‘Harrogate Town’s travelling support is outnumbered by a sea of passionate home fans in blue and white, whose blind devotion to their club would give Newcastle Utd fans a run for their money’

Travelling on a supporters’ bus to an away match isn’t usually on most people’s bucket list but after my terrifically enjoyable experience with Harrogate Town in the FA Cup in recent days, perhaps it ought to be.

Thought to be the preserve of the diehard, going away from home hadn’t been for me since my days as sports editor at the Goole Times in the late 1980s, following Goole Town round England and Wales in all weather in the Northern Premier League.

But Harrogate Town are playing so well this season and the match at Bury FC is going to be the first in a new chapter for the club under newly-revealed co-owners Simon Weaver and Jonathan Bleazard.

Most importantly, it’s the FA Cup and everyone knows anything can happen in the FA Cup.

The truth of that cliché becomes clear within minutes of leaving Harrogate Town’s Wetherby Road ground, when the bus runs into trouble.

No big deal. We swap buses at Wetherby services on the A1 and are quickly on our way again towards Lancashire to see if Town can grab the chance to make the first round proper of the FA Cup.

Beer, banter and bonhomie, I’d forgotten that special atmosphere that comes from being on a supporters’ bus heading into opposition territory.

There’s a distinct feeling of camaraderie and slight trepidation in the air among the good-natured chatter, though this feeling remains unspoken.

A frisson of us-against-the-world as we leave Harrogate and Yorkshire behind.

The sky is blue and the sunshine warm as we arrive at Gigg Lane, the home of Bury FC since 1885, once the driver has successfully navigated the tight corners and the narrow back streets of this historic market town in Greater Manchester.

Despite being two divisions lower than Harrogate Town, the home team have a lot of pedigree in football and, slightly worryingly, a lot of fans.

There must be nearly 5,000 people inside Gigg Lane or Salford Van Hire Gigg Lane Stadium, to give it its full name.

Hundreds of Town fans are flooding into the away end of Bury’s all-seater stadium which has clearly been designed for a club of a higher football tier.

Fans around me start making an impressive amount of noise,

A chant of “we're the yellow and black army" rings out across the autumn air.

But Town’s travelling support is outnumbered by a sea of passionate home fans in blue and white whose blind devotion to their club would give Newcastle Utd fans a run for their money.

This makes a difference once the match kicks off on the wider than normal expanse of Bury’s all-weather 3G artificial pitch.

Harrogate Town may be on the front foot, but the home crowd get the referee on their side in a full bloodied battle between Town’s patiently-sculpted skill and Bury’s irrepressible energy.

Someone at the Harrogate end who should know better is making a lot of noise about the ref’s decisions, though the fierce protestations are, thankfully, swallowed up within the vast stadium.

Wait a minute, that’s me!

The breakthrough for manager Simon Weaver’s men finally comes in the 39th minute with a stunning opener by striker Ciaran McGuckin.

A minute later the visitors equalise at a corner with a bad goal by anyone’s standards.

Elation then deflation followed by trepidation.

Nerves are jangling as the voices of Bury fans become almost deafening.

Earlier, our original bus couldn't quite get into gear and, despite creating a load of chances on Bury’s tricky artificial 3G pitch, neither can Harrogate Town.

Those Bury players have a stubborn streak that’s even wider than their pitch.

The statistics at the end of the match show Town won the match, though the massive LED scoreboard up above the Town fans says it was a 1-1 draw.

The game has been that oldest of footballing cliches - a rollercoaster of emotions.

But I wouldn’t have missed this short time with the diehard fans for the world.

It’s been a terrific experience - thrills, spills but no bellyaches.

We fans are a bit disappointed at the result, as are the Town players who make their way across the pitch to the away end to show their appreciation for our support.

In a way it is still a win for The Sulphurites - another cracking FA Cup match to look forward to and some extra revenue, too.

The replay back home at the Marcy Fitness Stadium on Wetherby Road a few days later is even more of a rollercoaster.

Frustratingly, the pattern of Saturday afternoon is repeated on Tuesday night and the game is, once more, 1-1 and heading for extra time.

Who would be a football fan?

Then just as a sinking feeling is returning to the bellies of the Harrogate Town fans, there’s a late turnaround with a little bit of magic and two utterly glorious goals from their jinky midfielder Ellis Taylor.

The Roy of the Rovers style finale to this epic footballing clash is totally unexpected.

It feels almost like a miracle and I feel so grateful to be there to witness it.

But, then, as everyone knows, anything can happen in the FA Cup.