Falcons Away

             It may have been a deadly duel on the pitch, but it was played in front of the second biggest home crowd of the season and, in the bars and clubhouse of Kingston Park, the Warriors’ supporters could not have received a warmer welcome.

            After a week of record low temperatures and high-profile soccer cancellations, we watched the weather forecast anxiously to see if our New Year’s Day fixture in Newcastle would go ahead.  We need not have worried.  By the time that 10am on Saturday had arrived, temperatures across the land had risen dramatically.  It was all systems go.

            The tone of Entente Cordiale was set from the moment the two coaches arrived at Sixways: after all, they came from a company in Coleford!  Despite their Gloucestershire pedigree, our long-suffering drivers allowed us to deck their vehicles with “Warriors” stickers and gold’n’blue tinsel.  However, they got their own back later when they took us 4 times around the same roundabout!

            Arriving at Tynemouth, we were greeted warmly by the staff of the Park Hotel who had clearly recovered from our previous visit in the Spring.  New Year’s Eve saw everyone gathered in the ballroom for a buffet dinner followed by music and dancing or a drink and a chat in the bar.  Past memories were shared and many crystal balls received a vigorous polish.  Despite the evening’s late festivities, some of our doughty supporters were to be seen on the beach the following morning, practising for the Fat Boy Sevens.  The rest of us took gentle strolls along the promenade to blow away the cobwebs.

            We arrived at Kingston Park in good time to eat, drink and be merry and were struck, once again, with the huge efforts made by the club to market itself to supporters.  This is helped by the design of the West Stand which provides a spacious enclosed area for bars, food and merchandising outlets, and socialising.  We enjoyed a hot pork bap which was carved from a whole pig roast.  One Falcon supporter we spoke to here expressed the hope that our injury-weakened side would give them a chance to win: “We’re desperate,” he said.

            The technical details of the match are reported elsewhere, but the snapshot impressions that registered with me include the chanting of our supporters during the match; the aerial “takes” by Paris; the despair of Mike Maguire; the horribly greasy playing surface; the metronomic kicking of Matt Burke; the mole impersonations by Johnny T (he was covered in mud after about 15 minutes); the pale face of Jonny Wilkinson in the stand and the even more strained face of Graham Souness in the same stand; the vociferous enthusiasm of the Warriors’ supporters which greeted our players when they came out on the pitch at the end of the game; the pleasure felt by the supporters that our obviously exhausted team had made the effort to come across to salute us. Thank you, lads.

            The result of the match provided a clear test to distinguish between the “half-full” and “half-empty” brand of supporter, but even the most pessimistic must have enjoyed the craic which followed the game when we joined the Falcons’ supporters at their “Man of the Match” presentation behind the West Stand and then in the Clubhouse.  As usual, we were warmly welcomed with many a handshake and what came across time and again was the sense of a rugby family.  One supporter had brought a coachful of fans from Cumbria (including Phil Murphy’s girlfriend).  He was involved with Kendal RFC, followed the Falcons and sported a Tigers’ shirt. He bemoaned the injury problems at Kendal where, last week, one injured player had to be tipped off the only stretcher because it was needed to carry off another lad who had broken his leg. Don James was able to share his memories of a match at Mint Bridge when Worcester played Kendal in the cup. Minutes later, we were deep in conversation with a gentleman from Blythe RFC who had coached Steven Sparks as a youth player.  He told us what a modest lad he was and gave us an example: “After one youth match, he’d played so well that I told him he’d have to go. Steve’s reaction was to assume that he’d played badly, but I knew he was too good to stay and needed to move up. There were lots of clubs who wanted to take him.” (At this point, we were offered a swig of home-made sloe gin from someone’s hip flask!)

            Later, in the Clubhouse, we shared a “Meet and Greet” session – and a bowl of good soup – with members of the Falcons’ supporters club.  Here, after Min and Gary had been treated to a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday, we met a group who had come to our Spring dinner at Tynemouth and whom we had also encountered at Kingsholm when Gloucester played Newcastle in a Heineken wildcard semi-final.  They gave us an insight into the rivalry between Newcastle and Sunderland as well as that between Newcastle and the Border Reivers. It is ironic that such historic enemies should share a European Cup pool this season.  The “old days” were also recalled with stories of memorable visits to such clubs as Dunvant and Cross Keys when a waterlogged pitch at the latter meant the game was played on a local park.

            We finally left Kingston Park with many thanks, best wishes and promises to meet again at Sixways.  The evening had reminded us most pleasantly that genuine sporting camaraderie can still be found alive and well and living in the Guinness Premiership.

            Our happy band of supporters finally arrived home at tea-time on Monday after a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.  Many thanks must go to JP for his organisation, tolerance, good-humour and fiendish quizzes.  As a result of his efforts we have forged warm links with those other members of the rugby family whom we can now confidently refer to as:

Our Friends in the North