Kebabs & Discos

Scotland Under 19s  1  Germany Under 19s  0

UEFA Under 19 Championship

I’ve seen some sights before on my trips to Glasgow, but only minutes after seeing a chap walking down the street wearing just one trainer, I walked into a pub to be greeted by a barmaid eating a kebab behind the bar, while at the same time, trance music was blaring out from the jukebox.

It was 6pm on a Tuesday night.

I must admit, as I took my seat in Munns Bar with a pint of Tennants, the kebab did smell good (it was probably an advertising ploy), and I’d almost forgotten just how good ‘Set You Free’ by N-Trance is, although I prefer the remix on the CD single version, which is currently sat in our garage somewhere.  

Welcome to Maryhill on an October evening, and welcome to the home of Partick Thistle Football Club, the club supported by Billy Connolly.

Scotland was upon me again, and this time it happened to coincide with an international break, which wasn’t a bad thing to be fair as it gave me two match choices. I could have watched Andorra play Belarus with a man and his dog at Dumbarton, or I could have watched the home nation take on the Germans at Firhill. It wasn’t a difficult choice in the end.

To be fair to the Scottish FA, they offered free admission to the games and with the kick offs being scheduled for 7.05pm, it was perfect for getting back into the centre for something to eat and a couple of snifters in the local Spoons.

I’d travelled up on the Monday, but Monday was a barren day for football so I sat in my room and watched the disgrace that was the Bulgaria v England game. The solution is simple, kick them out of Europe, at national and club level. They did it to British clubs remember in the Eighties because of hooliganism, so do it now, an example needs to be made and sadly, these Eastern European countries simply do not get it.

Anyway, that aside, it was a working day down in Clarkston followed by a train back to Central, a quick drop of the bag in the hotel, before jumping on the old ‘Clockwork Orange’. The Glasgow Subway is something I’ve only ever been on once before and that was back in the late Nineties when myself and my mate Tim went to my brother-in-laws folks place in Largs. We had a day in Glasgow and decided to go to Partick (which is not where Thistle play) for a curry and some beers. It’s like the London Undeground, but it’s essentially two lines, an ‘Inner’ that goes anti-clockwise and an ‘Outer’ that goes clockwise. As you’ve perhaps worked out, it’s a circle, and from a football perspective it’s great if you want to go to Thistle, or to Rangers, but not much use for anywhere else!

So, I got on at St Enoch which is less than a minutes walk from the underpass at Central, and within six minutes I was departing at St Georges Cross. Firhill is a ten minute walk up Maryhill Road, and having arrived in the vicinity of the ground a good hour before kick off, I opted for the nearest pub to the ground, which also happens to be something of a home for the Thistle support.

With kebab smell in my nostrils and the desire to go in search of some disco biscuits getting all too much after a couple of pints, I felt it was time to have a walk to the stadium which was no more than three minutes away.

The façade of the main stand at Firhill is superb, a tall brick and part rendered wall is straight out of the Fifties, and on an October evening, it’s an evocative venue that smells of history. Once through the turnstiles you were up the steps and into the seats, which were fastened to wooden floorboards. The view was obstructed slightly by the struts at the front, but otherwise it was a tight old stand with a seemingly unused paddock terracing in front of it.

Opposite was a more modern stand that’s split between home and away support, while behind the goal to the left is the John Lambie Stand where the passionate Thistle support congregates. The flags adorning the back of the stand, erected by supporters, looked impressive in the clubs colours of yellow and red.

Behind the goal to the right it’s a grass bank, and it’s out of bound for spectators, Firhill is a three sided ground.

626 spectators took advantage of the free admission, and they witnessed the hosts record a 1-0 victory over their illustrious opponents, who, if we apply the law of averages, have probably got a future World Cup winner in their side. Scotland on the other hand, I can pretty much guarantee, don’t!

The goal came just before half time courtesy of Josh McPake, a Rangers player who is currently on loan at Dundee, and to be fair it was a deserved victory for Billy Stark’s side who also hit the post.

The result sees Scotland leapfrog Germany at the top of the group table, and as a result they qualify for the Elite Round of qualifiers for the Championships  which take place in Northern Ireland next Summer.

At the final whistle it was quick exit down Maryhill Road to the subway, and with an efficient service I was soon back in the pub tucking into a pizza, although I do think Wetherspoons are really missing a trick by not offering Donner Kebabs on the menu. Imagine it, how good would that be, ordering a pint and a kebab on the app from your seat?

Anyway, another great night at the ‘Fitba’ in Scotland, and I must have a dig around in the garage for the Ministry of Sound Trance CD’s, I think I’ve re-discovered a new genre!