Source: FOOTYMAD
Day One Of The Drayton Arms Story
A sort of diary of events as I prepare the ground for the fun linked to the Scotland-Brazil game. Up for the 6:25 flight to Gatwick from Edinburgh ahead of the two day celebration of football at the Drayton Park. Not much evidence of the tartan army around the airport apart from a poor soul in a kilt and boots pursuing the magazines in WH Smith. A group of middle aged men who seemed to be in rather too good a mood for that time of morning were prime candidates for troops in mufti to blend in with the business travellers. The fact they were laughing and joking and not one had a tie on still made them stand out from the be-suited business men. Of course, all my arrangements were screwed as I kept on thinking that I had booked a flight to Stansted and was due to get the Stansted Express. I had arranged to meet my sister at Liverpool St Station where the Stansted Express ended it's journey. It was only when the kind guy at the check out pointed out that my boarding pass indicated I was heading to Gatwick that it all twigged. Thank goodness I never booked the Stansted Express on line. Managed to sort out a new meeting place and dropped the bags off before heading to the Drayton Park (AKA the Drayton Arms). I wanted to meet up with the landlord to prove I did exist and I was not a phantom e-mailer. The pub is directly over the road from the pedestrian bridge to the Emirates. You can leave the Drayton Arms at 13:45 and be in your seat by kick-off tie of 14:00. I had a wander around the outside of the stadium to get my bearings. Unfortunately, all the stadium tours available on Saturday 26 March had been fully booked. This could have been something for travelling fans to do before the game on 27 March. I then decided to head for a drink and catch up on site business. I though it best not to go back to the Drayton Arms but head off to spy on other pubs in the area. I must have been walking for around 40 minutes before I found a pub that was open. The pubs in the area were either closed or converted into office spaces. I eventually found one on the corner of Furlong Street and the Holloway Road, just two minutes from the Highbury and Islington tube station where I had met my sister that morning. London may be the capital of the country but they do not know how to serve the drinking man. At least the Drayton Arms was open as it will be at 12:00 on Saturday for 12 hours and at 10:00 on Sunday a full four hours ahead of kick-off. Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net) Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net) This is Scottish-Fitba Net
