On Tour

Toulon Tournament 2012

Trip to meet our friends and brothers IRD93

IRD invite ourselves, Tigris Mystic, Curva Nord Cosenza and Granata Nord Allesandria for a weekend of football, beer, friends and rampant sunburn.

One of the lads is already very drunk, so beer is the first idea and a good one at that.

THURSDAY

Picked up and taken to our weekend digs, we’re hosted for the duration of the trip with members of the IRD.

We then go the IRD HQ which if you haven’t been or don’t know is their local pub.

We go for kebabs and beers all paid for by the IRD lads and told we are going to the beach. This is around 10pm with we drive for a little until we reach what can only be described as a a clearing and make our way down to the beach, stumbling and nearly ending ourselves. The view is spectacular and the beer and smokeables are free flowing as is the pyro. Which when we are given one we oblige. A Tigris lad then sets off a flare the way they are normally used at fires it right into the air and into the water which attracts the attention of the lifeguards and we have a wee visit from them, we shoot after a few stern looks and tuts from them. It’s about 1/2am. We head home with our mates after which we decide to have a wrestling match in the middle of a car park.

FRIDAY

We head to the beach early doors and are greeted with a gorgeous view and a quiet spot to sleep off any hangovers/burn ourselves. After an hour our so our mate and co arrive and the beer and food (made by our hosts mum) are broken as is the weed. The beach is great but has some very weird rules, Football is not allowed but a soft-core porn shoot is fine and we get told off for sleeping in a kayak but the lifeguard says fuck all about the joint he’s smoking. After a little bit he starts to notice his feet are a bit warm and sticks his socks on, this lasts for about 10 seconds after we rip the piss and I suggest he may look a bit daft he takes them off to reveal two glowing hooves. One of our guys is burnt to fuck as am I so we head back to our hosts to get ready for the HQ party and meeting the other guests.

One of our guys heads home but we stop for a quiet cocktail at the beach, we are bought Mojitos which are in our words “merde”. We head back to our kip take a quick dip in our hosts pool where the sunburn hits home, strong sun and beer never ends well.

Arrive at the HQ to meet the some guys from Cosenza and IRD. Too many to mention all the names but the bevvy and bbq is flowing. Lots of photos and broken english/french/italian conversations about the current scenes across Europe, the group and the huns, everyone seems to know about them and laugh like fuck whenever we talk about them dying. The night goes well until half way through a conversation I go to swipe a mosquito off my leg to find a lump like a cricket ball on my shin were I hit it before, que a load of worried looks and people telling me to sit down and offering ice for the oeuf on my leg. We have to call it a night as the pain is too much and I follow after a few rums and beers.

SATURDAY

Rough isn’t the word, burnt to fuck and leg hanging but our hosts mum immediately cheers me up with a croissants and pan au chocolat which are too good to describe.

We head to the locale again for a mid afternoon beverage and to meet some of the guys from Paris. Ourselves, Tigris Mystic among a few others head to the beach again with us and the lads from cosenza.

It’s even hotter today and our feet are getting a pasting from the sun. After melting for a few hours we go and get ready for the big big party. We drink and eat and drink some more we see the yearly IRD video, a dance off and people are taped to seats and general madness ensues. Tigris present a banner celebrating the 10 years anniversary of friendship between the two groups

The night is mental and topped off with a moshpit inside the locale with myself on the drum and the rest going tonto to “we love you”.

We head home around 2/3 as the Tournament is tomorrow and starts at 9am

SUNDAY

We sit and try to come to while the teams get ready and the tournament is ready to go, Cosenza whose players include the players of Britium, the team they founded. Start it off with teams from the IRD. The beer/juice is heaven in the blistering heat and the shade is great.

The football is pretty good and the food provided by our hosts is great. I try to pay but get caught after and told not to try again

The final is between IRD New Generation – Tigris Mystic

Very apt considering the anniversary of the weekend. It goes to penalties and the tension is unreal. The winning penalty is scored by Tigris and is met with pyro and a pitch invasion. Everyone involved is chuffed that tigris have won it on their first attempt and on the anniversary.

The presentation is great and we give our gift, a framed picture of the IRD banner at CP.

We say goodbye to the cosenza/paris/allesandria lads who all have very long journeys.

We go back to the locale for a few comedown beers and pizza again all provided by the IRD. A great end to the day.

MONDAY

We head into town and meet our mate for wander around the town. If you haven’t been Toulon is a gorgeous city and the guys tell us all sorts of great stories about the place.

We go for some beers down at the beach and one of our lads manages to sneak away and buy a round, quite a feat anyone that been will agree as we are forbidden from spending a penny any time we are there. We have a few relaxing beers and an older IRD gets the cafe owner to put on JCGE for us.

Our lads have a sly joint on the beach where we actually see a young lass trying to make a rabbit swim (no we don’t understand why either).

We go back to our hosts for dinner which is prepared for us by his mum and dad, a fully home-made dinner.

We head to an Irish pub

A great place that is actually busy for a Monday. We manage to get another round up and get fired in to the beer. Some highlights include a local drunk being told to fuck off by the IRD who scared him that much he nearly rammed his moped into the wall as he scarpered.