ANNAN PRESIDENT IN SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL PLAYER ASSAULT SHOCK
1ST MARCH 1997
Annan President Alan Robertson let it be known that for the 2nd Scotland home international in a row, he met an International player in the urinals at the after match dinner. Last time it was Welsh player Scott Quinnell who was seen. This time it was Scotland Prop Tom Smith. It has been alleged that on his way back from the urinals the Annan President bumped (or ASSAULTED) the Scottish prop with his elbow thus causing the said international to slightly spray himself with something he was holding at the time. An apology was forthcoming from the Annan President, but by then the damage had been done. Luckily for the Annan President the News of the World Newspaper did not get hold of the Incident and it looks as if Tom Smith is not going to press charges. A sad day all round for the Annan President. He even had the audacity to call me a dirty stop-out on the phone when I didn't turn up to my flat until 13.15pm on Sunday. Hey but at least I don't "bump" into International players in the toilets!!!!!!
ANNAN ON COURSE FOR THE TITILE
1ST MARCH 1997
Annan 1sts are undefeated in the league and are now just 1 game away from clinching the 3rd Division Championship
After 3 more fine victories the Annan 1sts are err errr only one more game away from clinching the 3rd division championship. That game being against Howe of Fife (away) on Saturday 8th March. This would give Annan their 6th Championship in a row. Probably surpassing some record or another.
ANNAN FINALLY GET TO PLAY A GAME
24TH JANUARY 1997
Annan 1st XV have their first league match in about 6 weeks and overcome Leith Accies 24-12 (at Leith). Annan are now: Played 12 Won 12. I was at this game and once again Annan didn't seem to clicking. They played well in bits and pieces but at times the Leith Accies team (who look as if they could have a good season next year) looked as if they were the team who were at the top of this League. Annan never looked liked losing though but my heart can't take much more of these close ties!!..Come on Annan I want some 60-0 thumpings, so I can relax at half-time and not lose my voice by shouting at the referee. Anyway, we won. The only dampner on they day was that Queen of the South FC were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by those lucky bastards up at Dundee. You can't have everything I suspose.........
ANNAN LOSE TO HAWICK
17TH JANUARY 1997
Annan 1st XV lose to Hawick 1st XV in a Friday night Floodlight Spectacular!! *Sky Sports...you didn't turn up!!*. Hey it may have been a Friendly...but I hear through the Annan grapevine than Annan held their own against a side 6 leagues above them. It was 6-6 at half-time but Hawick eventually won 5 tries to 1. The Annan try being a 100 yard sprint and jinx by the Annan Captain Shaun MaGauchie..or was it a 5 yard interception type situation...I forget....anyway, this is the kind of opposition Annan will soon be playing....and we're looking no bad!!!!..
DUMFRIES PRAYER PAGE GETS NOTICED
DECEMBER 1996
Annan prayer page used to motivate Dumfries RFC players at training.....Yup, tis true!!!....At a recent Dumfries XV training session, the mighty Dumfries Prayer Page was taken to motivate the players!! Obviously the Dumfries Coaches were hoping that the lovely prayers that have been sent in so far, would give the players more inspiration if they saw them themselves. Lets hope its worked WHY?.....see below.....
RECENT ANNAN GAMES
NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER 1996
Recent Annan 1st games:
23.11.96 - Annan 60 Alloa 7 (League),
30.11.96 - Lismore not much, Annan more (League) I've lost the actual result...up here soon!!!..hey I've been busy!!!.
7th & 14th December - The ground was hard or something....when I was a Colt we used to play in a lot worse than what these pampered players do.....AYE and a pint was etc etc etc,
21.12.96 - Peebles 32 Annan 13 (Friendly)
28th, 4 Jan & 11th...AYE and you could go out on 5 shillings and still have enough for a Kebab on the way home...etc etc etc...
The Result of all this - Annan 1st XV still top National League Division 3 (Played 11 Won 11) - National 2 here we come!!! Hey I've just thought, if DUMFRIES RFC go down, Annan will miss them, SO COME ON!!! - Lets hear those prayers for Dumfries - sing - #Dumfries MUST stay up, its for the good of the game in SW Scotland#
ANNAN BEAT HOWE OF FIFE AND ARE VOTED CLUB OF THE MONTH
NOVEMBER 1996
Annan 1sts XV beat Howe of Fife 34-3. We're still top of the table!
Annan are voted Herald Newspaper "Club of the Month" for October. The worst kept secret (well I knew on the 7th...but I was bound by Officials Secrets Act) in Scottish Rugby was finally announced on Saturday, Annan superb start to the the season (if you forget about the Cup defeat...but that was in November anyway!!) was recognised as Annan were presented with a trophy and crates of beer. Well done lads. I'll expect a few cans in the post!!!
ANNAN DEFEAT PERTHSIRE - JUST!
NOVEMBER 10TH 1996
Annan 1st XV beat Perthshire 20-22 to remain top of National League Division 3. Annan had to come from behind (oooerr missus) to win this one, with a try in the last few minutes sealing the Annan win. Weird sight of the day was a small bizzare dwarf getting her £700 glasses broken.
ANNAN ARE KNOCKED OUT OF THE CUP
3RD NOVEMBER 1996
Annan 1st XV are beaten 13-17 in the 2nd Round of the SRU Tennents Cup. A sad day for Scottish rugby when the greatest rugby team ever to be called Annan RFC are knocked out in the 2nd round of the SRU Tennents Cup. A game I was not at, but I hear over 350 Annan supporters were. Gogs Carmichael scored the only Annan try after a 15 man, full length of the pitch. move resulting in one of the best tries ever seen in Scotland (hey I wasn't there...it may have happened like that). My rugby source at the game said afterwards "Annansh weresh beatensh bysh ash bettersh teamsh onsh thesh daysh butsh Ish wassh talkingash tosh somesh Aberdeenshiresh GSFP officialsh andsh theysh saidsh thatsh Annansh weresh onesh ofsh thesh bestsh teamsh theysh hadsh playedsh. *hic*..andsh yoush cansh quotesh mesh onsh thatsh!!". In the background I heard a voice saying "Annan woz robbed..they were playing against 16 men, they should have had a penalty try in the last 5 minutes. The referee was blind. He was taking bribes. He was a free-mason. The Aberdeenshire GSFP try had 4 forward passes, 6 knock-ons and was scored by a unregistred New Zealand International player flowen over on the day of the game" but then again my Bizzare Dwarf Mum has never been known to take an Annan defeat well.
So Annan are knocked out...and the Cup campaign of last year will have to wait another year. Hey at least now they can concentrate on the League!!!
Here we can see the Annan Captain, Shaun MacGauchie, not taking the defeat very well.
ANNAN GET TO WINNING WAYS
19TH OCTOBER 1996
Annan 1st XV beat Lintithgow 6-3 to remain undefeated in League division 3, played 6....won 6!!!
A game I was not at, although I was in the Annan area....I was watching Queen of the South FC slaughter Livingston FC 2-2 in the Scottish Football League. I was back in Annan by 6.30 pm with a few mates, in the Rugby club by 8.00pm and I've been told to mention:
Mark "Heimy" Hollis Saves the day with a last minute...superb.. ..life-defying.. ..breath-taking...awe-inspiring ....one-in-a-million...never to be seen again...the best that there has EVER been....Gods have been worshiped on less....tackle
