taken the ball was hit with such power it sailed past his flailing arm into the net.
Shortly after the restart the ref blew the whistle, the atmosphere in the stadium turning very ugly. The cries of. "Cheating bastards!" rang around the ground along with taunting "you're going home in a fuckin` ambulance."
Peter and co were still celebrating the win when Amy piped up. "I think we better get out of here, this is going to kick off soon."
Surprisingly Lauren agreed, her outwardly aggressive nature was a bit of a front and she was getting scared.
Leaving the ground they quickly made for the railway station. "The last train out of here is at 10.55pm, we better get a move on if we miss that we are in trouble." Alex said as he tried to force the pace of their walking through the crowd that was streaming in the same direction.
CRASH, CRASH the crowd suddenly split and scattered as bottles and other missiles rained down. The taunting had turned to violence and some of the supporters squared up to each other.
The police weren't idle either and raced in with riot gear and horses. In the mayhem that followed, as she tried to get herself to safety Lauren lost sight of Alex, Peter and Amy and she ran blindly down a side road in panic.
Glancing behind her she saw some green shirted youths and ducked into an alley behind some houses to hide.
The police quickly shepherded the united supporters away from trouble and to the railway station. Alex only started to worry about Lauren when he got to the station where the hell was she? Searching up and down the crowded platform he could see no sign of her.
He approached a police officer who was totally disinterested and told Alex to get on the train if he didn`t want to be arrested. Peter intervened and led him away once safely on the train they examined their options.
Amy phoned Laurens number to her dismay the ring tone sounded out of Alex`s bag, any idea she had of jumping off the train were curtailed as it slowly started to move out of the station.
"The only thing we can do is for Amy to wait at yours in case she rings, while we jump in the car and come back to look for her." Peter suggested desperately.
Rex and his cronies were back in their club chugging lager and relaying tails of broken noses and fleeing fans. "Hell you should have seen the cheating bastards leg it when we laid into em`." He gloated to the barmaid and anyone else that would listen.
Lauren tried to get her bearings as she came out of the long alley pulling her scarf tighter around her as the night turned chilly and light rain came down. She looked at her watch shit it was eleven o`clock. She knew she was in trouble now no phone, missed the last train and not enough cash to get a room for the night she began to sob where was Alex? She needed him now.
Turning the corner into another dark street she saw lights on a building `thank fuck for that a bar still open they will have a phone I can use` she thought and she more or less ran for it.
Cautiously she entered the club the smell of stale beer assaulted her nostrils as she made her way inside. The club appeared to be almost empty an old couple were playing a fruit machine in the corner and a barmaid stood behind the bar looking bored.
"Excuse me do you have a phone I could use please?" Lauren asked desperately.
The barmaid looked up at the obviously upset young woman in front of her and noticed that her makeup was smudged. Seeing her football colours she thought `the lads could have some real fun with this one`
"No love but I`ll get you a drink and ask if anyone in the other bar has a mobile you can use, are you stranded?"
"Yes I fled the trouble lost my friends then I got lost in a maze of backstreets." Lauren said through sobs.
"Okay love here have a brandy and coke on the house and warm up while I try to find a phone for you to use."
Lauren sat on a bar stool and nursed her drink while the barmaid disappeared down a flight of stairs behind the bar she hadn't noticed.
Out of Lauren`s sight in the back bar Mary ushered Rex over to her.
"What you want now woman." He hissed as he strutted over.
