OVER 5,000 Rochdale fans have braved the cold to cheer on their side at Wembley against Tottenham.
Travel chaos caused by Storm Emma provided numerous obstacles for those heading to the capital from the north west.
There were plenty of empty seats dotted about the National Stadium for the FA Cup replay.
But the Beast from the East proved no match for the loyal Dale followers and their desire to see their heroes in action on the hallowed turf.
The snowy conditions means some of trains between Manchester and London were cancelled.
And there were also serious delays on the roads because of the adverse weather that has battered the UK.
The M1 was closed at lunchtime between J8 and J6A in Hertfordshire due to a serious collision.
And the 17 coach loads heading down from Rochdale met a further obstacle after the road was closed further south between J22 and J21A in Leicestershire.
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Even when fans got close to Wembley for the fifth round clash after their 215-mile trip they would have faced huge congestion on London Underground lines.
Things got even worse when news came through from Tottenham‘s website that “it will take approximately 45 minutes from arriving at Wembley Park station to clear increased security checks”.
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But once they finally got into the ground they soon made themselves heard – and they would have warmed themselves right up just a few moments into the contest.
Erik Lamela appeared to have given Tottenham the lead after just five minutes, but after a delay, the strike was controversially ruled out by VAR.
Son Heung-min soon dampened their spirits by scoring the opener before he converted a penalty – but amazingly that was ruled out for encroachment and for the South Korean’s delayed run-up.
And then the whole hazardous journey south was made worthwhile for the droves of Dale fans.
Stephen Humphrys capitalised on the drama by equalising for the minnows, sending the visiting contingent into ecstasy.
And even if their side do not manage to go on and cause a huge cup upset, at least they had something to warm to the cockles.
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