Asasaid Posted March 22, 2018 Report Share Posted March 22, 2018 Here's a wee article passed onto me, a pretty good read and thought it would be worth sharing. https://www.themaneland.com/platform/amp/2018/3/18/17134822/an-orlando-city-fan-in-scotland?utm_campaign=themaneland&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&__twitter_impression=true 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boabkfc19 Posted March 24, 2018 Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 That is a good read.. Great to read him say our atmosphere is one of the best he's ever witnessed.. Ktid 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post skygod Posted October 3, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 3, 2018 (edited) Sometimes, life has funny way of lining things up in front of you. Work, once again, needed me to travel to Glasgow, Scotland. The work aspect of this trip will be considerably different this time, but one thing was going to be the same. Kilmarnock FC had a home match. This is where things get a bit “thank you universe,” as the Killie match was on a Saturday. Well, it just so happens that when I began looking into booking my travel, it just made sense to travel to Scotland a couple days early, not only from a five-hour time differential point of view, but also from a monetary point of view. It was looking considerably cheaper to fly up on a Friday evening to arrive Saturday morning prior to the week I was to be there than any of the other options. Thank you Universe. I flew into Glasgow, directly this time, on a Virgin Atlantic 747. Flying over to the UK this time of year is a bit easier than at the end of winter, like last time, due to it being the end of the window when most go on holiday. The flight was fairly full, but not packed, and I lucked out in getting a row all to myself. The food options were better this time as well — pulled pork with mashed potatoes and beans — and I was even able to sleep for a good four or five hours. That last bit was needed, and one of the most important aspects of preparation for day one in Glasgow. This was an overnight flight, arriving in Scotland at 9:30 a.m. Kickoff in Kilmarnock was scheduled for 3 p.m. My flight arrived a bit early, so once I was through customs, I decided to sit for a few moments with an Americano coffee and square away my cell phones. My work phone works very well over here, my personal one does not. Due to wanting to maintain a separation of personal and work information, I have to carry two phones, which can be a pain. It turns out to be a pretty helpful thing over here. I can stay connected with the world, when not on the wifi somewhere, by using my work phone as an internet hot spot for my personal phone. It, if nothing else, lets me stay attached to the personal social medias I have back home. I just needed to find the best way to get from the airport to the hotel, and check to see if they had a room available this early in the morning. Thankfully, public transport in Glasgow (trains, buses, and taxis) are plentiful and affordable. A train would have gotten me close to my hotel, but I chose to go the slightly simpler route and just get a taxi. I also need to remember to chose my words very carefully. Come to find out, my cab driver was also a football fan, and was going to the Celtic home match. He couldn’t understand why I wanted to go down to Kilmarnock for a “footy” match while Celtic were playing at home. Here comes my big mistake, as I reminded him that Kilmarnock beat Celtic last weekend. It was at this point that I wondered if I would make it all the way to the hotel or get dropped off on some random road in some random neighborhood, miles from where I needed to be. Thankfully, he was just kidding about kicking me out, but we didn’t talk much after that. My hotel is in City Centre this trip, not the West End, but I am much closer to Glasgow Central Station, the train station I need to get down to Killie. I had the perfect amount of time at the hotel, changed, relaxed for a few minutes, checked in with folks, got a bit of work done, and headed out. It is only about an eight-minute walk to the train station, and the sun was trying to shine. Folks along the street were certainly looking at me weird, and then I realized it was because I was walking through town with a big purple scarf on that read Orlando City. While waiting to cross the street, I even chatted with a few folks about Orlando City, football, America, politics (without question, everywhere I have been in town, this trip and last, people want to talk about Trump and American politics), and everyone wanted to know why I was going to Kilmarnock for football. The train station was just as busy as I remembered it. Tickets were secured, and I had timed my arrival pretty well as I only needed to wait about 10 minutes for the train to arrive. Once on board, there is certainly only one thing to do, wait for the snack cart to come buy and get yourself a Tennent’s Lager. The train ride takes about 30 minutes, and then it is another 15- to 20-minute walk through residential streets to Rugby Park. I have to say, it was just as amazing to round the corner and see the park this time as it was last time. A quick walk through the gates at the back of Rugby Park, and you quickly find yourself standing in the front lot between the grounds and the Park Hotel. If you remember my first trip to Kilmarnock, the Park Hotel was where so much happened pre-match. This time, the hotel bar provided everything pre- and post-match. I met my friend Dougie at the bar, and the kind gentleman had a pint waiting. Quick back story here: Dougie was the friend of the gentleman I met at the first Kilmarnock FC match, who took my information down to pass to his friend (Dougie) who was going to Orlando for holiday and was planning to go to an Orlando City match. I met up with them at the match, and did my best to help them experience an American soccer match. I don’t know how much better it gets than drinking cold Founders All Day IPAs out of the trunk of a car in a hot parking lot, getting to hang out in the Publix Fan Zone (with free food, water, and cookies), and end up on the Jumbotron (sarcasm, folks). But alas, I tried. The end result of all of this is that Dougie and I have stayed in contact throughout. Now back to our original story line. The Park Hotel is a complete oddity to me. It is basically on the grounds of Rugby Park, and the players and staff are easily found in the bar/common area prior to the match. What made today even more special was that the club was having its Ladies Day. There was an entire section of the Park Hotel — I am assuming it was the ballroom or something equivalent — that was reserved just for the ladies, and if you are not familiar with Ladies Days around Europe, it is an absolute spectacle. The women come dressed to the nines, some in fancy attire, some looking like they are going to go party at one of those super exclusive clubs with velvet rope dividers in the super fashionable part of town, but they all looked amazing. I have no earthly idea what was happening in the area reserved for them, but it certainly sounded like they were having a blast. Dougie’s wife and two daughters stepped out a few times to say hello, as did some of the other gents’ significant others. While the ladies were having their fun, the gents were at the bar doing exactly what they did in March, drinking pints, eating a pie, talking shop, throwing a few quid at the betting pool or raffle to help support the supporters’ club, and enjoying the afternoon. The Infamous Killie Pie, a pint, and a bag of homemade Scottish treats The match was held in sunlight. Can you believe that? This time it was to be Kilmarnock FC vs. Motherwell FC. This match — I will say primarily due to it being played in slightly warmer weather so I wasn’t focused on freezing, and also being played in the afternoon vs. an evening kickoff — gave me a slightly better look at Scottish football. It is much more physical than what I am used to watching in person, it is much more over the top, and it is a bit more chaotic. My seats were a little better as well. By the way, the ladies who were taking part in the Ladies Day festivities had an entire section reserved for them. Looking at the picture above, they are one section to the right of the section below my vantage point (i.e., they had nice seats). The ladies also appeared to be having a ton of fun, and this certainly seems like something that would be amazing to do at Orlando City. As you can see from the picture, it is an artificial surface, and you can also tell by the way the ball loves to skip and take odd bounces. As I mentioned before, this game was very much played over the top. Both teams played relatively quick balls over the top to streaking players, hoping to catch back lines off guard and get a breakaway, maintain possession for a few seconds and let the midfield catch up and get into scoring positions, win a free kick through a defensive foul, or win a corner. This tactic was the vast majority of play for both sides, and it worked well for Motherwell first as can be seen in the highlight reel below. Unfortunately for Motherwell, the game turned when Curtis Main, who scored the first goal, missed a penalty kick. Kilmarnock then rattled off two goals in four minutes before halftime, and sealed the win with a successful spot kick in the second half. Goals from Chris Burke, Greg Stewart, and the successful penalty conversion by Eamonn Brophy meant that the walk back to the Park Hotel after the match was a joyous one. I tried so hard to maintain once we got back to the Park, but to be honest, travel and pints and travel and more pints were starting to take a hold of me. In other words, I was getting really tired and needed to head back to the hotel. I finished my pint with Dougie, said goodnight to everyone drinking around us, and walked up to the desk at the hotel to kindly ask them to call me a cab. It was just cold and windy enough that I didn’t want to brave walking back to the train station. I waited for my cab up front, but wasn’t quick enough when it arrived, as a couple of folks just said they were me, and jumped right in. This was perfectly fine, because I had just spent enough time outside in the cold to wake up and catch a bit of a second wind. As I walked back in, thinking if I should go sit with Dougie and crew for one more pint, I heard a voice yelling. I looked around all over the lobby to see a man with a goatee pointing at me, yelling for me to come over and talk. As I approached, he introduced himself to me and said he had to take a picture with me, because we were bearded brothers. I gladly agreed, on the condition that he would take one with me. It was just then that he realized that I wasn’t from around those parts. He asked all the important questions about why I would come down to Killie for a football match. I explained the circumstances of the last trip, and how I now have a big soft spot for the whole Kilmarnock FC experience, and as much as catching a match at Celtic Park or Ibrox would be amazing, if Killie is at home, I will gladly reach out to my friends and take the train down. This man is rock and roll, has two Harleys and two Triumphs, and is Lord Provost of East Ayrshire. We took four pictures together, all the while chatting about Kilmarnock, the match, metal music, and how I need to reach out to him the next time I am in town. Provost Jim Todd I can assure you, before I leave Scotland I will connect with this fine gentleman and see what happens from there. I only wish I had accepted his offer for a pint. I think I was on the edge of delirious, which you can see in my facial expression above, that I didn’t even realize what I was politely declining until it was to late. I also completely forgot to get a Kilmarnock jersey, or scarf, or anything. I even forgot to get my picture in front of Rugby Park with my Orlando City scarf to post up. The fact of the matter is, once again, Killie took me on a whirlwind ride. I even got an escort back to Glasgow Central Station. There are other clubs in Sottish Premier League Football, including clubs that see Champions League play almost every season. There are sights to see all around Glasgow. I have missed them all, and gladly so. The town of Kilmarnock and Kilmarnock FC have a new fan. I will be watching from afar. I will cheer with you, I will cry with you, and I hope nothing but success for this club. I have much to learn, and I will certainly get there. Orlando City is my first true love, it is my home club, and I will bleed purple forever. However, as pretty much everyone I know have a love overseas, I think I have found mine. And you Celtic friends, sorry, not sorry. Edited October 3, 2018 by skygod 53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estragon Posted October 3, 2018 Report Share Posted October 3, 2018 Boys, what on earth is this reality we've found ourselves in? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhumper Posted October 3, 2018 Report Share Posted October 3, 2018 22 minutes ago, Estragon said: Boys, what on earth is this reality we've found ourselves in? f**k knows but it's a hell of a lot more enjoyable than the MJ era! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkG Posted October 3, 2018 Report Share Posted October 3, 2018 Interesting read. No way was it an ‘over the top’ game though! Well, not both teams... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOT KFC Posted October 4, 2018 Report Share Posted October 4, 2018 (edited) Feel like we need to send him a scarf and a strip somehow and get him over for a super Killie away day! Edited October 4, 2018 by SCOOT KFC 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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