Westa's history

[youngman]

Isn't it about time that the definitive history of Westa was written?

[wiseoldman]

There are quite a few Westa members that are still around from the rebirth of Westa in 1998 prior to the france World Cup. Janice , Tommy , Janet and Hamish. There is of course The Bankie crew who teamed up with the Partick Thistle International. Tam Coyle, Graham & Stuartie. Jim Brown was the International ambassador and was signed on a Bosman a few years ago returning to his roots. Ever willing to keep up with modern fashions a casual influence was insisted upon and Neil harper was born.
The original Westa harks back to the first International in 1872. this of course was the first World Cup Final and Westa ran an omnibus from The Iron Horse. Despite the drinks ban it was reported in the minutes of the first committee meeting that members were ' encouraged to desist from the carrying of alcoholic beverages to ra gemme'. This instruction was slightly superflous as Westa launched their first merchandise stall with a Westa Hip Flask, the committee supplying a wee bottle of Whyte & Mackay to keep the spirits up. The game finished 0 - 0. The after match party ended in a shambles when the ceiliegh band insisted on playing 500 miles as a waltz!
The following year said omnibus set off for the return game played at the Oval cricket ground, London, and a 4 - 2 defeat. The committee was heavily criticised on the return as the overnight stay after the game was booked for Gretna. The omnibus finally arrived back in Glasgow on the Thursday. It was deemed a great success as only 4 members failed to return home. The Westa trip was born.

[wiseoldman]

London had become a fixture for Scotland fans and Westa continued to follow the team with a trip to Wrexham in 1877 with a 2 - 0 victory in 1877. The goalie for that game played for Dumbreck and a number played for Vale of Leven. the first ever international had seen Scotland's entire team being supplied by Queens Park.
Westa started the traditions of keeping club fitba out of the equation and also the sworn promise that what ' goes on tour, stays on tour' was started on the now infamous 1881 game in London. Westa sent a battalion of 31 members to the legendary 6 -1 victory where only one member returned to Glasgow and the other 30 including the bus emerged in Munich 2 weeks after the game.
Members returned in dribs and drabs and no mention was made of events of that trip, however the Westa visit did coincide with the formation of the Bayern Munich and it is said that the tactic of the 'libero' - sweeper was first used. Delving into the local press indicates that Der Bayern's first defence was made up entirely of Westa members, they had taken fitba boots with them just in case. Their second game was a local derby against Munchen 1860 and said defence was said to be so intoxicated that a sober German stood just in front of the goalie just to make sure, and he also swept up the sick left by the drunk Scots players.

[wiseoldman]

Does the question of whether ' is the support worth an extra player, or better a goal of a start? ' stand up to scrutiny. Well as ever Westa does prove the point.
The 1911 trip to Goodison Park, Liverpool for the England game was shaping up to be the usual mixture of high jinks and the odd dram. The Westa Yearbook records the player of the year as Alexander Higgins of Newcastle Utd in gratitude of his last minute equalising goal.
It is more illuminating to note that the Westa fan of the Year was one John Mcbride of Scotstoun.
His citation reads ' The game was reaching its climax and with the brave lads of Scotland losing a goal in the 20th minute and surviving a barrage of non stop England attacks, John slightly worse for wear wandered onto the pitch and offered the England goalie Reginald Williamson a pie, a cold pie'.
Reg had not touched the ball the entire half and accepted the gift with gratitude. Totally against the run of play Scotland forced a corner in the 89th minute. Celtic's James Mcnenemy swung the ball over, and the England goalie went out to catch a poor cross.
The yearbook continues ' the England goalie's hands were still greasy from the cold pie and he dropped the ball at Higgins feet and he calmly stroked the ball into the net'.
'The Scotland players celebrated Higgins goal by shaking hands and the team left the field satisfied with a good days work'. The Scotland fans went crazy and threw their bunnets in the air in celebration.
'Westa members carried young Mcbride shoulder high around the pubs of Liverpool that night, his hand was never in his pocket to buy a drink, his hand however was still greasy with the pie that he himself dropped 4 pints and how we cheered!'.
The SfA as ever slightly misunderstanding the moral of the story issued instructions to the pie stalls at Hampden that ' In future only cold pies be sold to the fans'. This guideline was only rescinded following the 2002 Champions League Final when King Juan Carlos returned his Honarary Queens Park season ticket in disgust at piping hot bovril and a lukewarm pie.
Latest reports from Real Madrid suggest that Beckham was for digging his heels in and staying at Real until Posh Bird found a hot bovril and cold pie under the sheets at Chateau Becks. The King had spoken!
Another victory for Westa.

[youngman]

Jings. Westa sure has a history!

[Broon]

WESTA has a colourful history - more colourful than a public message board will ever be able to read...............

From the humble beginnings of the Partick Thistle International Supporters Club with it's first "away" travel in1986 to a 1-0 defeat in Seville, Spain by coach - we don't count England, Wales or N.Ireland as they were regular occurances through the home internationals, that first trip was one full of adventure, piped away from The Rams Head in Maryhill with Marjory Nimmo there to wave us off, the "kerry oot" lasted as far as Hamilton and we had to stock up a bit further South - although the game was in Seville we stayed in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol, now that is one long coach journey.........On the way back just North of Madrid in the early hours of the morning we came across "Auld Reekie" a converted double deck Edinburgh bus with a squad of TA on board, they had a set of bunk beds, cooker and the best bit was a sink - the cold tap went into a keg of lager and the hot tap was heavy, absolute class !

In Seville, which of course is famous for it's Oranges, we had a great time and the locals thought it was amazing how all of these Scots had turned up (not quite the 2,989,456 that Celtic took there) we had approx 4,000 supporters, most of whom like us, were staying on the coast. Talking of oranges, a Spaniard was taking crates from his truck into a store, he had about ten stacked up as he walked the short distance - a TA footsoldier stopped him, smiled at him then proceeded to take down the Spaniards trousers leaving them at his ankles and walking away - with The spaniards hands full holding the crates or oranges he could do nothing - everyone including the police who had stood and watched this, went into fits of laughter.........after about ten minutes another footsoldier went over and took the crates from him allowing him to pull up his trousers - it was a classic moment

more from the WESTA history later................