Yes I feel a bit like Jim Leighton. I got a medal, but I didn't play - but I don't feel half as empty as I thought I would.

Max Rushden
Quotes of the week

So this was the weekend. The weekend where I had given up my first chance to play in a cup final in order to witness two of my best friends getting married. It was the right thing to do. It wasn't even a debate.

Matt, the groom, had said he'd been very careful to make sure the wedding didn't clash with any important sporting events (England friendlies don't count) - but he'd failed to take account of the Amateur Football Alliance Intermediate Novets Cup Final. We all make mistakes, and I forgive him.

Through the week the rest of the team had been exchanging motivational emails. The squad would be wearing suits! A nice touch.

The line-up was announced days before kick off! This was a change from the norm of five minutes before the game, praying that you'd get mentioned in the starting XI, before sloping off to sit on the touchline and hope one of your team mates gets a slight injury.

The skipper had even put together, what can only be described as one of the most limited power point presentations I have ever seen. It was based on what would happen if the opposition changed from 4-5-1 to 4-3-3.

Bearing in mind we were only going on hearsay that they played 4-5-1 in the first place, and that the thought of our side (me included) being able to cope with playing anything other than the 3-5-2 we've based our success on (or lack of) over the past 5 years, it was ambitious.

We play a sweeper system, because our sweeper is very fast, but isn't very good at kicking it. Having played 4-4-2 for my entire career, moving to 3-5-2 was nerve-wracking at first, but now it's the only game I know.

Anyway, I'd pretty much managed to blank the whole thing from my mind, barring the skipper texting me on Friday telling me to bin the wedding. And anyway, I had speaking duties at the wedding to concentrate on. And a TV show to present. So my Saturday was pretty busy.

However I couldn't help thinking at 3pm, just as the bride walked into the room while Snow Patrol played in the background (just a CD, they weren't actually there), that 11 of my mates would be running out at the Bank of England Sports ground, ready to put West Wickham to the sword.

3.45 - Ceremony successfully over, half time. I knew nothing.

4.45 - Full Time. Still nothing.

5.00 - As we headed upstairs to be formally introduced to the bride and groom (a funny part of any wedding) my phone beeped.

Victory

A text message from the captain, still in my phone as "Dom Footy". He's a texter of few words. And this had just one. VICTORY

I found my housemate John, who'd had to go through the same difficult decision as me, and told him the good news. We won 4-2. Apparently it was comfortable in the end. I spoke to the skipper - we said we'd try to meet up at some point in the evening.

Six hours later, at 10.50 in the evening, another text. The squad were in a curry house just down the road. I spoke to John. We spoke to the groom. He gave us 20 minutes to get out, get there, get our medals, and return. As long as we didn't mention it to the bride. John excused himself from his girlfriend - who was very understanding. I excused myself from my ex-girlfriend, who was pleased for the respite.

We ran down the road.

At this point, I'd like to apologise to anyone on the second floor of the Strand Tandoori in Covent Garden if you were there trying to have a quiet dinner - chances are, the 14 men eating/drinking/swaying and singing probably didn't add to the ambience you were looking for.

There's also a high chance that one of our centre backs, Chilly, hugged you so hard, you've still got breathing difficulties.

Anyway, it was all good humoured. The skipper hastily arranged a medal award ceremony for us. We exchanged our fancy wedding ties for Red and Black Polytechnic club colours, drank as much of someone's large Cobra as we could in five minutes, and bolted back to the wedding.

The bride hadn't noticed our absence. But wondered why we were sweating. We told her the truth. She was fine with it.

And now, sitting on our trophy cabinet (bookshelf in the hall) are two shiny gold (or brass, or brass coated plastic) winners medals.

Yes I feel a bit like Jim Leighton. I got a medal, but I didn't play - but I don't feel half as empty as I thought I would.

IN OTHER NEWS:

1. I had my assessment for my level one coaching badge on Sunday. Find out in the next couple of weeks how I got on.

2. Best Facebook/Twitter message of the week: Joshua Duck Max Rushden Is To Soccer AM What Rocket Is To Stilts...A Must Have :)

URGENT FACEBOOK NEWS. Apparently you are only allowed to have 5,000 friends on Facebook. I reached that on Monday (although some people accused me of showing off and promptly defriended me). So I have set up a "public profile" page, which sounds a bit up myself I know, but apparently there's no limit on that - so join it. Cheers...

Have a good week,

Max