how would you think about the albion starting there pre season tour in ireland again

[pornomagboy]

i personally think it would be a great idea

 

[Uncle Buck]

I think the Le Havre thing has another year to run.

The Irish tours were a laugh. Remember going to Gallway and the game being in Castle Bar, the Gallway supporters club put a coach on, with no suspension, which we essentially filled and made the driver stop at pubs in the middle of nowhere. Oh and the Taxman telling us he would meet us in the Paddy Pub in Gallway.

The Battle of Longford was a giggle as well. We got the Longford kit man (Fergus) to book our accomodation and his mate rented us his house for the weekend, whilst his family stayed in a caravan in the garden.

 

[Biscuit]

Oatway would love it!

 

[CHAPPERS]

THEIR

 

[Wilka]

Was anyone at that game were it all kicked off?

What really happend that day

 

[crodonilson]

I'd like to see us do a pre-season tour of dorset and devon.

 

[BIRCHYBOY27]

yeah count me in for ireland

 

[Uncle Buck]

Was anyone at that game were it all kicked off?

What really happend that day

I was there.

The major issue from memory was they played it more like a competitive game as Longford had a UEFA Cup game the following week, where as for us it was fairly early into our pre-season programme. Longford were going in very hard from the start and they had a striker from one of Caribbean Islands who was fairly dirty. I remember Crosby and Carpenter had to come off fairly early as they had a row with each other and then Melton went two footed into one of their players, a fight starter, Oatway and one of their players got sent off. Their player trudged off the pitch, Oatway was arguing with the officials and then suddenly legged it towards the dressing room, it seemed to settle a score with the Longford player. This resulted in our bench running after Oatway and the ref ending the half, on about 44 minutes.

Adams refused to bring the teams back out, so we went into Longford and got spannered for the rest of the night.

 

[Withnail]

I was in Longford the other time. Top place for a piss-up, every other building on the high street is a pub. Remember getting into town after the game, finding a hotel and rushing out for beers before closing. Didn't realise there was a music festival on and there was no closing time. Tremendous night.

Would be right up for another week over there.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Is the league in Ireland not now a summer league, would make sorting games that bit harder.

 

[ROSM]

I was there.

The major issue from memory was they played it more like a competitive game as Longford had a UEFA Cup game the following week, where as for us it was fairly early into our pre-season programme. Longford were going in very hard from the start and they had a striker from one of Caribbean Islands who was fairly dirty. I remember Crosby and Carpenter had to come off fairly early as they had a row with each other and then Melton went two footed into one of their players, a fight starter, Oatway and one of their players got sent off. Their player trudged off the pitch, Oatway was arguing with the officials and then suddenly legged it towards the dressing room, it seemed to settle a score with the Longford player. This resulted in our bench running after Oatway and the ref ending the half, on about 44 minutes.

Adams refused to bring the teams back out, so we went into Longford and got spannered for the rest of the night.

That was great day. The stewards were hilarious as they calmed the angry baying mob with a gentle 'calm down now'.

If I remember rightly it was Wicks and Carpenter who had the barney and were subbed by Micky and they sat at opposite ends of the bench.

Melton was hilarious with the most obvious foul I have ever seen, Oatways sending off was mistake identity as the ref got him and melton mixed up but to avoid a full UEFA investigation into the incident the club accepted it without a quarrel.

The ref had only even taken Junior (county league equivalent games) but all the other league level refs were at a conference in Dublin so he stood in.

As for the Longford centre forward, his elbow on Crosby was dreadful. It all ended with Micky taking the team off whilst Oatway was being chased by the Longford players with paul Rogers et al in hot pursuit. The ref was left on the pitch on his own with two assistants, a ball and no teams. he then went through the motions of blowing the whistle complete with european stylee arm movements to signify the end of the game.

Ended up in the hotel bar and bunked into a wedding. Then had to give an update on the BBC SCR breakfast show on the monday about the incident. Started with the immortal words that I was watching a fight but occasionally football broke out.

Rest of the tour abandoned though which meant no game against Athlone which was a pity as the year before they put on food and drinks for us.

 

[John Boy]

I'll be up for going over there if it does go ahead. My dad's friends went over to the last tour and said it was good.

Could ask Insider what the chances of this happening are, if enough people are interested?

 

[Marc]

nah screw Ireland, its GOT to be a tour of Scotland and a visit to Central Park for football then immediately afterwards BANGER RACING

:quality:

 

[surrey jim]

Re: how would you think about the albion starting there pre season tour in ireland ag

i personally think it would be a great idea

even better a tour of Spain,

put my name down to stay at yours

 

[Skintagain 1983]

Still waiting for a Scottish tour .. Been suggesting it for past 2 years

 

[Cian]

I was at Longford

And yes, the ref wasn't qualified for professional matches

Would love it to come back, give me an utterly lazy and cheap way to get to some level of matches.

 

[pornomagboy]

Re: Re: how would you think about the albion starting there pre season tour in ireland ag

even better a tour of Spain,

put my name down to stay at yours

when for mate,i might have the volvo bk for sat

 

[Alex Revell]

id rather play some decent English sides.

 

[pornomagboy]

id rather play some decent English sides.

but it would be another chance to see the albion in europe again

 

[Cian]

There is a problem, now that I remember it

Irish season is February to November. "pre-season" for us is mid season for eircom League teams, and its also when the top 3/4 are preparing for/already in early rounds for Europe.