Chapter 98: Empty Fields
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The next morning, Crawley was quiet. After everything that had happened during the week, the town seemed to have finally settled down. The "Niels Stays!" signs were still around, but the chants and celebrations had stopped. Even the bakery had moved on from its red-iced "Niels Loaf."
Broadfield Stadium was empty. The floodlights were off and there were no supporters in the stands. A groundskeeper was walking around with an old wheelbarrow, picking up ticket stubs and empty cups that had been left behind.
The training ground was quiet too. The pitches had been prepared for the summer, and there was little happening around the place. The smell of freshly cut grass was still in the air.
The FA Cup run already felt like it had happened a long time ago. The Wembley final, the noise from the supporters and the match against Chelsea were still fresh in everyone's memory, but the club had moved into the summer break.
