Tartan Army partying in Munich but the best pre-euros bash raised a cool £580k
Ferguson, Mccoist, Compston and Coulthard on the guest list as stars gather in Germany to raise money for charity
The picture on the front of the programme was evocative. Joe Jordan at the 1982 World Cup celebrating after scoring against USSR, face contorted in all its gap-toothed glory.
Fierce. But not as frightening-looking as the bouncers on the doors of the isarpost, a historic red brick building near the centre of Munich that was once a post office but is now HQ for what was trailed as a Buddha Bar 2 night.
nd That was when a host of Scottish celebrities, including Sean Connery, packed into a bar in Paris on the eve of France 98. Never mind the contention that it’s not a tournament unless Scotland are there – No Scotland, no party, and all that.
Nah, forget that. It’s not a tournament unless Scotland are opening it. And it’s not a tournament unless Scotland are opening it and there’s an exclusive bash on the eve of the opening match organised by businessman Ian Falconer and renowned Scottish photographer David Yarrow, along with a little help from Morgan Zuill, a Falkirk Bairn who now runs Fever Tree in Germany.
It was the inaugural event staged by the David Yarrow Family Foundation and was the hottest ticket in town behind last night’s opening match between Germany and Scotland.
And yes, dear reader, I managed to pocket one, which meant a mad dash from the Munich Arena to the venue followinganeveningoflistening to Steve Clarke and Julian Nagelsmann discussing the following day's skirmish at their respective pre-match press conference briefings.
That wasn’t as mad as the dash made by Travis, who were supporting The Killers in Dublin the night before and were supporting them the night after, in Dublin again, but were bringing the house down with Why Does it Always Rain On Me? shortly after midnight in Munich in between times. It’s a young person’s game this.
Falconer, from Troon, and Yarrow, who was born in Glasgow, are certainly older than they were 26 years ago. Sadly, the world has not grown any wiser. It’s not improved to the extent that no-no one needs some charity any longer.
Street Soccer Scotland, founded by the indefatigable David Duke, were the chief beneficiaries, with other charities, including My Name’5 Doddie and Social Bite, also enjoying a share.
And they all benefited from a pot totalling around £580,000, with businessman Tom Hunter promising to double whatever was raised on the night, which was more than £250,000. The great and the good were there at the £500 a head bash (it was £75 a head at the original one).
For Connery in 1998, read Sir Alex Ferguson. For Ewan Mcgregor, read Martin Compston. For Jackie Stewart, read David Coulthard. For Kenny Dalglish, read Alex Mcleish.
For Ally Mccoist, read, well, Ally Mccoist. He was back. He wasn’t exactly going to miss out, was he? The former Scotland striker did a sterling job alongside old TV pal Fred Macaulay as they wrung thousands of pounds from some high-profile members of the Scottish business community. Farmers were well represented too. One did wonder who was tending to the fields of Angus and Perthshire but then, with something like 3 per cent of the Scottish population said to be in Munich, many areas of life are being neglected.
Two limited edition prints of Yarrow’s own photograph of Diego Maradona clutching the World Cup on the pitch in Mexico in 1986 went for eyewatering amounts – £40,000 each. The story of how he got the picture is priceless. Just out of Edinburgh University, Yarrow managed to blag a press ticket and was in the right place at the right time to capture what’s become an iconic image. It’s also the third highest selling photograph of all-time, with the top two both being of Muhammad Ali.
The news that a second Maradona print had been sold almost lifted the roof off the impressive venue. All the while Pat Nevin was patiently waiting to perform a DJ set.
In the absence of rod stewart, the top draw was of course ferguson, who, after being handed a large glass of red wine, explained to Mccoist why he hadn’t signed him when he had the chance at St Mirren.
He used to give both Mccoist and Steve Cowan, who he signed twice, a lift to training every Tuesday and Thursday since they all lived in East Kilbride.
En route home after one session, Ferguson wondered if they were hungry. They were, so he stopped off at a chippy (they were different times). Ferguson waited … and waited. “Jesus Christ, what kind of fish are they getting!?” He went in and was met by the scene of Mccoist and Cowan fighting on the floor. “Sawdust all over the place,” he recalled. “That’s why I didn’t sign ye!”
Ferguson clearly loved his evening, posing for pictures with Skerryvore, the Celtic rock band formed in Tiree who helped whip up a storm after dinner. But the last word goes to Yarrow, who pointed out that Scotland have already won Euro 2024.
“No county in the world would come together before an opening game and raise £580,000 for charity," he said. “No country in the world does that. England aren't doing that. It shows what Scots can do when we come together.”
No other county would come together before thefirstgameand raise £580,000 for charity