Singing in the rain.....

Here's a report on Barca from one of the YMs that was over in Spain:

Richard R and Rita arrive on Saturday.  Alan J and Lynne arrive on Sunday.  Gordon, Ken, Wheelie, Andria, Dennis and Arran on Monday.  Gary P due in on Tuesday.  Meet at Hard Rock Café at 5:00, plenty of Geordies in.  Follow Crossy and his mates to Black Horse for Mackems v Keegan.  Mackems so boring that Wheelie falls asleep.  Keegan wins 3-0, good start.

Tuesday :  Heavy rain all morning.  In afternoon bar and pavement beneath Yorkshire Mags hotel jam packed with Geordies.  Lots of good singing and banter with local eccentrics.  Andria compliments a tramp (non mackem) on his footwear (white trainer + brown brogue) and gets attacked with a stick for her trouble.  Beer 5.80Eu!  Gordon and Wheelie solve this with 18 cans of Grolsh for 3.80Euro, Lynne and Rita with Cava at 4.99Eu a bottle.  Richard, Rita, Alan and Lynne move to cheap bar 10 mins from ground where a round costs less than one drink on Las Ramblas.  Gordon, Wheelie and Andria enter taxi, open cans, exit taxi with near arrest.  Monsoon conditions now.  Game off!

Back to Las Ramblas.  Where/when? Stay/go?  Dilemma – Gordon : stay or 300eu designer coat? Ken : shed load of tabs to move?  Loads of pissed up Geordies in internet cafes trying to book flights.  By now, in Brussels, a certain “fair weather supporter” seizes his chance!

Wednesday :  Big Ish arrives 9 ish and is on beer 9:10 ish.  All day only moves for time it takes to buy the biggest sombrero in Barca.  Party is now Big Ish, Dennis, Andria, Rich, Rita, Alan & Lynne.  Move to cheap bar near ground.  Brim on Big Ish sombrero now doubles as tapas bar/rubbish bin.  To Nou Camp.  Loud singing at bottom of stairs diminishes to asthmatic wheezing and crawling at top.  Level 7?  More like level 42!  Good support circa 2000?

At end of game kept back until all Barca fans had left, gone home and were safely tucked up in bed.  Lots of humorous chanting to pass the time, including “we’re supposed to be at home”, to kids – “you’re supposed to be at school” and in scouse baiting style “sign on, sign on etc we’ll never get a job”.

Back to centre for a few more beers.  Catalans tell us that Geordies have had a good press and have been well received in Barca.

Thursday :  All prepare for home.  Big Ish reports from Brussels Airport that 12 Geordies have arrived on train overnight with 5 tickets between them.  Well done lads!

Canny trip, good city, wrong result.