Where It Began

Fraser MacLean

Queens vs. Peterhead away. Magic. Just the draw we wanted. We are struggling in the league and out of both the other cups. Not playing as well as I know we can and now we get Peterhead. Away. Magic.

The years of watching Queens have already prepared me for the potential disaster. I need to think about what excuses I will make at work if we go out. It's never easy up there. The ref was a homer. We just couldn't put the ball in the net. Years of practice. Easy.

I speak to a few of my mates. They feel the same. Couldn't have been worse. We will probably go out and not make any money from a cup run. Again. The rest of the season will be a relegation dog fight. Again. Football would bring nothing but disappointment. Again.

Then there is the realisation that none of us had seen Queens at Peterhead before. Let's go. Let's make a weekend of it. We'll stay in Aberdeen. A proper night out. Hotel's, drink and discos. Magic.

Trains booked, bus links checked and the boys are going to Peterhead. The Big Man, Tin Man, Mucky, The Sieve, Walt and me. Six of us, three double rooms booked.

We arrive at Queen Street at 7am. This is like a day at work not the weekend. Walt and The Sieve are getting a later train. The Big Man got us a deal on this so it's a tenner each. Magic.

Glasgow at that time on a Saturday morning is an odd place. It's like the city has a hangover. You can almost feel it. There are some odd people at the station. None odder than us I guess. One guy looks a right nutter, coked up to his eyeballs, hope he doesn't sit with us.

We get on the train, The Big Man sits down, Mucky sits down, I sit down. The nutter is getting on our carriage. Quick Tin Man, sit down, don't give him the opportunity. Tin Man sits on his own, leaving the seat free. The nutter has sat down with us. I knew it. Magic.

The three of us look at Tin Man. He looks back as if to say it's all right. We all look at him to tell him it isn't. The nutter opens a can of lager. Its 730 am. Magic.

The nutter asks where we are off to. The nutter looks like if he doesn't get a reply he will smash our faces in. We tell him that we are off to see Queens play Peterhead and that we are worried that Queens will get beat. The nutter then asks Tin Man to buy him more lager as the guard has told him that he won't serve him any more. Tin Man agrees. Good call.

The nutter tells us that he is a Rangers fan and hates Aberdeen. He is only travelling up there to bring his brother back to Glasgow as his mad wife is ruining his brother's life. We nod in agreement. Good call boys.

The nutter tells us that Peterhead are absolute garbage. He tells us that we need to be more positive. He tells us that Queens will beat Peterhead 5-0 and that there is nothing to worry about. He speaks with a conviction that is not to be disagreed with. Unless you want a fight with the nutter.

We tell him that Queens are not playing well. We tell him that we are out of both cups. We tell him that Queens have let us down over the years of going. We tell him that we would be happy just to go through.. We tell him that we cannot see us winning 5-0.

He then asks us if we want a fight when we get off the train in Aberdeen. We decline. The nutter laughs and says, 5-0, easy.

We get off the train and check into the hotel. The nutter is stopped by the guards at the station. We don't wait for him. By the time all this is done The Sieve and Walt have arrived, so we get on a bus to Peterhead.

Bobby Mann. There he is. I can't stand him. I remember when he was at Forfar, and then at Inverness, I forgot he now played for Peterhead. He always plays well against Queens. Wish he wasn't playing. The nutter didn't know that, did he? 5-0 my arse, not with Mann playing.

It's a nice day. The game kicks off. Queens start quite well, looking confident. Peterhead look nervous. We need to score first, put them to the sword. That's what we need.

Mistake by Mann! It's as if the nutter has got into his head, Mann has been put off by something and made an awful error. Dobbs is in. Takes aim. Places it. Goal!!!! Queens are one up. Mann has his head in his hands due to that howler. Get it right up you Mann!

Two nil - O'Connor. Three nil - O'Connor. Four Nil - Dobbie. Five Nil - Burns. They even miss a penalty. No-one misses a penalty against Queens. The nutter is right. Queens have won five nil. We look at each other in amazement. Five nil. Maybe we have it all wrong and the nutter has it all right?

We get to the hotel and get ready for a night out. Queens have won five nil. We were all wrong and a nutter on the train drinking lager at 730 in the morning got the result and the score right. No wonder the bookies make money on football coupons.

We go to the boozer and wonder who we will get in the next round. We argue about getting one of the old firm away for money reasons or a home tie against non league opposition. We have a night out and think that you need to enjoy days like this.

We don't know that it will be the start of an incredible journey... ... ... ... ...