Rallying the Troops:
On good friday the legendary and oh so important face off match between the society and the Others took place.
Considering The Society has Won the past 4 years, last year 11-2, it was bound to be a good time. Although this year, we were quaking in our boots a bit. As Malkovich, an interloper between both societies, fond of the drink, and a massive football fan was now in charge of the Others side.
The society, had Letch. And this time we couldn't call upon any of the over 25 former members releaving their youth like previous matches. So instead The society had to field nothing but it's own people, including myself and a ringer from UCD.
I arrived early at the Gimby and was the only society member in sight for ages. The fear built as i saw the ARMY of other's arrive. A sea of red... Some 18 plus actual players and a team of supporters too.
Soon Nordie 2 and Letch showed up and soon followed by Apollo, this years Auditor. It quickly became apparent that we were short a few players, and even lacking people to cheer us on.
So everyone who was there went into overdrive phoning everyone we could think of to get them to play in the match. Unfortunately this only ended up amassing a team of 10 people, for certain for the match.
So we arrived at the pitch, red army in toe, with only 10 or so players. At the last second just at kick off, Sherminator and Egyptian Paul popped up racing in on Bikes, just in time!
I played for a few minutes but was flat footed and awful. So i ended up on the metaphorical bench and decided to take a few photo's and be a linesman for a while.
Slowly but surely the slaughter grew. Within the first half the score was around 7-0 with a few contested goals.
The society had gained a few more players by this time, With Capone apparently falling asleep on the bus so still missing in action, his arrival later, albeit hilarious didn't make any difference.
The 2nd half was a stronger performance for a few minutes, by some miracle. We didn't let anything in for at least 10 minutes or more, but most of our team were knackered.
Eventually they started to fly in, and despite switching goalies many time's we couldn't stop it.
I myself even let in at least one, maybe even two... It was just impossible in the mud, with no physical skill or co-ordination, or even proper gear.
The final score was 15+ - 0.
The Societies winning streak destroyed. It's pride and players battered emotionally, and in some case's physically.
So we huddled around, claimed a girl Fresher was the Man of the match for being our best Mid-fielder, and then decided to shake hands with the Opposition. But with a slight ploy.
Slaughter in the mud:
The Society did the honourable thing and shook hands with the opposition. But we had a target in our cross-hair's. Why i'm not sure, but we did. It was an american who we'd shouted to have as a sub since the very begining, just because of his nickname. And he probably seem'd like the best target.
We sought him out. The Others were already flinging each other around in the mud and delighted with themselves. The society wanted some kind of act of anything, whether fun, vengence, ignorance or plain stupidity, they were going to get their man.
We all weaved through the crowd shaking hands. Target spotted.
Within seconds of a reached out hand he was pounced upon.
As i flung myself into the breach i just thought of that colloquial adage, "PILE ON" that's usually screamed when people, ye know, Pile on.
In the ensuing mud soaked mass, huddle and seething of pushes, tustle's and groan's we all got very muddy.
And as i rose from the mass as it cleared the target caught me and slapped to large wad's of Mud into my head with both hands with an almighty smack.
Icky, sticky, uncomfertable and sort of sore, it was still worth it.
Although this was the extent of my tustling in the mud, several people continued to drag, push, throw and pin people all over the place.
I composed myself on the side lines, some people changed and we got an Other to help take a team photo, with some difficulty as some of our members were still knee and face deep in the mud. But we got a proud, mucky photo of the Losers in Blue.
Both side's then joined together in a mass huddle and an Overall photo was taken, something which didn't occur last year, mainly because of the 11-0 for the 4th year in a row.
This time i think the victory was far more obvious. The society knew it was beat, and despite cries of "It's a Pyrrhic victory, if we had 1 goal we would have won it on a emotional level", the hatchets were buried.
GET THE HOSE OUT!
So with it all said and done the 2 teams started to pack up.
I had brought a spare change of cloths so with my coat and some well placed shuffling i changed out of my mucky Tracksuit bottoms, and even changed top and t-shirt, as well as shoes. Despite little play i was well prepared to not sully Bus Eireann whenever i headed home.
As the crowd trickled away i asked where everyone was heading. Most of the Society were heading different ways, Home, buses, town etc The other's though had a house near by to go to and even clean up. That and promise of a place to drink and wind down etc, although it being good friday it was BYOB.
So i followed the crowd and joined in.
At the free gaff i queued with the rest of the others as they all waited to get clean. Out back some used a hose, while others waited for the bathroom.
I was relatively clean, with the exception of my face. So i was near the end of the queue.
After the passing underwear, wet cloths and freshly cleaned bodies of several people passing me over about 20 minutes i was informed the sink was actually free and separate in the Toilet so i popped in and washed my face.
As i washed someone else joined me at the sink and also started to clean while i was almost finished, so i had to hover my hands over the open toilet bowl while i ringed my hands to the full extent of my Nursing training.
TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM:
Letch and our man of the match had also joined the mass at the house, but after a while i was the last Society only representative left. But the "craic" was good, and i was having fun laughing at several random stories and with and at all the company so i stayed.
In fact i was there a good while. And i enjoyed it a lot. A fresh reprieve from the slightly more serious talk that you get several times when around Society people. The others were almost from another world, ye know, actually acting like young people and not overtly Intellectual or constantly arguing. Free spirits if you will.
For the most part i just sat and laughed along with all that was happening, rarely pipping up much. After all i knew all of 4 or 5 names of the people around me and couldn't think of much to say. But i was comfortable enough and having fun. Although my rash was visible and it bugged me a lot, so much so i took an emergency extra tablet just to make sure it went away, and didn't bother me to much.
By the evening we ended up playing I never, or in this strange Hiberno-English version, Never have i ever, ye know, for the unintentional grammar nazi's that the Irish language make's us.
This is of course, a drinking game. But i took a glass of water, wasn't unwinding that much, and there wasn't a communal supply going anyway.
A lot of hilarious stories came out, all private of course, so no scandal i'm afraid. But my answers are perflectly admissable.
Never have i ever been involved in sexual act on public transport. Drink.
Never Have i ever had a threesome. Drink.
Someone noticed this and jokingly called me a "Sexual Deviant" in a sort of surprised slagging i guess.
To which my instant response was, strangely and honestly, "Different Continents."
I enjoyed my time, but by 9 i had to leave to get a bus. I wasn't sure what schedual the buses were running on so i had to make my exit.
And by pure luck i got on the bus within a minute of it's departure.
ON THE BENCH:
On tuesday was the election for the society.
I ran last year, and that was chronicled in several posts (which i should link to at some stage).
I voted pretty early after a brief spell in an internet cafe.
I ate Mc D's for lunch, far more expensive than Burger King, bad choice. But i ate slowly, layer by layer of my Big Mac as i watched music video's on the plasma's upstairs.
I kept popping up to the pav to see the drinking voters, but no one was around. That is if i would even recognise my competition, mainly newbie's.
I popped into the national gallery for a while and then back to campus.
Finaly Lenn and Capone were there drinking away with cheap can's of Bevaria, oh memories.
The one armed man joined us. As he sat down i prepared my 750 mil bottle of Pepsi i had been drinking all morning and started to pour the Jameson Whisky i had swipped from the Cloak room's upper shelf. I'd say i added about 100ml to what was left of the pepsi.
Then Nordie 2 and some of the Freshed faced younglings.
Then the new Auditor elect, Joker.
Ming eventually joined us and the storries and laughter lasted a few hours before the count.
Before we all left the Whiskey started to hit me. My face had become pretty numb, it felt like it was drooping. I was a bit dizzy and sort of tingly. And everything was even easier to laugh at. Faster and stronger than any other drunk i had ever been. And even slightly more fun than the downer i get from beer or beer equivilant alco-pops.
The count was just as devastating as i remember. And Ming didn't get elected. I had a long wait for my result.
Several long counts later, i still had all of 3 votes.
And then that was it, i was "eliminated" for not having enough votes. I guess not being around all year, being in another continent etc kind of acted against me.
I shook hands, met the new committee. But it was just as devastating as before. But if i am returning to nursing, as i fully intend to unless some Monetary miracle allows me to do a film course, i will use the Society as a massive social safety net next year. For sanity's sake i'll have to. I'll also get more involved with The Others, as i think they're a bit more my kind of people than i ever realised.
As for the summer, working hopefully. And of course, my student/amateur film...
Until the next time i do something note worthy.. Ciao.
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