The Dream & Reality

Cardiff City .vs. Newcastle United.

This game has been a dream of mine since I was a teenager. By the end of today, this dream could become a reality.

But, I've been here before.

Back in 1994, like I still am today, I was a fan of both Cardiff City (my home team) and Newcastle United (my Premier League team). This was at a time when Cardiff were in the lower divisions and Newcastle - under Kevin Keegan - were one of the most exciting teams in English football.

In the third round of the FA Cup, Cardiff had beaten Manchester City 1-0. Luton Town managed to draw with Newcastle at St. James' Park so their game had to go to a replay.

In the meantime, the people in charge of the competition drew the games for the next round and Cardiff were picked to play Newcastle.

Finally, I was going to be able to see my favourite players - Peter Beardsley and Andy Cole. I was chuffed.

A week or so later, I went to see Cardiff's game versus Wrexham because purchasing a ticket at this game secured the option of buying a ticket for the fifth round.

That Cardiff against Wrexham game was great but that is a story for another day.

I bought the ticket at the game. Typed on the card was 'Cardiff .vs. Luton Town/Newcastle United'. I discounted Luton from the equation. It was going to be Newcastle United.

Yes. You know where this is going.

2-0.

John Hartson and Scott Oakes left me devastated. I was absolutely gutted. My dream of seeing both my favourite teams ended there and then.

Years later, I bumped into John Hartson in a nightclub in Cardiff and I told him about how angry I was at him for being one of the two reasons why I didn't get to see Newcastle United play. We both laughed.

Late this season, Cardiff were riding high in the Coca-Cola Championship and it was looking like they could get promotion to the Premier League. Newcastle, on the other hand, were doing a balancing act in the relegation zone of the Premier League. It was typical of my luck - I envisioned Cardiff going up and the Magpies going down thus missing another opportunity to see the two teams play against each other.

Cardiff missed out on promotion.

Newcastle are almost down.

Almost.

The team need a miracle to survive 'Survival Sunday' today.

They say 'be careful what you wish for'. This thirty year-old doesn't want to see his wish granted in this way.

The fifteen year-old may have, though.