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  • Scotty
    Scotty

    ICT Legend - Gringo Jnr. !!!

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    DCP00210.jpgArticle written by Dave Wilson (Gringo)

    Many stories have been written over the years about the exploits of the travelling Gringo’s and their quest to support their favourite team. The journeys to and from the Highlands have clocked up thousands of miles and I dread to think what the final total is likely to be. Maybe that’s a challenge for me for when I get bored after retirement! (editors note: and an opportunity for us to post some embarrassing photos !).

    Its probably well known how I became involved with my support of ICT (in all its guises) but maybe not as well known how Jnr became bitten by the bug. In fact Jnr wasn’t the first of the Gringo offspring to venture into the ranks of the Caley support, his elder brother, affectionately known in some quarters as Techno Gringo (because of his expertise at computers, taking things apart and putting them back together again whether they were broken or not!) was the first. Even though Techno still ‘follows’ ICT he didn’t become as heavily involved as Jnr.

    In his school days Jnr was a typical lad who liked to follow successful teams. In Scotland young lads followed the likes of the Old Firm but down here in England it was your Liverpool’s, Man U’s and Arsenal’s with the occasional Barcelona, Ajax (remember them when they were a force?) and Real Madrid thrown in for good measure. Jnr was, in fact, a Man Utd fan and was probably the only Man U ‘fan’ at his school that actually went to Old Trafford. Albeit in the ‘away’ end with his Uncle but at least he went. He also did the tour of the stadium when Mrs Gringo took him and his pal. He cost me a fortune in Man U shirts and, when the trend came of putting players names on the back, I was kind of hoping he’d choose a short name (I was skint at the time and the costs of having shirts done was a rip off (still is) ) but, oh no, no such luck for me as he plumed for a goalkeeper shirt and wanted Schmeichel on the back of it. Ruddy kids.

    So why turn down the glamour of a club like United and follow Caley? I can honestly say I have no real idea as to why he what did he did and can also honestly say that there was no peer pressure from me (or his mother) to join the ranks.

    [caption id="attachment_4631" align="alignright" width="90" caption="click to enlarge"]DCP00241-90x150.jpg[/caption]

    I think he was about 14 years old, probably younger, when the bombshell went off. My reaction to his choice was one of mixed emotions and I had to take a reality check to see if I wasn’t still pished from the night before. He’d been asked by his Uncle if he’d like to go and watch Man Utd play at Coventry (0). Coventry City (0) played at Highfield Road at the time which is about three miles away from where he lived. We were all sat at home when the question was asked and his response was “No thanks, I want to go to Alloa with my dad to watch Caley”. To this day I still can’t believe he did that and also remember he never paused before answering the question – he just came out with the answer. So why turn down the chance to see superstars? As I said, you’d best ask him because I certainly haven’t got a clue.

    So he’s hooked now isn’t he? The team won 4-1 and all he wanted now was a replica shirt…and a scarf….a hat…pencil case….shorts…socks…..in fact almost everything in the friggin shop and his bedroom started to become a kind of shrine to his hero’s. There was no going back now and my wallet became emptier every time we went to a match, especially the home games. In fact it might have been frigging cheaper to go to Old Trafford!

    [caption id="attachment_4632" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="click to enlarge"]celticmatch4-150x106.jpg[/caption]

    There have been many highlights supporting the team he loves and none more so than going to Parkhead to witness the infamous 3-1 game. That only came about after we managed to obtain permission off his headmaster at school to get the day off. His ‘forfeit’ for this was he had to write a report on the match for the class. I’d wager that the head’ was expecting Caley to get a right old stuffing and he wanted to see Jnr’s reaction to the disappointment by means of an essay. It took weeks for the grin to disappear from Jnr’s face and he took great pleasure in wearing his Caley shirt in the presence of the Celtic one’s…he still does.

    [caption id="attachment_4633" align="alignright" width="150" caption="click to enlarge"]gringo2_JPG-150x95.jpg[/caption]

    From the highs to the lows he’s stuck with the team. The SFL Championship decider at Livingston was another famous event. Going 4-0 down in about 20 minutes saw the pain etched of the faces of both him and me and many others that day. Little did we know at the time that our mug shot would be plastered all over the papers during the following days. The caption read “THIS CALEY BE HAPPENING…..sheer disbelief is written across the faces of the travelling fans”. It was then revealed to the press as to where these travelling fans actually came from….Coventry. And the story was told again…

    He was very keen to become further involved with the club and very much wanted to play for then. To this end, at an end of season party at the Muirtown, (remember that?) he was seen chatting to Pele, Charlie and Barry Wilson and, unbeknown to me, he’d blagged himself a trial.

    This took place quite a while later and it was perhaps unfortunate that Pele and Duncan Shearer were not present at the time. However, Charlie Christie was in charge of the training session that day and he worked him hard in that session. Disappointingly for Jnr he never set the pitch alight that day but he remembers that day very well which was highlighted by the fact he curled one in to the top corner of Les Fridges goal. The celebration of the goal had many of the players applauding and, in particular, had Davide Xausa in stitches. The goal was recorded by me on VHS Tape but I have, unfortunately, not been able to locate it in time for this article. I’ve not given up though.

    [caption id="attachment_4639" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="click to enlarge"]gringo+rob.jpg[/caption]

    And so, at the tender age of 27 it looks like he is going to fulfil a childhood dream and actually play on the same pitch as his hero’s of yesteryear. He will be turning out for the Caley Legends and will be in the same side as Charlie Christie, Barry Wilson, John Robertson, Jim Calder and Alan Hercher. It is very apt that he should be in the Legends side as he too is a Caley legend. Maybe this event will even surpass the highs of his Highland Marches which have become a phenomenon over the past few years and, perhaps, even his wedding at the stadium in September 2008.

    I’d have loved to have been there to witness his hat-trick and the goal celebrations that would inevitably follow, but, I will have to be content on knowing he will be enjoying the experience, even if he’s only on the pitch for five minutes, and the chances are he’ll be winding me for years to come with his jibes of “I’ve played for Caley…at Caley stadium” in much the same way as he wound me up when he moved to Inverness with his jibes of “Hi Dad….I’ve got a season ticket”.

    Enjoy the evening Jnr (you little git)




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