Nostalgia: County as they rejoined the league 10 years ago this week

A thriller at Wembley saw them beat Wrexham in the playoff final.

Our reporter John Phillips joined fans travelling to London on a supporters bus.

Here's his report from the day:

A STEADY stream of County fans filled the car park of Newport Stadium yesterday morning with amber flags, scarves and vuvuzela horns echoing like a rallying cry in the lead-up to the showdown.

At Wembley stadium, supporters Cameron Wilcox, Gareth Marshman, Molly Knight, Colin Nicholson, Paul Marshman, Milly Knight and Gareth Knight

My colleagues from distribution had an early start dishing out sausage rolls and copies of the Argus at the former home of the Exiles at Spytty Park after dawn.

It was quiet at first then the coaches turned up almost all of them at once before 8am.

More than 700 fans boarded around 20 coaches before the convoy made its way onto the M4 as fans chewed the fat in anxious anticipation of the clash that could see their team return to the Football League.

Hardcore fans adorned our bus with a huge Exiles flag and off we went starting a long journey for a date with destiny set to be filled with laughter and cries.

Young Exiles fan Jordan Singh, 16, was returning to Wembley having watched County’s 2-0 defeat against York City in the FA Trophy final in May 2012.

Supporters Rhys Dunn, Steve Dunn, Charlene Dunn, Michael Hole and Stephen Hall

As we made our way to the fabled stadium for the Conference clash, the undaunted supporter of Lodge Avenue, Caerleon, told the Argus: “It will be an amazing final.”

We stopped off the M4 for a half-time stop during the 135-mile trip to the home of English football. It was not a pitch invasion, rather a car park invasion, and the gathering of chanting fans armed with trumpets and flags bore all the hallmarks of a big battle.

Mingling with the fans were Mike “Cully” Jones, the landlord of the Exiles pub the Riverside Tavern, who watched his first County game in 1977 and our editor Kevin Ward.

The journey resumed without hiccups until our driver stalled in the middle of a road just six miles from the stadium.

Later, friendly County supporters jokingly handed him a “red card” when he stalled again twice before we reached our final stop.

County fans at Wembley

A great feeling of excitement swept over the coach packed with fans as the arch became visible just miles from the stadium.

And following the game, another reporter Andy Rutherford, who was in the ground wrote:

PURE joy. You could see it in all the faces.

Newport County are back in the Football League and grown men – myself included – and women shed tears at the feat.

If barely half of the more than 13,000 who came to London for last year’s failed FA Trophy bid returned to cheer their team on in the Blue Square bet Premier play-off final, it did not matter. We just cheered louder and longer.

David Pipe lifts the trophy

Yes, it was anxious, it was edge of the seat stuff at times. All the clichés apply, but then, there is nothing truer than a cliché.

So here is another. This was the day when Newport County came in from the cold.

The old County left the football league at the end of the 1980s with barely a whimper. The new County returned with a roar.

When Christian Jolley stuck his right boot on an 86th minute through ball to put his team ahead, that roar could probably be heard all the way back down the M4.

But it was mixed with apprehension – 25 years is a long time to wait for a moment like this.

Newport County goal scorers Christian Jolley (left) and Aaron O'Connor celebrate with the trophy. Picture: PA

Four minutes plus injury time is plenty in which to throw it all away, as County have done a couple of times this season.

Then, enter the sniper-like boot of Aaron O’Connor for the winner, and delight turned to delirium.

It is strangely appropriate that County had to return to the Football League by winning on what was the ultimate away trip.

The team that rose from the ashes in the late 80s was christened the Exiles because they had to play their home matches miles away in Gloucestershire.

There were plenty of fans at Wembley who remember those days. Plenty too, who have children, remember their dads going out all day on every second Saturday from August to May, and plenty who wondered why. Yesterday was why.

Aaron O'Connor celebrates scoring County's second

And those children of old now had their children with them, decked out in amber and roaring their heads off.

There will be plenty of sore heads in the city this morning.

But plenty of joyous hearts too.

Can’t wait for next season.

Bring it on!

County Captain David Pipe beats his chest

See more of our coverage of the 10-year anniversary of County's return to the football league here:

• Pictures: Fans celebrate as Newport County got into Football League
• The man who captured Newport County's Football League return
• Tim Harris relives Newport County's Football League return
• Michael Flynn on Newport County's decade in the Football League
• Justin Edinburgh: The man who led Newport County back to EFL