Championship side Southampton take on the seven-time FA Cup winners today in an intriguing David v Goliath semi-final at Wembley.
The 5.15 kick-off has presented fans of both clubs travelling to the capital with significant travel challenges. Saints fans have been urged not to use the train network due to severe disruption in the South. City fans have voted with their feet, and Wembley will be a sea of Southampton yellow today.
But the late kick-off is not bad news for everyone. ITV Racing presenter Ed Chamberlain, a lifelong Saints fan, is attempting to show his pace in a dash across London in a bold attempt to get to Wembley ahead of kick-off.
Chamberlain faces these hurdles in Wembley dash
Chamberlain has a busy day ahead of him. He will be presenting the final day of jump racing from Sandown Park in Surrey this afternoon. In a show that will see him present the Champion Trainer trophy to Dan Skelton, alongside hosting the show, Chamberlain will have one eye on the time.
Asked on Talk Sport how he plans to get across London in time for kick-off, Chamberlain revealed that he has some serious horsepower of his own to help him out.
Chamberlain will ride his motorbike from Esher to Brent in a desperate dash to beat a family member to the ticket waiting for them at the stadium.
The likeable racing host hails from a family of Southampton supporters and regularly attends Southampton matches. Asked how he feels about the Saints chances today, he told Talk Sport that he was just “pleased that Southampton are being talked about again.“ He also revealed that he had bought the sports papers this morning “but not for the racing news.“
Saints fighting on two fronts
The semi-final is sandwiched between two massive matches for Southampton. On Tuesday, the Saints were below par and were held by Roy Hodgson's well-organised Bristol City side. That point may have effectively ended the Saints' hopes of an automatic promotion place.
Next Tuesday, Tonda Eckert's men will face Ipswich Town, who are also chasing down the second of two automatic promotion places. A win against the Tractor Boys could keep Southampton's dreams alive, whereas anything less will almost certainly send the Saints into the play-offs.
Chamberlain hopes that his sprint to the capital will not be in vain. If he does make it in time, he will join 39,950 Saints fans at Wembley in what has been described as a 'yellow wall'. Southampton will wear a yellow shirt designed to celebrate 50 years since they won the famous trophy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google