Extract from Glesga Pals
messageboard Oct 15th 2003, Charlie McDonald, Parkhead
You know religion can sometimes have it's funny side as well as its
serious side. I was thinking about some of the antics the players of my
old fitba team , Bridgeton Waverley Amateurs, got up to when I ran
the club. I was reminded of the time when we were drawn away to Oban
Saints in one of the cups in the Scottish Amateur League.
We hired a van from a company in Kirkintilloch for the Saturday morning
my wee mate Peter Duffy was driving the bus and didn't want to pay for the
insurance waiver which was about £1.50 per day. However, I paid it and
that was the end of the matter. Anyway , we were to meet at my house in
Whitby Street as I had my leg in a plaster as I had broke my it three
weeks previously in another cup tie. So come the glorious day everyone
turned up...it just happened to be the day that the Pope visited
Ireland...about 1979!
We were all ready and prepared to go when I realised that we didn't have
the team lines so there I was hobbling away back up the stairs wi' the
crutches to get the team lines. Just as I entered the living room there
was the 'auld anti-christ' himself kneeling down and kissing the tarmac on
the runway. I thought to myself 'that's all we need that auld so and so
coming err here causing trouble'. Off I goes back doon the stairs wi' the
crutches and into the van and informs all the boys that "the Pope
must be bevvied as the stupid auld so and so is lying steamin oan the
runway of some airport in Ireland".
Needless to say despite our name , Bridgeton Waverley , we
were of mixed religions and I got hit on the heid wi' empty coke cans and
bits of rolls and sausage etc. Our club captain was a cracking big guy fae
the Calton big Jimmy Devlin and a devout catholic and he told me
"you'll regret saying that about the Holy Father Charlie".
"Aye right Jimmy I don't believe in all that bells and smells and
holy waater stuff it would suit you lot better to read yer bible and not
yer catechism" said I.
Off we went full of laughs and carry on as we drove up the Loch Lomond
road and then onto the road to Oban. Just as we came to a bend just by
Tarbet a Caledonian MacBrayne bus came rushing around the corner in the
opposite direction and we had to swerve to avoid it. Our back wheel got
caught in the ditch at the side of the road as Duffy tried to control the
van as we headed right towards a massive big rock with yours truly sitting
watching his life flying past in front of him. As I sat there in the front
seat wi' my plaster cast resting on the dash board all I heard above the
screams and din was oor Jimmy given it " Hail Mary full of
Grace...and giving it the auld ma hat , ma money , my tea & sugar and
my tabacca routine...blessing himself. The side of the van was ripped
apart from bonnet to tail and the side windows went for a Burton. We
finally stopped...which was more than can be said for they Teutchters
Caledonian MacBrayne's....I am glad to say that none of us were injured
apart from big Jimmy's pride as we gave him pelters for his wee Hail Mary
song and dance act!
We managed to continue on our journey to Oban and played the game and as
usual I was in charge of the 'lucky bag' which the boys would put all
their money and rings and watches into for safe keeping. Just as we were
about to kick off the ref stopped the game and made all the Catholics take
off their crucifixes and holy medals...and guess who got the job of
looking efter them. I am telling ye... I thought that I'd robbed Carruth's
Grotto in the High Street wi' aw the bits and pieces that I had in my
possession.
Anyway things were going bad for us and with twenty minutes to go we were
2 nil doon and getting nowhere fast. Just at that moment in time I put my
hand in my pocket and pulled out one or two of the players 'coathangers'
alais 'flying Freddies' and started to show them to the two subs who were
Rangers supporters and we had a good laugh wi' comments "It's
suppossed to be Jesus ...he looks more like Jimmy the Joiner to me"
etc'. Just at that Big Devlin ran down the wing and roared at me "
McDonald whit ur you doing" I just answered "nuthin Jimmy"
but my face gave me away as I crammed the crucifixes back into my
pocket... the big man was beelin'. As per usual at Oban there was always a
crowd of around several hundred watching and we were getting pelters from
the home support. The usual comments that you learn to live with if you
played for Bridgeton Waverley...ya Orange bassas , yer no in
Bridgeton noo , where's yer Billy Boys noo...and all that mince....truth
be told the majority of us stayed in Parkheid.
Then all hell broke loose as one the boys went for a throw in the locals
started their usual crap by kicking the ball away as our player tried to
retrieve it. One of the lads dived in and grabbed the ball as the locals
gave him a bit of hassle and said "f- off back tae Brigton ya Orange
bassa". Our Raymond blessed himself and spat on the teutchter's face
and told him in no uncertain terms " I am a better Catholic than
you'll ever be " and took the throw in. The whole place erupted as
the locals went mental wi' us and tried to attack our player....everything
was calmed down by the referee and the game continued. Within two minutes
of the fracas we scored to make it two one...and then we equalised with
two minutes to go. Well you could imagine the scene.. the players were all
diving on top of each other and there was me hobbling about on my crutches
along wi the two subs and the sponge man screaming and bawling at the
locals the words sheep and poe nagging were involved if I remember
correctly. Big Devlin came rushing over to me at the end and lifted me up
off my feet and hugged me and shouted in my ear "God Bless the
Pope". We had earned a replay back in Glesga' the following week and
before the players left the dressing rooms I told them all to put their
rings , watches , holy medals and CRUCIFIXES in the 'lucky bag' as I
wasn't looking efter them.
Needless to say we were winning one nil with two minutes to go and then
Oban Saints equalised which took the game into extra time and we lost
three one...we scored two own goals! Big Devlin blamed me because I didn't
have the 'good luck charms' on my possession....I have often wondered what
might have been had I took charge of the lucky bag that day. Would the
team have played any better or were they just wanting to see me squirm as
their wee bits of idolatry burnt holes in ma hauns!!! As they say it is a
funny auld game Saint and fitba' is fitba'...so I guess I'll never forget
the day the Pope fell doon the aeroplane stairs in Ireland. And by the way
I was never so glad in my life to have taken out the insurance waiver for
a mini-bus...the guys face when we took it back on the Sunday was a
picture!
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Extract from email
Feb.2005, Davy Reilly, Leicester,
England
Hi Webmaister, Believe it or not 1978, No. 6 on the front row is my youngest
brother Alex Reilly from Gretna St and I recognise a lad called Raymond Brasas from Kinnear Road. What a small world, |
