Football is an expensive and time consuming hobby; especially when you attend both home and away games – there are times when your commitment is questioned.

This was the case on Saturday morning. After a long week at work, I was awoken early by my alarm. I was due at Twerton Park in under an hour, to make the long coach trip to Bishop’s Stortford (near Essex). For the first time in a long while, I couldn’t be bothered to go, but being a dedicated fan, heaved myself from under the warm duvet into the cold bedroom to get ready to leave.

I could have happily made myself a coffee and bacon roll, before sitting on the sofa and spending the morning listening to The Danny Baker Show and Fighting Talk on FiveLive; but I battled on and left my flat for my weekly pilgrimage to watch Bath City.

After yet another coach journey along the all too familiar M4 motorway, we arrived at the Woodspring Stadium. Unlike in Bath, it was a lovely summer’s day, and I was able to purchase a pint to drink outside by the pitch – a rare treat in this league. Besides being chased by a wasp and buying a rather unpleasant burger (a risk you have to take as a football fan), the day was going well.

Things got better still upon kickoff; City going 2-0 up early on. In typical Bath City fashion, things were never simple, and Stortford pulled one back to make it 2-1. This prompted Mike Yorke, the always pessimistic City supporter to inform me “We’re going to lose 4-2 now” – we’re doomed!

The second half was even better than the first. City struck early again, making it 3-1 and putting the game beyond reasonable doubt. The goal must have angered the locals, as some cockney wideboy who had drank one too many Panda Pops came staggering over behind the goal where the City fans were congregated. Luckily, he was very pleasant to us and had walked over to give his own goalkeeper a piece of his mind (and some good old-fashioned Essex abuse).

The insults hurled at the goalie didn’t do much to inspire confidence in the shot-stopper, who allowed Bath City to get a fourth goal, making it 4-1. By this stage, the Stortford fan had given up on his team and was celebrating with the jubilant travelling fans.

Stortford were awarded a penalty, which Charlie Sheringham, son of Teddy, kindly missed. City then wrapped up the game by netting a fifth.

One of the longest trips I will have to make this season, but I don’t regret making it for one minute, seeing as I probably won’t see such an emphatic win from City all season.

I was so pleased, I even treated myself to a celebratory coffee from the dodgy burger bar, for the journey home.