Playlist
Various – Party Bus Disc 3
Sparks - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep
Up later than I’d have liked but ready to roll at 10am...
A relaxed journey to Glasgow found us arriving at our chosen parking spot at 11 am – just outside Crosshill Station, from where we purchased a return ticket and headed in to Glasgow Central...
Breakfast of scrambled egg pannini (bacon for Anne) and some lovely coffee at Bar Ten opposite The Lighthouse in Mitchell Lane...
Then, some shopping to pass the time...
Of course for me that meant FOPP and Missing and I procured the new Sparks album in the former...
We met up again at Central Station earlier than we’d planned...
...and headed back out to Crosshill and walked from there to Hampden, arriving at the stadium around an hour before kick off...
A brilliant atmosphere amongst the 15,000 Queens fans and the team managed to hold their own against Glasgow Rangers for just over half an hour (with a couple of close things) before a dodgy free-kick award (I’m biased, obviously) produced a wonder strike from Kris Boyd to make it 1-0...
Shortly thereafter, we had a stonewall penalty decision waved away as Whittaker pushed O’Connor to the ground (I’m biased, obviously) and then, just as Anne was about to say, “if they can keep it to 1-0 at half time we still have a chance”, two horrendous defensive errors let in Beasley for Rangers’ second – it seemed a rout might now be in prospect...
On the stroke of half time d’Archeville escaped an offside trap but, thankfully tried in vain to chip the keeper and was way off target...
We were in the sixth row back from the front and almost level with the pitch just to the right of the goal so it was a view of the game to which we weren’t used – to add to this, the sun was in our faces and on our heads – I spent much of the game trying to protect my baldy bonce with my match programme...
The start of the second half was a revelation as Queens at last played the way we knew they could...
Unbelievably they penetrated Rangers’ defence in 50 minutes as O’Conner sailed past Cuellar to the goal line and sent back a precision cross which Tosh slotted home easily with his pelvis to score what might have turned out to be a consolation goal...
But, just three minutes later, Queens were level, Big Jim Thompson rising above three Rangers’ defenders to connect with Bob Harris’ inch perfect free kick and send an unstoppable header past Alexander – it was Aberdeen all over again as we went absolutely crazy...
It was so satisfying to chant “You’re not singing anymore” to the stunned and silent Rangers’ fans, who’d already seen their season’s end collapse in the course of the last ten days, with the loss of both the UEFA Cup and the Scottish Premier League...
For twenty minutes, it seemed we might possibly actually win the game, or at least go to extra time/penalties...
Alas it wasn’t to be, as Boyd headed home from a corner with 18 minutes to go to put the Gers ahead again...
There was one last glimmer of hope in injury time as we won a free kick on the edge of the box – unfortunately the ball didn’t reach its target and, within a few seconds it was all over...
But how we cheered as our heroes stepped up for their medals...
What a game the Mighty Doonhamers had made of it...
We didn't hang about to see Rangers lift the cup, instead we left and beat the crowd as we walked back to Crosshill, wearing our scarves with pride...
Sparks on the way home and we arrived back at Crispycat Towers just after six for a quick turnaround...
Tonight we were out for a meal with Anne’s family and brother-in-law Keith and his partner Maureen’s chums for a “getting to know you” exercise before their wedding in a couple of weeks’ time...
Sister in law Jane and her husband Bobby drove Anne and me and Anne’s mum to join a group of twenty which filled the Bijoux Restaurant down at Leith Links...
The food was excellent and my pan-fried mackerel fillet followed by a delicious burger and some creamy cheesecake was just the job, having eaten nothing since my scrambled egg roll eight hours earlier – though of course I’d been nourished in the meantime by adrenalin...
After the meal and some excellent chat, particularly from “Professor John” re the relationship between science and religion, we all headed over to the Compass for a couple of drinks...
Then a lift back home in time to catch the highlights of the game (recorded for posterity on the same tape as the Aberdeen Semi)...
After trying to pause the tape at a point which showed us on screen, we finally hit the sack around 1am...
Quite a day...
Mon the Queens – the UEFA Cup now beckons...
Highlight of the Day : The 53rd minute at Hampden
3 comments:
Hey buddy, hope you're not too down about the game, it was a good game. Better than most Cup Finals i've seen. I like your pic with the players and the snappers, in blue, with numbers.
Cheers Stu - thought it was all over at half time then that incredible two-goals-in-three-minutes scenario and we were right back inthere and had them on the ropes.
A great feeling singing "You're not singing anymore" at the Rangers fans who just sat there stunned.
Alas it wasn't to be and, in the end, the better team won.
But Queens can hold their heads high.
Glad you liked the pic...
In hindsight of course, we were cheated by the fact that Glasgow rangers were paying their team using EBTs...
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