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Why do you support Sale?


By Tigger Shark
May 22 2016

This is the first in a series of articles to tide us over the summer months while we wait for the new season to start. I'll let Tigger explain the idea:

Why do you support Sale?

Simple question. Not how long or how many games you get to home and away. For me it is not just about the 80 minutes of rugby….it is so much more. I have realised over this season that I have made so many friends in the past 14 years. Friends that I don’t just see at the games but meet up with for weddings, parties, meals and BBQs. So as it is the off season I would like to look at your favourite game day experiences BUT NOT the 80 minutes of rugby. The experiences of the match day, the journey, the people you have met, the drinks and meals, the whole experience. I am sure we all have many stories, even some we can print.

Now I am happy to bore you to death with some of the fantastic trips I have been on. Numerous trips to Gloucester and Worcester. Exeter, Harlequins, Leicester, Irish, Newcastle and Leeds (is it possible to get drunk between Bury and Leeds?) all feature. Then there are some memorable European trips I could write about, Agen (The Prune Army), Brive parts one (she does know it’s not a pet shop?) and two (sharing an intimate experience with some Sale players), Bayonne (how did I get so wet?), Biarritz (how we made the front of the local paper), Toulouse (the one with the stag and a hen), Limerick (its only 10 minutes…to everywhere), Oyonnax (are you chatting up my wife!). Then there is the Cardiff EDP semi-final, one of the best trips that I have been on for many reasons (Taffy singing and dancing round a handbag to Delilah). And of course the Premiership final.


So, to start off, Newcastle Falcons; a typical away trip.

We are up and off at 9.15am Friday morning. We have decided to make this a two night trip to celebrate (hopefully) a top 6 finish. Bacon butties made and a pleasant 2 hour 45 minute journey to the hotel. We have decided to stay near to the airport just a couple of miles from the ground as the metro runs right past it and its only 15 minutes or so into the centre. On arrival after checking in it’s straight to the bar for some liquid refreshment whilst waiting for the last of the party to arrive who should be here by now. But they have stopped for a salad and coffee and Scotch Corner and are a bit behind. Mind you the salad was from M&S and was exquisite (he is a bit strange). Drink in hand one of the party was telling everyone how the robins nest was coming along (they are nesting in our BBQ) and then goes on to tell all how the eggs have grown. Everyone pauses. Grown? How have they grown? They cannot grow. But she was adamant that they had because how could such a small body hold six eggs. I thought we would have to get medical assistance for one of our party and a biology lesson was given. This has become known as a Dawnism over the past few years and they have been plenty (she puts it down to the drugs).

So the salad expert and party finally arrive and after a brief fight with the ticket machine for the metro we are off into the centre. The tram ride was exciting mainly due to the fact it spent the whole journey trying to jump off the tracks…or so it seemed. But we arrived safe and sound at pub number 1 The Centurion. This pub is actually inside the station itself. Well worth a look at the website as it is amazing. It was built in 1893 as a waiting lounge for first class passengers and the tiles have now been valued at 3.8 million pounds. It was then used as cells for the transport police and basically left to fall apart. It was acquired in 2000 and lovingly restored. Enough history the beer was great…well mine was. One pint of Kaffir Lime Leaf ale (like drinking a curry) and a pint of Blonde (the nice one). A very nice place to sit and drink.

100 meter stumble and we are at pub number 2. The Town Wall. Have a look at the website for the history lesson but again it had a fantastic choice of real ale and a selection of bottled beers. So a pint of Porter to start and decide what to eat…they have sharing planks (Nest of Eggs, Trawled & Hauled, Platter of Pig, From the Coop) and I can recommend the food, it was plentiful, delicious and very good value for money. Another pint (it would be rude not to…another Blonde please). Whilst waiting for our food we noticed some gentlemen dressed in Bavarian costume waiting for a bus…there was much speculation as to whether it was a stag do or just some men on a themed pub crawl because they couldn’t be from Bavaria! Ha! What would they be doing in Newcastle??!! Well there was one way to find out…I will go and ask them. And yes my idea that they could actually be from Bavaria was right. They were an Oompah band and over here on a tour. So it was then off to the next pub, via a statue of a horse wearing pink leggings on roller-skates (I have photographic evidence!) Number 3. The Crown Posada. This was my favourite of the day and we stayed for a few here as the landlord was welcoming and the ale was great….hopefully someone would care to remind me but the site of a roller-skating horse must have affected my memory. But again it was a great place to sit, drink and chat. This pub belongs to the Sir John Fitzgerald group and they also own the Twin Farms (more later). So one more pub before its time to eat again. Pub number 4. The Bridge Tavern. They have an interesting beer terrace upstirs which is right underneath the stanchions of the Tyne Bridge. One of our party (the salad expert) managed to make friends with a local couple, on their way to a wedding, by throwing his pint all over the lady. Well after wiping her down and emptying the beer from the wedding present we had a nice chat about why we were here (something that happened everywhere as the magic weekend is coming soon and is being played in Newcastle….they must have thought we had the wrong weekend). We made the salad expert keep his hands in his pockets until they had gone. Then it was 7pm and time for the evening meal. Thai. Not going to tell you were as we want to keep it a secret (and if we can’t get in there next time because it is full of Sale supporters I will be lynched). All I can say is that it was the best Thai I have ever had…including the one we had on our honeymoon cooked by a Thai chef. Prawn Tum Yum soup to start followed by Gaeng Keowan chicken green curry with coconut rice. My mouth is watering sitting here describing it. Oh and some wine…After the meal I had to take my wife back to the hotel as she is a light weight (she doesn’t read the board) along with the salad expert (he may have been sulking as they didn’t have salad) via the kitchen to say thank you to the chef…well there were about 12 of them in a very small kitchen and much bowing ensued as there English was non-existent (although I am pretty sure my Thai, at this point, was very good). So one more pint back at the hotel and then time for bed…..wondering if the rest of the party are going to make it back OK.

Match day…There is always something nicer about waking up on match day knowing that you are already there. So a nice leisurely breakfast (I have 2 of everything please…except for the vegetarian sausage) and then an hour or so it laze about before heading to the Twin Farms (the salad expert had gone on a drive to Whitley bay…must have some sort of exotic salads there I suppose).

So we arrive at the Twin Farms in quite mild weather for the time of year (any time between January and December at Kingston Park!). So a slow start as more and more Sale supporters arrive until we reached critical mass in our yellow away shirts. We had Newcastle supporters trying to sunbathe in front of us….it was very confusing for them seeing what they thought of as the sun…inside. Now this is a family board and I don’t want to get anyone into to trouble but this is where the subject of back to back sex came up…and I am saying no more (except for the very nice Sarries supporter…must have taken a wrong turn…who came up with some interesting theories…must get bored down south).

Then my moment of Dawnism…as we waved off some Sale supporters (one wearing a very fetching Sale hat with a yellow bobble which immediately became a game of where’s Wally…or Rick in this case) I turned round to find my pint gone! OK…very funny where is it? Some suggestions along the lines of has the pot collector taken it…yeah right…did you bring it out with you…really! After a few minutes of looking and getting a little annoyed one of the party asked was that my pint on the table inside next to my wife? Opps yes…much merriment ensued and I suspect I won’t be allowed to forget it anytime soon. Well if you can’t take it don’t give it out…

So then off down the hill towards the ground…and I swear this is true…it got colder the closer we got to the ground. By the time we were sat in our seats it was freezing. Strange place for weather Kingston Park.

So the game is over. We won and we managed to secure 6th place (never in doubt…honestly!). And we were stood there applauding the team and the came over too us…all of them for pictures, autographs and handshakes. There were tearful goodbyes to our departing players, Vadim had a tear in his eye and eventually they left the field leaving us there thinking…that is it. Season over. We have months to wait for the next competitive match. Back to the twin Farms to warm up…yes it got warmer as we went back up the hill…and a couple more pints and some food. The Twin Farms does excellent food (mind you the starters were a little on the small side) and the service is good and the prices reasonable. Then it was time for good byes as the Sale travelling support went their separate ways (The Sarries supporter had managed to snag a Sale supporter and was dragging him back to the hotel for Bed Cake…no idea must be a southern thing…and she sent us pictures!).

So just another normal away trip. Great friends, great food and great beer. Now we start the cycle all over again…waiting for the fixtures to be announced and checking for your favourites (Worcester, Newcastle, Exeter, Quins and Gloucester in my case) then the euro draw…who are we going to get (and have they got any great bars and restaurants). I recommend going on an away trip…whether it be by Funbus or independently (I can recommend Away with the Team on Facebook if you do travel independently)


See you next season!

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