Why Me?!
Confessions of an Edinburgh Clyde Supporter (17/3/2007: Ross County at Victoria Park)
I’m sure for many fellow Clyde supporters a St Patrick’s Day visit to Dingwall actually seemed quite appealing compared to the usual mid-winter trek that the fixtures computer usually manages to throw our way. For this Clyde supporter however, March 17th 2007 was the day where not only did I miss the Clyde game, but I ended up having to watch three rugby games. In a row!!
A lifelong football supporter, I have been trying my best to avoid Rugby for as long as I can remember. And now, because of one Irish flatmate selfishly scheduling his Birthday on a Saturday, I had to sit through what felt like an eternity of 15 overweight men charging about a field with no signs of a penalty area or apparently any rules!
As if things couldn’t get any worse, I had no access to any score updates from TV or the Internet. As all football fans know, if you’re not at the game, there is nothing worse than not being able to find out the score. Fortunately, I had one final alternative. If my Dad could just master the technology of the mobile phone text message then he would be able to keep me informed. Things didn’t look to promising though, having text him at 2 o’clock to ask if he would give me goal alerts it took him until 3 o’clock to text back two words: “No Problem.”
Alas, the first half passed by and I still had an empty inbox and I was still watching Rugby. Now if Clyde had been winning then I would probably have been less irritable but it was the fact that I didn’t know if the game was still goalless or if Dad just hadn’t managed to contact me. A quick phone call put my mind to rest that the Clyde players had indeed fired a first half blank. For the first time in ages we were going to have to win the game in the second half!!
And then a message came through. There had obviously been a goal. But who had scored? It was at that point that I decided text updates are even worse than soccer Saturday or the radio. The anticipation of checking that message knowing there has been a goal is almost too much to take! Then I read it. “Gilmour!” One-nil for the Bully Wee! My mates looked at me, wondering why I was celebrating a ‘ruck’ or whatever they call it. Then I read the message again, deflated I realise that the message finishes saying that Higgins has also equalised for Ross County. Gutted.
A few minutes later, another message. One word: “McGowan”. Our captain supreme has banged in a goal. Surely now Clyde will thrash the opposition out of site. Any lingering fears of relegation will be gone and 3rd place will begin to look achievable.
By 4.55pm I had no further messages. We must have won I tell myself. I have made the ultimate sacrifice and sat through all this Rugby, but at least Clyde has put another 3 points on the table!
And then I get a phone call. “Two each” he calmly says to me. I hang up and look at the TV in anguish. Still not a bad result I say trying to look on the bright side. But what’s this: John Inverdale of BBC sport is talking about England. Surely not another rugby game!