His team may have lost, but Cardiff fan Adam James was a winner at Wembley, and had a ball!
Cardiff competition winner has a ball
His team may have lost but Cardiff fan Adam James was a winner at Wembley, and had a ball.
Adam, 26, from Cardiff, entered a competition on socceram.com and was selected from over 3,000 entrants to win the chance to present Carling Cup final referee Mark Clattenburg with the Mitre match ball on the pitch before the game along with tickets for him and two friends.
Despite his team's narrowest of defeats at the hands of Liverpool, Adam had the day of his life and also came home with the match ball.
The customer services operator won the Mitre competition through
Soccer AM and was joined by Dad Derek and girlfriend Leah for the day.
He said: "I was smiling like a four-year-old at Christmas all day long. I have never experienced such an electric atmosphere. I have been a Cardiff City fan since I was six and was at the FA cup semi final and final at Wembley in 2008, but this was something else.
"Meeting the officials, stepping out onto the pitch and handing over the shiny match ball in a polished case was unbelievable. Then for the whole match and penalties there was non-stop singing between the fans."
Despite a fantastic fight back from the bluebirds in extra time, they were cruelly beaten on penalties, but this didn't stop the passion and support from the fans shining through.
Adam added: "I couldn't have been more proud of the Cardiff boys. They gave everything they could on the day and the place erupted when they got their second goal in extra time.
"I really thought we were going to do it when Liverpool missed their first two penalties, but luck didn't go our way. I couldn't have had a better day and I'm so glad I entered the competition."
The Mitre TENSILE ball is used across all 2011/12 npower Football League and Scottish Premier League fixtures with each ball hand designed and personalised to each club. For further information on Mitre log on to
www.mitre.com
