After the obligatory 'team photos' we piled into a 7-seater people carrier for the journey south. In glorious sunshine we stopped at Ballinluig just south of Pitlochry at the foot of what is known locally as 'Bacon Mountain'! Suitably refreshed, we continued our journey, even passing Ivano in his BMW behind the team coach. Our next refreshment stop was Jack Daniel's in Motherwell, where both sets of supporters mixed happily together.
Sunday 12th May was to become a spectacular highlight for some members of the Highland Dark Blues. An away match at Motherwell, I hear you ask? Well, the journey started at the Heathmount Hotel car park at 10.00am, where locals were astounded to see 6 members dressed in Dundee away tops - and kilts! Not a pretty sight at the best of times!
Onto the match itself and the highlight was probably Speroni's penalty save. It certainly wasn't seeing Willie Young as the match referee!
A quick dash through to Dundee after the game saw us arrive at the Earl Grey Hilton Hotel - our venue for the evening's entertainment. And what entertainment! Resplendent in our full Highland Dress, we joined 300 other supporters at the DSA Players' Dinner.
The MC Roger Brunton introduced the current DFC management - represented by Dario Bonetti, no sign of Ivano - and the players, to standing ovations. Then he introduced some 'special guests' from the last 4 decades. First up was Billy Pirie - well you could feel the floor shaking with the applause and the cheering. Next up was 'Super' Tommy Coyne! Well, the chandeliers were shaking by this time! An Internationalist next, Big Rab Douglas.
His popularity hasn't waned just because his shirt has changed colour! By this time, the Hilton was in grave danger of needing underpinning, such was the volume. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, in walked Wee James Grady! Well, the roof came off this time and was last seen wedged against the pillars of the Railway Bridge! To cap it all the last introduction was for the one and only Bobby Cox! What a night so far, and we hadn't even had our soup!
Roger advised us that there would be plenty of time to get autographs and the like once the players had eaten. So we looked forward to our meal, just a bit disappointed that Ivano wasn't there. Well Ivano must have smelled the soup, as in he walked with co-ordinator Dario Magri, to choruses of 'Ivano, Dario'. Just as well the roof was already off, or the walls would have collapsed!
The story goes his car broke down which explains his late arrival. It didn't take much persuading to get Ivano in front of the microphone and, in between roars of approval from his captive audience, he put to bed the press suggestions that he wouldn't be here next season. And he didn't use 'flippin eck' this time!
We tucked into a beautiful 3 course meal, aided by some amber nectar, and then the fun began. It started as a trickle as the first brave souls ventured to the players' table to ask for autographs and photographs of their favourites. It became a venerable flood as 300 or so supporters queued 'patiently' to get their heroes' attention. Friendly chaos reigned, and I can only wonder at the patience of these players, and managers. Nothing was a bother as they signed menus, away tops, and even someone's dress shirt!
I remember looking across at Temuri (Ketsbaia - Temuri to his friends!) and he looked overwhelmed by the hero-worship from these supporters. If he has played his last game for Dundee, he will at least know the strength of our feelings. We managed to drag Ivano away from his table and he became an honorary member of the Highland Dark Blues, at least for the team photo! He was mobbed wherever he went as supporters wanted their little bit of history for the photo album.
We were at last called to order as Roger announced it was time to present the individual clubs' awards to their Player and Young Player of the Year. A steady stream of representatives made their way to the podium - accompanied by a variety of Roger's one-liners! Temuri Ketsbaia was the night's winner with several awards, Julian Speroni getting the nod for Young Player of the Year. But others were also chosen by different clubs, Walter Del Rio, Steven Milne, and, of course, that special Personality of the Year award from JMB Dark Blues for Javier Artero. He wasn't at the Dinner, but his thank you speech was read out and it brought a lump to the throat.
The awards over, it was the turn of Willie Allan the guest speaker to entertain us with his special brand of humour, with that distinctive Fife accent. We roared with laughter as you tend to do after partaking of alcohol, and we wonder what our 'foreign legion' made of it all. As the evening wound down, and members started to drift away, we said our thank you's to anyone we recognised for a superb night. Then we were taken aback as our driver, Garry Hopkins, requested that the Highland Dark Blues charge their glasses, and he gave what amounted to a vote of thanks to ourselves which was almost as touching as Javier's speech!!
Some decided it was time for bed, some decided it was time to hit the nightclub, and one even decided it was time for a kebab! But all 6 agreed, it had been a night to remember! The next morning saw us assemble for the journey home, but not before a quick word with Temuri in the foyer!
Our journey home was broken up with refreshment stops and the odd one-liner, as memories of the previous evening's jokes came flooding back. Back in Inverness around 3.00pm, a round trip of some 360 miles or so, which had taken us from the City of Inverness to such exotic places as Ballinluig, Motherwell, Dundee, Georgia, Spain, Argentina, Australia and Italy! Tired but happy, we are already planning our strategy for next year's event.
Perhaps we'll need a 16 seater next time! To the organisers of the Players Dinner please accept the sincere thanks of the following Highland Dark Blues for a night to remember:
John Huband, Mark Kerr, Billy Watson, Iain Addision, Garry Hopkins and yours truly,
Grahame Couttie.