The InnFORCEers Pre Season Tour 2008 - The Diary

[travelling_gerry]

just trying to find the time of the pre matchs 7's for you guys

[Jess]

I'm honoured to have sold Bert to Jedi.

He was all impressive, fully inflated and in a fancy box when he left the store. What did you lot do to him?

Bert the Barbarian.

Hope you guys had a ripper of a time last night. The crowd looked amazing at the 20/20! So jealous.

Cheer extra loud for all of us at the Force game!

[travelling_gerry]

7's kick off prematch at 6.20 guys

[GIGS20]

Thanks for your work Gerry, can't wait for the call!

[Happy]

20.21 WF 7 CRUS 0

[Thequeerone]

more info Happy - can U give the teamsheet pls

[no.8]

Bloody 'Saders...

[Darren]

News is that TIF and Jedi were still out watching Rugby at 4:30am whilst all other "InnForcers" had retired for the night. Hope you're dishing them up a big bowl of HTFU for breaky this morning, TIF...

[The InnFORCEr]

I finally make it to the city, the room meets all requirements, happy has done well. Finally the official InnFORCEers group is united at the Squires Brewhouse. Much drinking and laughter. ends at closing time.

I feel like the bottom of a budgies cage, and jedi looks worse, happy is still happy. Big breakfast and coffee with eley starts the day and we then headed for the irish pubs in town only to find most of them shut (I thought that only happened in wa), Irish Times shutm Turf club shut, The Mitre hidden in little alley was open, so Bulmers all round. Next stop Sherlock Holmes, shut, so I suggest we head to south melbourne. Hitched a ride from a dude at the lights who took us to The Maori Chief, shut, so we walked to the Southern Cross where a cascade pale ale went down sideways. Next stop George Hotel opposite South melbourne markets, flash joint, mercury cider (wtf). Finally Scotty and Nathan call and we head back to the hotel for couple in the room. Almost game time so its Young n Jacksons for a Naked Ale. Met a few crusaders, plenty of banter and they do love their sport over here burgs! A stroll along the Yarea brings us to olympic park, give my mates at the Lexus Centre then meet some knights without horses. A lone force jumper at the turns out to be Bam Bams dad, so he gets a twf card and we make our way in. Perfect timing (as usual) a the boys bus stops right in front of us so a big warm welcome certainly surprised a few of them.

[Happy]

jedi is feeling vSorry for himself and has been given plenty of HTFU through an intravenous drip.

He would, however, like to announce that he and Kurtly Beale are now an item!

[The InnFORCEr]

In the grandstand the sevens match is well under way, no sign of Nick yet!Not many in the crowd yet but there is a few force jumpers about, Mark "the bamps" Bampton being one who is born n breed vic who visited perth for an eagles match and was handed a force brochure at subi oval an joined up, hope to have him on TWF soon. Great seats right in front of Mitch n Mulvers in the box. The TWF card on robbies box has been removed, so is promptly replaced .. This is repeated a few times throughout the game. Chatting with another local we notice some cranes beyond the ground which he tells us is a new purpose built rectangular stadium that they were promised if they got the 4th team. Well bugger me, I thought we got the team.Crowd fills in, full grandstand now, heaps of kiwis and good craic to boot. A great start by our boys saw most of the half played down in the crusaders half. 7 nil at half time. A disapointing second, particularly the last ten where we handed them the match. End of game the score sucks but the job at hand now is to introduce bert and sharpies pen to certain important people. Well well well, john mitchell's coach box window is open, in goes bert, next window down the road is also open bert jumps in there as well and says `hello robbie, welcome to australia' next up are the players who are keen to sign him, bert now has been handled by more men than helen clarke and unlike the new zealand dollar, his value has gone up! A beer at young n Jacksons then we take some local advice and head to bridie o'Reillys, yep you guessed it, $5 Magners all round, $7 guinness was an option! We settle in around a barrel for the evening awaiting the end of the gayFL's even gayer cousin soccer for the clash between Ireland and Italy. Magners is flowing and Eley has a new line tried out on her, result nearly ends up with space cadet entering orbit via a right hook. TIF walks outside for a king eddie and tells a young smellie dressed as a school girl that it is past her bedtime, only to be told he should be at home looking after his kids. A dejected TIF walks back in and 30 minutes later thinks up a good come back. A photo for Burg's is taken, Daisy will again be upset, good thing you're away mate... Then there was 'this one time at bandcamp I had a jeagerbomb...' results in magners coming out TIF's nose. Just like evolution the weak ones head for bed, while TIF n Jedi stay with extacy intoxicated crowd for England n Wales, and what a match it was, only wish Luke The Pom with us! As daylight looms the strong finally head for home. Up at sparrows fart (10.30am) to check out and I feel worse than I did yesterday only without the voice. Eley is lost and can't remember where we are staying so like a good homing pigeon heads back to James Squires, TIF and Happy meet up for quick coffee then all depart for other pre-booked duties.. Jedi is singing 'sky rockets in flight', Happy meets contiki buddies, TIF heads 'an hour away' and Eley has her breakfast noodles interrupted by some sweaty sock with bagpipes, so heads off to a roof top perfume garden, just one ingredient missing...
We all meet up again at Chloe's and Jedi still isn't ready for a beer, while Eley, TIF and Happy head off to the Squires Brewhouse, Jedi is looking for a water tap .. HTFU indeed!!!

[The InnFORCEr]

Scott n Nathan join us for a final beer at squires and the twf cards are still on the wall from Friday! The time has come to bid farewell to Melbourne, weather has been surprisingly good all trip. So with bert feeling again deflated after being pumped up for the flight we hit check in and await the return flight. Next stop, Carbon Bar at Burswood for Scotland v France.

[The InnFORCEr]

A pretty rough landing in perth but good news, the game is midnight, not 11, bad news Carbon Bar does not have Setanta. Just shows you how much love their sport in melbourne! Stadiums, Sorts Bars when the hell will we get our act together over here in Dullsville?

Tour ended.

[travelling_gerry]

When we build a proper rectangular stadium...

Nice to see you all back home safe and sound TIF>.....I'll give you a call at 5am

[slomo]

when the hell will we get our act together over here in Dullsville?

possibly never.......