Trips to away games always seem to have their own special memories. Watching Manchester City it's rarely the game that's special, so little events like these become the things you talk about later.
Some years ago my friend, Pete, and I travelled from Manchester to a match at Birmingham City’s ground, St. Andrews. Not being known for our navigational skills we got lost, as usual. The M6 wasn’t a problem, but after that it was guesswork.
I was driving and we followed the signs as far as we could, then spotted a car with a Birmingham scarf fluttering from the window so we abandoned the signs and followed it… all the way to a Tesco Supermarket.
So we turned round and tried again. Eventually, we admitted that we were lost and I pulled in at a bus stop and told Pete to ask someone the way. A young lad answered “I’m going to the match as well, I’m from Manchester and I’m at University here. Give us a lift and I’ll get you there.” This was our lucky day. Pete jumped out, which surprised me, and started to mess about with the front passenger seat. “What are you doing, mate?” I asked. Pete continued to struggle and swear and mutter under his breath and then said “Your seat’s broken, it won’t go forward.” It was a couple of seconds before I realised the problem. My car had four doors, Pete’s car had only two and he was confused. Before I could explain this to him, he grabbed our guide by the scruff of the neck and started to force him over the back. He landed in the gap between the front and rear seats with a bit of a thud and Pete climbed back in. I looked at him and said “What did you do that for?” He said “Your seat’s knackered, I had to get him over it.” I replied “You should have just opened the back door, mate.” Pete then remembered that we were in my car, not his and he got very embarrassed. I decided to drive away quickly before someone in the bus queue 'phoned the Police to report a kidnapping.
Further along the road, Pete took his shame out on the poor, trembling wreck in the back seat. This lad probably thought that he’d been picked up by two psychopaths and was wishing that he’d listened to his mum’s advice about taking lifts from strangers.
“It’s your fault”, shouted Pete. “If you’d just told us where the ground was instead of asking for a lift, this wouldn’t have happened, would it?”
I was by now struggling to drive as I was laughing so much, which didn’t do a lot to help Pete’s mood. We drove for about a mile, me laughing, Pete fuming, matey in the back seat praying and then we stopped in traffic at some lights. All of a sudden, the back door opened, the youngster jumped out, shouted “Go straight on at the lights, left at the roundabout and follow the road” and he ran away as fast as his legs would carry him.
Pete and I looked at each other and I said “Well, he managed to find the back door.”
|
Written by Clifftown (619 comments posted) 28th November 2006 |
You tell a great tale, this had me in hysterics! It was the ending that did it...at least the poor guy had the decency to shout the directions out before running off!
Hilarious...keep posting.  |
Written by Garrulous (108 comments posted) 28th November 2006 |
As if going to watch City wasn't bad enough you had to subject him to that?
Great story, well told and funny as ever.
Gar.  |
Written by Phil (6635 comments posted) 28th November 2006 |
As you say, watching City, you have to provide your own entertainment. Funny tale.
All the best,
Phil. |
Written by Witzl (1585 comments posted) 28th November 2006 |
Now I'm impressed: a guy admitting he got lost!
Very funny story! |
Written by BuffaloBill (25 comments posted) 1st December 2006 |
Thank you, each.
It was nice of the little fellow to make sure that we didn't get lost, wasn't it? Maybe he was just scared that we'd go looking for him! |
Only registered users can rate and write comments.
Please login or register.
Previous item
