THE end result was not of course the one which any of the legions of travelling Newport County fans had wanted.

But the experience of being at Wembley to support their team in the FA Trophy final against York City will not be one they will ever forget.

The thousands who travelled by car, coach and rail arrived in a wave of black and amber in the streets around Wembley stadium.

There was a party atmosphere even before they made their way inside, with many fans bumping into friends, colleagues and even local politicians, who had all turned out to support Newport County on the biggest day in the club’s history. From the very young to the very old this was a real family affair.

And with the numerous daft hats and enormous flags, there was no question of which side they were on and they easily outnumbered the York City fans.

Naturally there was rivalry once the match started but the overwhelming impression on the day was one of warmth.

The impeccably behaved fans were a credit to the club and to Newport.

Newport County was left ultimately disappointed with a 2-0 defeat, which did not really do justice to the team’s performance on the pitch.

But what can be celebrated is that the players undoubtedly earned new fans for life and also that the army who turned out to support them did so with such good grace.