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Wembley at Large - Match day blog

London's Priestfield aka Wembley
London's Priestfield aka Wembley

Welcome to our match day blog! Over the coming hours we will be bringing you all the build up to the big game with an unrivalled office chair view once the match gets underway. If there's anything you want to know or you just want to get involved by sending in comments, pictures or video email medwaymessenger@thekmgroup.co.uk

Saturday, May 23

4.50pm

Pandemonium, pure brilliant pandemonium! Shrews have a last shot but it goes high over the bar. Come on ref.. Let's call time. It's over! The Gills are back. Watch out League One - You're next!

4.45pm

Wahooooooooo! Goalllllllll! They've done it - hopefully with just three minutes of injury time. League One here we come!!

4.40pm

In to the last 10 minutes of normal time and it's all a bit tense and subdued. This blogger has just tried the taking a comfort break and it'll all kick off approach. Alas with little success. What are you making of it? Leave your comments at the bottom and I'll pop them up when I get a mo.

4.30pm

Paddy fears a riot might be about to kick off behind him. Extra stewards have been called in as a small number of Gills fans move towards the Shrews area. Lots of posturing. All very pointless.

Gills' fans have gone a bit quiet. Even Keyan's tormenting horn wielder.

4.25pm

Paddy reports a bit of frustration creeping in for the Gills but it has finally allowed this blogger to be be able to write the following cliches - it's a game of two halves [Gills dominated the first; the Shrews have been stronger in the second] and they're playing end to end stuff. Hopefully that's self explanatory.

Gills need another purple patch - you'd think it would be obvious to spot - and get the ball in the back of the net. At the moment they're not.

4.15pm

Wembley attendance figures just in - 53,706 are in the stadium enjoying the game of which 30,000 plus are bona fide Gills fans.

Keyan reports a head in hands moment as Jackson gets into the box. There seems to be a queue to take the strike but it's scrambled away.

4.10pm

Ooo a good save there from the Gills keeper. In the meantime let me bring you up to speed on Rob's whereabouts. He was last seen cussing the cost of a pint and a pie or somesuch. This just in from his secret seat in the enemy's camp:

"I'm sat with Shrewsbury fans who say Josh Wright is killing them and tip Gills for victory. They might have said something different. Accents aren't my thing."

Er thanks for that Rob.

4.02pm

Barcham twists his way into the box and almost gives Gills the lead but it's beaten away for a corner by Daniels. The corner sadly comes to nothing. Keyan is now using the nine-year old as a shield just in case of an aerial bombardment.

4.01pm

The Gills get us underway for the second half with the Blues now shooting towards him and his neighbouring nine year old nemesis. He has issued a plea - Keyan that is - which may or may not be broadcast over the tannoy: Watch the face!

4pm - Half Time 0-0

So first half report. Gills, Paddy says are having the better of the play and the singing. His expert belief is that it's just the small matter of the score.

Keyan also thinks Gills are on top but there's only been one clear chance for them towards the end of the half. There have been some grumblings in the crowd about the "duff" TV screens only working intermittently. A bit strange this. They're at Wembley - not a Sky Sports pub.

There's also been rising tension, bordering on violence in Keyan's seat between him and a horn-wielding nine-year old.

3.40pm

Paddy reckons Gills are easily having the better of this. Fans just wanting the goal their team's pressure deserves. It's all a bit tense. How are you finding it? Add your comment now. You'll feel better for it.

Keyan reckons its been a good opening for the Shrews with mistakes in defence allowing some dangerous balls, which is never a good thing. It has all been Gillingham on the whole but they're going to have to take care not to be caught on the break...

3.30pm

You may have heard that Nicky Southall, a 2000 Wembley winner has been passed over with Adam Miller taking his place. More in our sports section. We're also adding your pictures to our fans gallery with key moments captured by our own team of photographers.

3.14pm

No shots on goal yet but lots of long balls and a half hearted penalty appeal at the Gills end after a run by Shrews player Kevin Mc Intyre. Grant Holt, their "big man", as Keyan describes him, is causing us some early problems but the defence is holding up well. One commentator is describing the game so far as twitchy. What do you think? Add your comments and emotions so far at the bottom.

3.05pm

Shrewsbury seem to have the had best of the opening minutes. Keyan describes an immediate mess in the Gills' penalty box but the ball is blasted away to safety. Our heroes seem to getting themselves back in the zone. A few jangly nerves out there.

3.02pm Shrewsbury get the game underway.

2.55pm

The imposing Bobby Moore statue is wearing a Shrews scarf. It's causing quite a stir of opprobrium - have no idea what it means either - in Paddy's seat who says the Man of '66 would have been a hill anyway. Think he means a Gill rather than a South Down or Chiltern. There's also a motorcycle test centre apparently in full view of people outside the stadium. Not sure why Paddy included that detail in his missive, but it's always nice to know, particularly for learners.

Keyan got to his seat about five minutes ago and is well pleased. It's right behind the goal. It's a good sign so long as the ball is in the other half when being kicked by Shrews. In his first seat report at 2.43pm Keyan spotted two large inflatable sausages being brought onto the pitch. Guess it's some League Two nutritional thing.

Flames, cello music, flags. The teams are out and being presented to the football league's chairman. Wembley's magnificent isn't it? Two giant bedsheets bearing the sponsor's name and each club's crest have just been wafted around the pitch.

Right the national anthems and we're off. Paddy has kindly pointed out it isn't the Welsh one. Standby for action...

2.05pm

Just spoke to Matt Reading, one of our pitch side snappers at the game to sort out some pic ideas for the paper and get his impression of the colour, the atmosphere, the stadium shenanigan. He said "fgfdfg dgffdgg ghjgjj", or at least that what it sounded like.

With less than an hour before kick off reporter Keyan has texted to say he has just emerged from the darkness at the Barbican. Am concerned he has an outdated A-Z and is accidentally heading towards the Emirates.

The boss meanwhile has called in to say Wembley is a sea of blue. Sadly the Shrews are wearing the same colours this afternoon. Our snappers have been told to listen to the fans different burrs to ensure patriotic, biased to the Gills photography is maintained

Paddy. in his latest missive, says the Gills fans are in fine voice but are being taunted by Shrews supporters who are singing 7-0. His collection of far flung Gills fans has been extended to Portsmouth.

Newshound Rob meantime is getting in a tizzy over the cost of a hotdog and the first of several afternoon beers - £8 apparently. He is trying to keep his mind off his fast emptying wallet by erming and ahhing over team selection. Rob is convinced the Gills will play a bronze statue of Bobby Moore up front.

The Bobster - Rob's affectionate name not mine - has been spotted outside the ground with his kit on, which is just as well. The thought of an England legend streaking across the pitch is too much to bear.

1pm

Took slightly longer than expected to get in - a similar story shared by many fans trying to get to their Wembley seats this morning. The roads around Wembley are a bit of a nightmare with seven miles of queues stretching back from the North Circular first thing and some car free day causing havoc for anyone heading to the stadium of dreams via the West End. Several tube lines are also reportedly - to use travel news parlance - up the spout. Hows has it been for you so far? Are you at least within terrace shouting distance?

The Gills - or our heroes as I'll call them unless they lose - made it out of the car park, you'll be pleased to hear. They were up bright and early by all accounts and were on the A2 by 7am. The convoy of supporters coaches set off about three hours later. There have already been tales of heroism.

Maidstone deputy news editor Rob Bailey has just texted in saying his Kingsferry special has just stopped somewhere near Tottenham to rescue some stranded Gills fans. He says: "We're two hours out of Medway and hopeful of arriving at Wembley before the final whistle."

Reporter Keyan Milanian sent this message at exactly 12.58 hrs - he's treating this assignment like a military operation. "Just about to get on the tube. Even in Tooting there's an air of anticipation amongst the closet Gills fans. At least I think that's anticipation. It could be just smog."

And finally multi-media journo Paddy, whose voice you will hear delivering regular bulletins throughout the afternoon on our KMFM radio network, appears to be able to get to places no-one else can get to quickly. He's a walking can of Heineken [80's beer commercial nod for those not of a certain age].

He is just arriving at Wembley. London, he says, seems to have been taken over by Gills fans. Always one for striking up a conversation with strangers whether they like it or not Paddy has just met a girl who has travelled all the way from Edinburgh to watch the game. Her score prediction - 9-0 to the Gills!

10.35am

Good morning Gills fans be you the fair weather sort or foul. It's taken a while to come along but here we are on the final day of the season and our team are possibly already on their way to Wembley; the only thing stopping them? 30 supporters coaches. Hopefully they'll get out of the carpark before kick off at 3pm.

At the moment this blogger - you can call me Lee - is scraping porridge carbonara off a pan in 4-4-2 style at home here in New Cross not far from The Den, home of some other blue stripped side making their way to Wembley for a play off today [and breathe]. Hopefully they will not cause our photographers any confusion. Might get into slight trouble with the boss if I stick a picture of a Millwall fan on the front page of our Monday print edition later.

I will shortly be heading to our Strood HQ so this blog will be quiet for about 90 minutes or so depending on Bluewater shoppers propensity for A2 queueing. If these retail mecca seekers have any sense they will have bought a ticket to the biggest game in a decade instead of shoes and grooming nick nacks.

In the meantime do get in touch. I want this blog to be as full of your wittering as mine today. Let us know about your day so far; the journey up; any suggestions for terrace family friendly chants; your predictions for the game and obviously our chances of beating Man United to win the Premiership in a few seasons time.

More soon..

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