I’m So Excited
Updated: Aug 10
Luke O'Nien is very excited and it’s not because Santa has been, it’s because he can’t wait to savour the atmosphere against Bradford on Boxing Day. “I’ve been looking on social media and seeing how many tickets we’re selling and it’s pretty incredible,” he said. “I’m going to drag as many family members up here as possible. It’s a long drive (he is from Hemel Hempstead) but I want them to help fill it out. It’s going to be special. I haven’t played in front of that many people before. I think the most I’ve played in front of is 33,000 or 34,000 when we played Tottenham in the FA Cup. This will top it. The fans definitely bring the best out of us. I’m on the bench every game so I normally look to my left and my right, and even when I’m warming up you see the away support. It’s different when you’re playing because you might zone out but when you see them from the bench, it’s really incredible. If the other team score, which is rare, even then our fans are cheering to keep us going. It is incredible. That’s why we always celebrate with them when we do get the three points. It’s a cliché to say they’re our 12th man – don’t do that, Luke! – but they are incredible. Just look at Walsall (at the Bescot Stadium in the league) when we came from two down with ten men. The fans were probably the reason why we turned it around. They contributed to that point, and that point could be crucial when we win the league. That’s up there with one of my favourite days,” O’Nien added. “That was incredible. From the moment I signed here and did it at the stadium, I’ve always wanted to score here. The stadium’s just beautiful, isn’t it? I drive past it all the time and nearly crash looking at it, it’s magic. I scored away (at Shrewsbury Town) and my first goal meant a lot, but to score at home in front of our fans, and the context of how that game was going – 3-2 with 10 minutes to go – it meant a lot. It was special.”
