Be honest, everyone has one and certain little oddities, even tasks they must perform in an OCDesque manner which no doubt began as a result of winning and then praying that repeating events would repeat a result but now, has sadly faded into mere habit throughout what can only be described as a turbulent decade.

I began coming up to LR in 95/96 mid Wilkins era as I didnt really have a team and was bored of playing with my whip and spinning top while the bigger lads went off with their rattles to go and sing and get pissed. My old man stepped into the fray and dragged me out of bed to choose a game from the back pages. This was never going to be a reral choice as at that stage the head of the house had tractors still throbbing round his veins and aside from trekking over Suffolk way, traffic rather that football stood to be the determining factor.

So being the glory hunting little 13 year old that was, I was looking forward to the likes of seeing Trev and Magic hat wow me. Trevor got poleaxed in the first minute by Stuart Pierce but scored and I cant even remeber seeing Kev (Notts Forest at home BTW). We drew 1-1.

Anyway, enough prose. That was enough to keep me whinging and gradually we both became hooked. As I approached the age of accesibility, when I could finally afford my own bus pass and ticket I began splitting the games between any mates who were stupid enough to be fans or fancied wasting £16 (ahhhh the memories) on a rowdy afternoon out or the old chap.

With Pa, we would go to the bar either in the Ellerslie Road (a beer stand) and ritualistically throw down three pints before having a punt. (The amount of beers fluctuated with what the result was last time we came and how many bevs we'd had. I.e- 2 beers and win last time.....2 beers this. 2 beers and lose last time, 3 beers this).

With mates, pretty similar. We'd get off at Shepherd Bush Tube and meander our way down to the ground spending as mouch money as we could in a couple of hours in Pubs, drinking the same beers which had significance to past results. This hasnt changed and Im pushing late twenties!

Habits and clothes worn.......vital to this day.

Where should I be going to get a few down me before? Go on - unearth an Aladdins cave. I want free strippers, cheap beer and no away fans. Heaven.