I always look forward to our games, especially so this year as we have a team well worth the watching and last night I was also looking forward to meeting up with John Croft, a BSSA founder member and over on holidays from Hong Kong.
It had been another humid Brisbane day with the threat of an evening storm. I guess we are all a bit cynical about the accuracy of official weather predictions, but this time they really got it right!
The Free Kicks went quite early and the programme vendor and I had been joined by two nubile young ladies in brief skirts handing out passes for free entry to a night club. All except folk in red and white chequered shirts took a Free Kick (they are always the surliest of away supporters in my experience and also refuse to buy programmes too), but only a selected target was offered the night club passes.
The BSSA stand was not erected and Amanda said it was because of the threatened rain which suggestion I must confess I dismissed somewhat perfunctorily and it was off to the Torcida Banana area to meet Crofty , his wife, son.and many of the usual inhabitants, though quite a few were away last night for various reasons.
Vitor had chosen this night to film part of the documentary that is being made of the club and the team and this coincided with he addition of no less than six new banana mates to join Cav's bunch.
The game kicked off the customary five minutes late - not, regrettably, to accommodate some TV director - under a fading cloudless sky with the temperature moderating. We stood for the National Anthem having heard the Sensitive New Age Cowboys' version previously in celebration of our national day, and the game was away with us attacking the "right" first half end. I thought we shaded Sydney United for most of the first half, but again, our secure ball possession and neat passing only want to emphasise the lack of a cutting edge up front. We really could do with a genuine out and out quality striker (but who couldn't?). We were a bit vulnerable down the left and a couple of times United threatened down that area, but Giggles did his job well.
In about the 43rd minute, after a sustained passage of STRIKERS' pressure Josh McCloughlan "rose like a salmon" to a corner to nod us into the lead. Before very long there was every chance that anyone with the right gear might have actually caught a salmon at the Southern end!
By half time the consensus was that we would be right, though there had been lightening all around the ground and thunder was becoming audible, The Up For STRIKERS Stand was quite full, with a contingent of Sydney United support opposite us, and soon after half time it started to rain and the exposed immediately divided into two groups, the larger migrated to cover at our side and the rest got wet, stayed wet and stayed put. United had been "vigorous" throughout the game and it was no surprise to see Huxley shown a Red which led to a tirade of abuse to the ref from someone up off the visitor's bench.
One nil up, playing ten men, attacking our scoring end and all was sweet. The United supporters were quite loud just along from us by then and it was nice to have a bit of rival singing for once, but they mainly gave it the old "Cro-ah-tsia" without much else.
I have lived in Brisbane since 1958 and I can only recall one occasion when I have seen rain fall as heavily as I saw it fall last night.
The ground withstood it very well for 15 or 20 minutes, then a few puddles appeared, then quite large areas made it impossible to dribble, pass or perform any of the usual skills to conduct a game of Association Football. We had a corner awarded diagonally across from our spot and it was not possible to see the ball or the player. At 68 minutes, the ref stopped the game for a mid field conference. I don't know what transpired exactly, but quite soon the Sydney players ran off - their keeper who had been farthest from the player's ramp was the first off. The STRIKERS players remained around the ref for about 5 minutes and the crowd booed and they gradually and reluctantly left too. The rain, to use the vernacular, continued to absolutely piss down, with occasional thunder claps as well. The field was eventually literally completely submerged, the gutters could not cope and a few little kids amused themselves launching plastic bottles onto Lake Perry. Another first for me was the ground announcer advising patrons parked under the grandstand to shift their cars as there was a flash flood. By now the rain was joined by wind which compressed the crowd to the back of the stand and into the club rooms as the seats were all being bathed as well.
Small children were crying and the patrons began to adopt that banding together in adversity attitude of folk in a disaster situation. Singing was difficult as the tin roof was roaring under the impact of the deluge, but we did manage to get out "We only sing when we're swimming", "Singing in the Rain" of course and " I do like to be Beside the Seaside" to which I could not resist adding the West Brom words.
I always (as part of my good luck rituals) carry a poncho in my bag, appropriately enough on this weekend it came from Dick Smith's Australian Geographic store and I think it was last used on that memorable walk from the Cricketers' Arms to the ground for the abandoned WC game versus New Zealand Let me tell any of you that thought that rain heavy, it was a drizzle compared with last night.
In the end confusion reigned - nobody had any idea what the outcome of the game was - the result, the validity of the cards, whether the game would count for suspended players or even whether United had walked off before the match was abandoned by the ref and might have to forfeit. When the ground lights were turned off there was the surrealistic sight of the car park lights reflected off the lake bobbing with plastic bottles floating into the goal mouth. Oh, and the secret of our southern end scoring success was revealed - it is down hill!! That end was still deeply underwater when the other goal was high and relatively dry as we were leaving.
The drive home was eventful too, running into a flooded Gympie Road through debris strewn seats to find my dear wife watching the beginning of Nero Wolf and stating "Yes. I think it might have rained"!
As I said a couple of times, if the game is to be replayed, I wish we had been losing!
It should be some documentary!!