Neil Diamond references upstairs nudged a proper memory of our new manager — a Saturday the Gers weren’t playing, McCoist and Durrant were out for Killie and a few of us had nipped down for a quiet pint. I went thinking it would be low-key. It never is, is it?
The day and the faces
We jumped in a minibus from the District and made the trip. It was one of those mixed groups: DM was there, Barry F, Craig Moore, Charlie Miller and a handful of the regular DB lads. I even wonder if it was 1999 — can’t be certain, but you remember the feel more than the exact date. There’s something about a day like that where it all lines up: mates, a match away from Ibrox and the kind of chatter that keeps you smiling for days.
Big Oz — a proper gent
I was only out for a few pints, only young then and skint like most of us have been at that age. Big Oz must have clocked it because he spent the whole day making sure I had a beer in hand and wouldn’t let me put my hand in my pocket. Quiet generosity, no fuss. Truth is, those little gestures stick with you more than the big moments on the pitch.
Hat-tricks, karaoke and the long walk back
McCoist scored a hat-trick that day and the mood lifted even further. We went back to the District for the usual end-of-day ritual — karaoke on, DM belting out some Neil Diamond and McCoist up for In the Ghetto. It was chaotic and brilliant. People singing out of tune, a few too many pints, and all of us feeling like we’d been part of something simple and good. You don’t need a European night to have memories like that.
Keep those stories coming. Nights like that are why you stick with this club through the ups and downs — the football’s the glue, but the people make the memories.
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