Memory playing tricks

Have you ever done that? Been so convinced of something that you have ignored all facts to the contrary and carried on on your own little world?

I did last week. We were due to play South Leicestershire U16s and I kept telling myself it was easy to find, only an hour away and that we'd been there last summer to watch Outlaws play Leicester Phoenix.

Getting lost within 200 yards of the motorway didn't help, but it didn't dent my confidence. For one thing, I didn't know I was lost until we were halfway into the city centre. In fact I didn't know for sure even then, just considered it an increasingly likely possibility.

I hate being late, and to make it worse I had the balls in the back of the car so I kept seeing visions of a group of rugby players standing round with nothing to do.Not that would have happened. Put a group of 15 and 16 year olds together and the trick is actually to stop them doing things...

So, there we were, finally outside the club, despite not having recognised much of the road on the way down. As I turned in I thought "I don't remember that cemetery being there." followed swiftly by "That's a different clubhouse.".

Funny how long it takes to sink in that it isn't actually the same club at all and you have been totally wrong all week.

It's a bit like being an English sports fan. Pulverised in the Rugby League World Cup. Embarrassed at Twickenham. And still talking about winning the next one...