AUSTRIA DIARY - DAY 6
Posted on: Thu 29 Jul 2010
A Baptism of Fire!
By Paul Chialton in Bad Bleiberg
As far as team initiations go it is one that has been traditional at many a club for many a year.
It's an unwritten law that each new signing must, before his new team-mates, show off his vocal skills and earn acceptance from the squad.
However, when the gaffer announced that the whole squad would be performing, a deathly silence fell upon the dining room…and the smiles on the coaching staff were well and truly wiped off when he added, 'staff too!'
Revealing those who rocked the mike, or in this case the dessert-spoon, would be to over-step the mark. But covers of 'Saturday Night At The Movies', 'Sweet Caroline', 'Lady in Red' and 'Suspicious Minds' had the room swaying and the rest of the hotel reaching for the ear-plugs!
I'll add that yours truly owned the stage and has now well and truly left the building!
A perfect way to bring a busy day to an end, in which the lads drew their final game of the tour 0-0 with Turkish outfit Genclerbirligi. A team I'm sure we'll forget!
But a day full of incident, including another sprinkler fiasco! Upon spotting the impending doom that awaited an open kit-bag a dedicated writer darted to make sure the contents stayed dry, sacrificing himself and his hair-style but bringing amusement to the masses that looked on without sympathy.
James McCarthy wasn't to be laughing for long when two local children turned up moments later having acquired themselves a vuvuzela each. It's fair to say James isn't the instrument's biggest fan…certainly not after ten minutes of listening!
The sight of a famous fast-food restaurant's golden arches on the way home illuminated the greying sky, but hopes were shattered as the driver zoomed past much to the disappointment of one goalkeeper whose name I won't mention. But it wasn't Ali Al Habsi or Polly!
And so as the week draws to an end, dinner-time karaoke and the thought of having to perform tomorrow for those who didn't tonight, makes home seem a place far far away right now!
By Paul Chialton in Bad Bleiberg
As far as team initiations go it is one that has been traditional at many a club for many a year.
It's an unwritten law that each new signing must, before his new team-mates, show off his vocal skills and earn acceptance from the squad.
However, when the gaffer announced that the whole squad would be performing, a deathly silence fell upon the dining room…and the smiles on the coaching staff were well and truly wiped off when he added, 'staff too!'
Revealing those who rocked the mike, or in this case the dessert-spoon, would be to over-step the mark. But covers of 'Saturday Night At The Movies', 'Sweet Caroline', 'Lady in Red' and 'Suspicious Minds' had the room swaying and the rest of the hotel reaching for the ear-plugs!
I'll add that yours truly owned the stage and has now well and truly left the building!
A perfect way to bring a busy day to an end, in which the lads drew their final game of the tour 0-0 with Turkish outfit Genclerbirligi. A team I'm sure we'll forget!
But a day full of incident, including another sprinkler fiasco! Upon spotting the impending doom that awaited an open kit-bag a dedicated writer darted to make sure the contents stayed dry, sacrificing himself and his hair-style but bringing amusement to the masses that looked on without sympathy.
James McCarthy wasn't to be laughing for long when two local children turned up moments later having acquired themselves a vuvuzela each. It's fair to say James isn't the instrument's biggest fan…certainly not after ten minutes of listening!
The sight of a famous fast-food restaurant's golden arches on the way home illuminated the greying sky, but hopes were shattered as the driver zoomed past much to the disappointment of one goalkeeper whose name I won't mention. But it wasn't Ali Al Habsi or Polly!
And so as the week draws to an end, dinner-time karaoke and the thought of having to perform tomorrow for those who didn't tonight, makes home seem a place far far away right now!
Advertisement
