GENEVA TOURNAMENT JUNE 2001
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DAY ONE - THURSDAY
William McGregor* was a portly, full bearded Perthshire man of sterling principles, undeniable optimism and gentle humour. From the quiet backwater of his new Villa Park residence he penned a letter which was to changed the face of Football forever. "I beg to tender" He wrote, and the Football League was born.
At the Southern Terminal of Gatwick airport, a mere One Hundred and
They were to represent their country in the greatest game in the world!!! * William McGregor(founder of the football league) |
STARRING
Neil Bradshaw Derek Abercrombie Terry Graham Gary Trench Andrew Arnison Sarah Miles Paul Moralee Stuart Rosendale Carl Bunce Gary Box Cecil Gee Karen Spencer Wayne Hall Ian Debbage |
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Foluke, Gary, Mark & Uncle Pete
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DAY TWO - FRIDAY
Everyone rose to boisterous clamor. A pungent mist was rolling through the murky gloom. Cecil was the first to be blamed. The first unwritten rule had been broken. … but on the up side, it was heading toward the Belgians dorm. Once breakfast over, we were on our way into Geneva for a spot of shopping and to do our tourist bit on the sightseeing train. We had lunch back at the stadium before trundling back to the bunker to change into the kits in readiness for the first game. Everyone was gripped with a nervous excitement. Genova (Italy) 3 England Gateway 1 Altenburg (Germany) 0 England Gateway 0 |
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Demonstrate the Bulldog Spirit |
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DAY THREE - SATURDAY
The morning was greeted with a synchronous and regimented salute as we climbed from our subterranean lodge. The morning was still young but our bleary eyes struggled to adjust to the luster of the sun. We left behind the irksome bleating and references by the Belgians to ‘Foot and Mouth’. They were taken with good humour but were getting a little tiresome. It just meant that victory against them on Sunday would be all the more sweeter. We headed back into the city for another relaxing morning and there was just enough time for a cool drink before we set back to get ready for the days games. An inspiring team talk preceded the first game which filled the hearts and souls of every player. It didn’t work though. The Junior side dominated from start to finish and thoroughly deserved their victory. A hastily arranged friendly was organised with the Welsh team to change the system and to try restore some much needed confidence. The Welsh Dragon was surely put to the sword as we romped to an emphatic 6-2 victory, and the whole squad was buzzing again. Junior Bernex (Swiss) 2 England Gateway 0 Pegwern (Wales) 2 England Gateway 6 Jura France 0 England Gateway 3 Another raucous evening was spent with the Welsh team in what became our local hostelry. With the heavy schedule taking it’s toll, it wasn’t too long before we began to drift back to the bunker. At 2am, the earliest night so far. |
‘The Boy Ramage’ Like farther like son
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Bitten by the love bug
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DAY FOUR - SUNDAY The Belgians seemed to be very quiet today. Gone were the chorus’s of "Wazuuuup". Gone were the references to Foot & Mouth and the tedious bleating that went with it. I wondered if they had just realised who their opponents would be today. Us!!!! The first game of the day was against the Spanish team of Murcie. Gateway dominated from start to finish and it was "Psycho" that put us deservedly ahead with a brilliant solo goal. Everyone played out of their skins but were undone by a Muppet referee which robbed them of certain victory. We again had to settle for a draw as the Spaniards equalised with their only kick of the game. Next were the Belgians and again Gateway were on fire. As the final whistle went the 1-0 scoreline flattered to deceive. Victory was sweet. As the two teams shook hands, the Belgians shirked as the England team sang out with a resounding chorus of "WAZZUUUUUUPPP"!!!!??? Murcie (Spain) 1 Gateway 1 FAO Belgique (Belgium) 0 Gateway 1 Le Fayet (France) 1 Gateway 2 The tournament ended on a high note with two superb goals and another impressive all round team performance. A great day of football coupled with the end of tournament party and our very own awards ceremony, had everyone buzzing until the early hours of the morning. | ||
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DAY FIVE - MONDAY For some reason, this mornings wake up call was not received with the same uncompromised enthusiasm as on previous days. It was a day that we would have to say goodbye the many friends that we had made. The hardest thing about the weekend, was having to saying goodbye.
Mark Summers
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