My brush with online fame after last-gasp Charlton victory leaves me speechless

This column appeared in the Racing & Football Outlook, the ultimate betting weekly packed full of insight for football and racing and available in newsagents every Tuesday for just £2.80 (€4 in Republic of Ireland)

Apparently I was all over social media and Twitter as a consequence of colleagues finding a picture of me with Lyle Taylor on the hallowed Valley pitch celebrating Charlton’s League One play-off semi-final victory over Doncaster.

Elton John is often quoted about his misgivings over the invention of the internet and things associated with it. I agree wholeheartedly with Rocket Man and cannot understand people who feel the inclination to “take to Twitter” at every possible opportunity

Despite comfortably resisting the need to email, tweet, instagram, facebook or even text my route to Wembley, I found myself drained of energy as the decider with Sunderland went into the 92nd minute.
I walked down ten steps and leaned against a barrier. Several of the Charlton players looked even more knackered than me. The prospect of extra-time and penalties was not appealing.

I pulled out my father’s old handkerchief which lives in the left pocket of my jeans for good luck (it’s never used for nose-blowing).

“Please,” I said, while kissing the hanky.

Twenty seconds later Patrick Bauer bundled in the winner for Charlton and my little world went crazy.

I had been singing and shouting for more than three hours while enduring a heavy cold and continued to do so on the tube back to Charing Cross.

Comrades in arms: Richard Birch and Lyle Taylor enjoy the momentCredit: Getty Images

Banging on the ceiling of the train to create more atmosphere seemed a good idea at the time, but unfortunately my hand connected with an air vent and dislodged a large amount of soot which promptly covered my head and jacket. I didn’t care.

On Monday I found I had totally lost my voice and it didn’t come back until Friday. That caused considerable difficulty in placing a bet since 99 per cent of my wagering is done by phoning the call centres of bet365, William Hill, Ladbrokes and Star Sports.

Over the next four days I had just enough whisper to place three bets, and they all won. Maybe I should lose my voice more often.
Mr Coco Bean (£620 at 6-4 with bet365) came with a storming run down the outside to land Redcar’s 1m2f handicap on bank holiday Monday. He’ll win again.

My Racing & Football Outlook nap Kylie Rules (£520 at 2-1 with Hills, plus a late £200 press-up at 13-8 with Ladbrokes) bolted up on Wednesday to secure her fourth Beverley win of the season.

And then Antico Lady (£720 at 6-4 with bet365) galloped on to score at Wetherby the following afternoon.

I could finally talk again on Friday and had a long conversation with one of the bet365 telephonists.

Sadly the return of the voice coincided with the return to losing ways, So Near So Farhh (£520 at 5-2 with Hills and £400 at 5-2 with bet365) folding tamely up the Carlisle hill.

She’s off my list now after a succession of what I previously considered to be inexplicable near misses.

Saturday was expensive, too, Eeh Bah Gum (total of £320 at 11-1 split between Hills and Ladbrokes) and Mr Mafia (£820 divided up between Ladbrokes and bet365) both failing to justify my confidence, but the overwhelming vibe remains positive.

Just like my beloved Charlton, I’m on the way back.

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