By Giles the Drunk
May 16 2004

I first met Giles The Drunk in Newcastle at the cup game in February. Somehow, somewhere that weekend I asked him to tell us about a new supporter's first full season. Here he shares with us how he found his first full season.

London Irish – I’ve come home !!

Most of you know the story of how I came to London Irish by now so I’ll keep it short but until very recently I was an avid Chelsea fan who was becoming more and more disheartened with football crowds and their embarrassing blatant aggression and mindless violence that I encountered every time I frequented Stamford Bridge. Association with such a crowd was not something I was proud of!

Then I was invited by my closest friend (Big Stu as you know him) to a St.Patrick’s Day game at London Irish. He billed it as “a great day out drinking loads of Guinness and listening to Diddly Diddly music – Oh yeah and there’s a rugby game on too!”.

I gave it a go! What a day – my overriding memory was one of complete disbelief that a team’s supporters can be SO happy having just been beaten at home by a team that hadn’t won away in 2 years!! There was only one thing to be done – return for another taste and see if the atmosphere was a one off!

My return was the last game of the season to see us beat Bristol (sorry Briz fans!) and stay up in the ZP. And yes, the atmosphere certainly was repeated. I’d already made a few ‘new friends’ after only 2 visits to the cowshed.

It was then that I decided this was for me – come the 03/04 season I decided I would try and get to a few home games – if only I knew what was to come!!!!!

My first 3 games were a dream – beating Gloucester, Leeds and Rotherham, then came Newcastle – an awful game influenced by a pretty bad ref if my memory serves me right – a theme that just might continue!!!!

My favourite game of rugby of the year was to follow – a hard fought win against Sale 9-3. Not the biggest score-line of the year but I remember being right on the edge of my seat for most of the game – Great Stuff!! Dermott and I shared an impromptu hug at the final whistle, but it’s ok Dermott I don’t think anyone saw!!

By this point I’d made several acquaintances including John Raff, Sean and Paddy – all top guys who seemed to have accepted me as ‘one of them’ – something that had NEVER happened to me at a footy game!

Decided it was time to ‘go away’ – France and the Parker Pen Trophy beckoned and the famous rugby venue of Montauban – god knows why I chose that as my first away game but that’s all history now – I’m certainly glad I did – what a weekend!!

We stayed in a seedy area of Toulouse with many other LI fans with reports of muggings etc going on outside. Most of us decided that it would be best not to go outside and therefore spent most of the weekend in The Killarney Bar. Much banter with locals and scrummaging ensued. A fantastic weekend (despite delayed kick offs, Frank Bruno, missed coaches, new friends, pink tours (you know who you are!!)  and of course the result!).

Winning the following weekend led me to Narbonne having missed the yuletide wishes from Wasps and the Saints due to visiting family overseas for Christmas.

We won the home leg but far from convincingly. Highlight for me (and Reading Glasses) was making my first trip to The Allied Arms, with the entire Narbonne Team in tow – not sure it was what they were looking for but the landlord was delighted on a quiet Sunday evening!!!! A tour of Reading followed.

The following weekend we found The Globe and Anthony in Narbonne. I’ll say no more apart from the virtual thread had nothing on actuality – JoeV – I’ll never be you!!! Also a small piece of advice to all – If Baz offers to arrange any sort of transportation JUST SAY NO!! That minibus ride is responsible for most of the grey hair on my head!!

So unfortunately having lost in Narbonne (not just the match but just in case the news hasn’t got to anyone yet also my fleece – another recurring theme!) that left us with premiership and Powergen Cup ambitions only.

Leeds away – again I made the trip – my first ‘away trip’ in the UK. Fantastic town and a fantastic mascot – ‘Terry the Tyke is a Hamster!!’. Mrs.Goz – Great bombs!!! Possibly the longest weekend of my life mainly due to the antics of John Raff – what a tour guide that man is turning out to be!! If that man approaches you with a tray of oddly coloured drinks at 11.30 in the morning after a full day’s drinking the day before run as fast as your legs can take you in the opposite direction.

It was about this time that I started attending A team games. What a revelation! Proof to me that what was being said on the MB about ‘the future’ IS in existence. Also great to meet some faceless names at last!! There’s something about Sunbury but I won’t go there!! I think we’re all lucky to be able top experience ‘both sides’ of the club, old and new, still. Long may it last!

Next up was Leicester at home. Being English (and having missed the December parading of the WC) this was my first chance to see a hero or two, MJ and NB to name two. If heroes are allowed to plummet in ones estimation then this was the day for me. I won’t dwell – we were beaten by a ‘more streetwise’ team (the nicest way I heard it explained anyway!). Still no sign of the fleece!

2004 wasn’t proving to be the best half of the season. Many disillusioned voices on the MB, name calling, walk outs etc. etc. Interesting but slightly unnecessary I felt. Have a little bit of patience! Spain wasn’t built………. and all that!!

So with the league HC spot slowly slipping through our hands (no pun intended) it was off to Newcastle again with Raffman at the helm. A few highlights for me:-

–        being asked to quieten the singing down at 6.30pm in the hotel bar only to be joined by a bunch of Welsh lads and the Neil Diamond songbook miraculously appeared from my head as oft times before – still looking for the right partner to duet on ‘You don’t bring me flowers’ tho!!

–        Snow!

–        6 nightclubs in one night!!!

Out of the cup and quite possibly the scariest mascot you’ve ever seen with the most dubious hand signals known to man – I thought mascots were for kids!?! Still meeting new people all the time, putting faces to names. Starting to get ‘knowing looks’ when I’m introduced as ‘Giles the Drunk’.

Back to the Premiership. Surely with Paddy’s Day approaching and the league now being our only hope of HC rugby next season the boys can lift themselves. I attended my first ever 6N game at this point. Yep – that game. The Green Day! Couldn’t have happened to a more determined team and better set of supporters. We were totally out-played. An odd experience for me with an ever growing fondness for the emerald isle. Club v country experience. Give me the Madstad every time referee, every time!! This was the day of one of my best rugby experiences – being welcomed into Molly Malones in Richmond by about 300 Irish supporters wearing my England shirt. What a night!!

Come on the Barf – give us your best – the boys have watched Ireland stuff England off the park and surely now it’s our turn!!

OK so it wasn’t to be but it was a fantastic performance by the lads who came up against a pack of forwards that have taken many teams apart this season. It was so close and had one of those DGs gone over nothing, not even the weather could’ve dampened our spirits. Once again the event proved to be a fantastic mix of good people, good rugby and a great craic – many thanks to the Bath fans for making it a record breaking day!!!

On a personal note I managed to get to meet Phil Murphy this weekend, as my LI hero that made the weekend all the better for me ! Top man! Absolutely gutted to have missed the ‘spoon’ incident. I pray for a repeat!!

The weekend after was the return leg -  I had to get rid of my tickets through the LI ticket tout – MWM !! Still no coach trip experience for me!! Yet another last minute heart stopper that I listened to by live web cast with Big Stu – gutted!! I’d imagine it would be quite funny to watch 2 grown men screaming at a computer screen. When are we gonna win again??

Quins at home next – My recollection of this fixture last year is Paddy’s day – Quins won with their first win away in two years but the party was huge!! Well this year as we know this was a draw. Next year it has to be an LI win. The team seem to be specialising in last minute drama – you certainly get your money’s worth at The Madstad!!!

Around this time I was becoming more and more ticked off by dissenters on the message board so I decided to dive into some ‘BrianC style’ statistical analysis of results year on year with the previous season. Glad I did – restored my faith that progress has indeed been made!!

Dipped out of London Irish at this point and joined a group of about 15 LI supporters to cheer on Connacht at the Stoop. The Quins won it by 9 points. It’s now over 2 months since a team I was supporting won a match (Leeds away – not good!!). Ended up in molly’s again in Richmond – the craic was mighty. A first occurred on this day – John Raff didn’t make it to the end of the night!!

My birthday weekend followed. I basically planned the weekend around being in a pub at 3pm on Sunday to watch the boys play Gloucester. We were totally out played and no repeat of the earlier cup win was to be had. Things were getting pretty desperate now with ‘Leeds away’ being our last victory. Many many threads attempting to explain the Wildcard process left many of us cold. In a nutshell we had 2 games left, Newcastle away and Saracens at home – we needed to win them both to be in with a chance. Having not won since February I probably wasn’t the only one to be nervous.

Didn’t make the trip to Newcastle this time. We won – typical – maybe I’m the curse!??!? By all accounts it was our turn to be on the receiving end of a bit of luck and last-minute drama – about bloody time!!!!!

So the last game of the season arrived. Saracens at home, a very winnable game. It soon became apparent that the opposition, with nothing to play for than pride, seemed to be up for the game way more than we did – sure that wasn’t the case but the boys looked down. Not sure if it was nerves, tiredness, pressure. Whatever it was the result went against us and the dream of Heineken Cup rugby faded away. As it transpires a win wouldn’t have been enough on the day anyway. The day itself was craicing! A nice early start in the Hotel Bar, many sets of legs on display that can only be described as, well……legs! Good to see some old friends again and yet another stunning display by the band in the Cowshed and later on in O’Neills – I’ve never seen a bass guitar played whilst sitting on the floor in the corner of the stage – I think it was mainly due to being unable to stand but impressive all the same!!

With the ‘season proper’ over it seems to be rumored that there are many ‘summer events’ on offer actually starting in 3 days time at an evening 7s tournament, I intend to get to as many as I can – you’ve been warned!

As I reach the end of this ‘diary’ it is very difficult to find the words to wrap it up and summarise. When I first posted a message on the board back on Oct 31^st about wanting cheerleaders at London Irish games (it WAS a joke !) little did I know what was about to happen. People spoke of ‘new friends’ and a ‘family’. Was I sceptical? Hell Yes!! All sounded way too cheesy to me. How wrong I have been proved!

I’d like to thank all the usual suspects (you know who you are) for making me feel so welcome. I feel I have made some great friends at this club and truly hope to make many more in the years to come – there are legends amongst us!! My season ticket has been purchased for next year so there’s no doubt you’ll be seeing more of me – you’ve been warned (again). As for my postings and ‘approach’ to the match days I apologise to any who may not be impressed with drunken antics. I say to those people “Look around, I’m far from alone, it’s what make this club so great”. I am learning the game slowly and have even promised to write an A-team match report next season.

With new players signed and more on the way I DO look forward with optimism to next season. No, we’re not in the Heineken Cup but we’re still there, in existence and hopefully will be for many many decades to come with the unique combination of people, atmosphere and community that makes ‘us’ so great.

Who needs West London? Reading’s home now!

There’s only one thing left to say! A joke’s a joke, you can give the fleece back now!

 GTD