In the sunshine Feb. 25, 2007

Queens were playing Hibernian in the Cup. On Sunday Inverness would take on Celtic also in the Cup – taking heed from the witch that the game against Celtic is never won.

Queens Palmerston Park and all its surrounds that make up the town almost more like a city was a picture. And I can picture it now, again and again. The pubs along the alleyways where Burns suppered and where he left his Jean Armour to outlive him by more than 30 years (there is a statue of her and the bairn too) are athrong with people, many going to the match. Shoppers are a shopping and the River Nith a-rushing on busily neath pondering feet. The floodlights are on afore kick off as there is a looming looping sky. Lifting at the very moment of kick off. Sunshining right into the faces of the Kop end afull with Dumfrieshire’s finest and almost finest. Also in the sun a whole stand-full of Hi-bees, down from Edinburgh and the villages. Queens, bottom of the second division, are simply majestic in the tackle, even in just for a-keeping anywhere near Brown, Sproules and the mercurial Moroccan Benje. Tosh, injured, wishes his old side Gretna up at Clyde some harm and cant keep secret of the fact sat before the tv in the not playing players tunneled area. Chick looks for someone to interview for the raydeeoo. Dobbie and blonde young Willie Gibson with the white boots, not Tosh, are there to weave some magic on the pitch. Whilst again and again that defence is for the tackling. And the crowd they loved it. In the sunshine. I nipped out to get a quote on a conservatory for ma wee house.
Hibs struck on half time and Queens after it and Hibs again and Queens almost on the death. It was life; the crowd to the man, woman and child applauded and the fans of both team were as one when the referee waved “no more” and this was as good as it gets in life. I wandered home.