The
Day We Went to VaasaThe
Day We Went to Vaasa
Wednesday
8.30pm - Turn up at a bouncing O'Malleys and the place is
packed with Saints all in fine voice - Standing on one table only just
staying vertical is Stuart Cosgrove. Songwise all the classics were being
recited, back to "Stevie Maskrey on the wing", "He's
fat, he's round his team is staying down, Jimmy Bone, Jimmy Bone"
and "Crawford Baptie's wife's a whore" - God knows what
the Finns made of it but the barstaff were already resplendent in Saints
tops and scarves and the locals in the bar (not that you could spot many)
were either staying stumm or departing quickly. Within an hour most of us
were hoarse but as if on demand the pipers arrived and the crowd got it's
second wind. I didn't catch the names of the pipers but if you read this
guys, I'd just like to say thanks for the performance in the bar and for
leading the march on Thursday (more of that later).
The time in the bar also gave us a chance to meet many of the folk on the
mailing list - Graeme and Lynn, Paula (such a quiet shy retiring girl) and
Andy and Steve Burns from All Saints. Not that we could have much of a
conversation with the not-so-subtle singalong in the rest of the pub. You
could almost sense the Finns trying to work out who or what Dundee was !!!
10.00pm
- St. Sandy, Father Dougal and the backroom staff
(including a verry pissed club doctor) turn up to join in the fun with
great gusto. Father Dougal in particular found himself on the tables,
draped in a saltire and singing along to "Ooh Aah Alan Kernaghan",
although to my ears it sounded like he was actually singing "I'm
great, I'm Alan Kernaghan". As you can see Mr Cosgrove got his
second wind at this time. Still didn't improve his dress sense though.
Next up we had the arrival of the Saints board from their official dinner
with their VPS counterparts. In the best interests of website journalism
Sarah went for the interview with Geoff. Spotting that he was wearing a
VPS tie (whilst the Vaasa boys were in Saints colours which confused a lot
of us for a while - both lots being totally incoherent), she grabs the
garment with a "Oi Geoff whats all this then!". Totally
unphased by this the shall we say pissed chairman replies with a "Ah
goat it frae the VSP boys." Sensing an exclusive we pressed on
with asking where the players were? "Whit players?" says
our Geoff before vanishing towards the bar and the singing. Meanwhile
Stewart Duff (orDuff Stewart as the Vaasa programme referred to
him) was even letting his hair down and joining in the songs. As for that
VPS official who kept on stopping to speak meaningless gibberish to me - I
hope he knew how to cure that hangover.
Thursday 1.30am - Time for the other half to decide to retire.
So being a gentleman and walking her over the road to the hotel (dodging
the pavement pizzas), we spot the hot dog stand. Kilted Saintee at the
stand chatting to a Finnish girl and asking us if we knew any French - she
might have been bilingual but English wasn't one of them.
Ten minutes later and it's back to the pub where the singing is still
going strong despite last orders being rung. So we decide to head off to
the hotel disco where the entertainment was to say the least hilarious.
Sights like the tour rep being smooched over by one of the more mature
drunken Saintees and certain Waily Retard columnists coercing friends into
making up foursomes....I could go on but the lawyers might be watching.
3.30am - Time for bed.
Thursday
Morning Next......