Following on from Fife Dark Blues, Glasgow Dees, Perth Dees 62 Club and E.P. Engineering, the Dundee Mad website were also invited to enjoy Boardroom Hospitality at the Hamilton game - and this one wins the prize for the most sneaky!
Dundee Mad were represented – as guests of Maurice Kidd, joined here by Dees legend Tosh McKinlay – by “Rio Dee” Eric Swinney, who had hopped over the pond from the USA to make his annual pilgrimage to Dens. The guys on Dundee Mad, led by Moderator Graeme Brymer, had nominated Eric to attend, but had neglected to tell the man himself, setting him up for a bit of a surprise.
Eric takes up the story… “I am a trusting chappie, and when my host told me to wear a tie and jacket to the Accies game as there was a family dinner immediately afterwards, I took it at face value. A bit odd, but folk from Monikie tend to be a bit odd. Never mind, thinks I. I'll wrap my scarf round my neck and no-one in the Derry will notice. So I roll up at the Penman around noon and meet up with a load of lads I only meet once a year but speak to daily via the Internet. Around 2pm I get told to go see the lad at the door of the Directors’ entrance and tell him who I am. WHUT?
“Anyway off I go and tell the lad who I am. "Oh yes" says the lad "I know who you are". "Oh jeez, I must be banned or something" I'm thinking. He hands me an envelope and guides me into the Boardroom. Now it becomes clear – I had been the given the Directors’ Hospitality invitation that had been given to Dundee-Mad.“
"I was treated like a prodigal son" continued Eric, "introduced to all and sundry. Only two downers though. I was speaking to Mark Gallacher about school days when our CEO passed and commented to Mark "Eh see ye let anybody in here these days", and the poor barman was baffled by my penchant for "soddie watter n lime". He was ready to send some lad to scour Dens for said beverage but I settled for a lemonade. Half time was spent talking to Pat Liney about shared Amazon experiences, and stuffing down those delicious wee pehs. Post game... Some old lad (yes older than me) from the Accies, he seemed to be a high heid yin, judging by the respect he was shown by other Accies, said to me "Well a win makes a long trip home bearable". I said "A loss makes a 5000 mile trip home utterly miserable." Look of shock on the Accies man's face and off he scuttled.
"A great day out spoiled only by getting diddled out of 3 points and not knowing about the Transplant half time effort. Being a liver recipient I would have loved to have become involved. To top it all off, later I received a call telling me I had won the Disabled Supporters’ Club sweepie. I’d like to say thanks to all involved.”