It was all white ... in the end
Even the perfect storm couldn’t halt this sports reporter
It feels like just yesterday I covered my first St Mirren fixture.
But one look at the team sheet reminds me it was a lot longer ago than that — more than ten years, in fact.
The season was 2008/ 09 and the opponents at a brand spanking new St Mirren Park, on a chillier than usual Tuesday night in March, were Jimmy Calderwood’s Aberdeen, complete with the likes of Sone Aluko, Chris Maguire and Charlie Mulgrew.
Only Stephen McGinn still turns out in black and white from the Buddies lineup that also contained Billy Mehmet, Andy Dorman and Garry Brady.
I’d been sent to cover the Scottish Premier League tie by Setanta Sports, but it didn’t all go to plan.
It was my first ever gig reporting on football and I was asked to file my copy on the final whistle. Standard practice and not a problem, or so I thought ...
Well, I can assure you that I was even more upset than the home support when defender Tommy Wright rose four minutes into injury time to loop a header beyond Chris Smith — cancelling out Craig Dargo’s 78th minute opener.
Such goals are rarely appreciated amongst the huddle of watching hacks — even less so total rewrites of their slick copy at 9.35pm.
As if that wasn’t bad enough for this rookie reporter, I’ve yet to point to the almost freezing temperature, snow in the exposed press box that had led to icicle fingers and a temperamental wireless dongle taking the huff that kept me in Paisley long into the night.
It all made for an entertaining evening that I’ve never forgotten and likely never will. Mind you, I’m sure most St Mirren fans have!
Standing at a deserted Paisley St James’ station an hour or so later, I was still buzzing.
The topsy-turvy experience certainly never kept me away from one of my favourite Scottish grounds.
Whether it’s been to watch the Buddies or Scotland’s women’s side, report on Queen of the South or Dumbarton, or even just to catch a glimpse of Eric Djemba Djemba, I’ve always l a s enjo enjoyed edm my visits. isits
Surprisingly, my very late copy was forgiven and my career writing about my favourite sport wasn’t over before it had begun.
Despite the disappointment of the faithful home support on the night, that point against the Dons proved to be vital for Gus MacPherson’s side when you consider the Saints stayed up on goal difference that season.
The unfortunate Inverness Caledonian Thistle went down to the then first division by the narrowest of two-goal margins.
I’m sure Jim Goodwin’s current Buddies will be aiming slightly higher than 11th this season after a well organised start to the 2019/ 20 campaign. They have impressed the neutrals t li in tough t h matches th against i tHib Hibs, Aberdeen and Rangers.
It doesn’t get much easier for them tomorrow as they head for Almondvale to take on the unbeaten Livingston.
Manager Gary Holt has the Lions flying and they shocked many, including myself, last weekend when they travelled north to Dingwall and stuck four goals past a strangely hapless Ross County.
Not an ideal match for St Mirren after three tough fixtures, but one in which they need to show they can be as good going forward as they’ve been in defence of late.
I’m sure on this one occasion, I could even forgive a 94th minute Buddies winner.