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Well it is that time of year again when bad taste jumper are the best thing in fashion and socks are your number 1 gift, yes guys it is Christmas. I am finding it a bit hard to get in the festive spirit but I am sure that will change.
Anyhooo we are here to read the latest "Paella and Bovril" so enjoy.
This was first seen in the Rovers match day programme of the 8th December 2012 when Raith had a 6 goal thriller against Morton ending in a point each.
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Paella and Bovril
When you are away from you homeland you do
try sometimes to recreate a wee bit of home. I have been known to smuggle a haggis thru customs for a
Burns Night supper and will spend a month trying to feed a whole bottle of
brandy to a traditional Christmas cake. Of course I do not keep these delights
for myself I share them with my multi-national friends. Within our group we have a few
Americans and they decided to introduce us to Thanksgiving. So on the fourth Thursday
in November we make a turkey with trimmings of mashed potato, macaroni cheese,
pumpkin pies and gravy. After we have tucked into the food and tested the wine was
ok it is time to say goodbye and toddle home, the Thanksgiving football games
are on.
I have in the past few years watched some
American football but never live on TV and very rarely see the build up. Now I was aware that the states did
things BIG and that they loved their cars, sports and meat, but I never thought
they would combine all these things into a super-sized social event. I could not believe what I was seeing,
thousands of people, meeting up in the stadiums’ car park to have a BBQ. Now
being the US of A some of these BBQs were humungous! Out of the boots of their
cars these people were cooking, carving, consuming massive steaks, burgers and
I have never seen so many sausages in one place. Some had even set up to
spit-roasting turkeys whilst baking potatoes round the open flames. Beer kegs
were stacked SUV high, tailgate party was in full swing. Not bad I thought for
a wee bit traditional pre-match grub, and we all like a wee bite at the
football some more than others. When I come back to visit Scotland it is always
a coincidence that a Raith happening to be playing. In between the catching up
with family and friends I drag the other half along to a game. As we walk up to the stadium the talk
moves away from football talk to food talk, what we going to treat ourselves
with? Camp Nou might have Messi, but it does not have a macaroni pie! After one
of our trips home one Christmas upon being asked, “What was the best bit of
your holiday” my boyfriend replied “the pie at the football”, we have traveled
all this way and meat filled bit of pastry gets the glory.
Food has become a big part of our game and
not just which club will win the title of best pie. While the professional
players have swapped the pre match fry-up for a plate of whole-wheat pasta the
fan in the stand still munches on their pies. Over the years football clubs have become healthier,
players diets are now closely monitored and some clubs are spending big money
on getting the right nutrition.
Some clubs have tried to filter this down to the food on the terraces. Man
City has taken the advice of several high-class chefs to help prepare a match
day menu, not just fancy corporate meals for the big spenders in the boxes but
the snacks in the stands. Some
English lower division clubs who do not have the money of the Manchester clubs
have removed burgers and chips and replaced it with pasta and salad. Is this
the end for the football pie?
Maybe next time I catch a Raith match I will be grabbing a pre-match
hummus and carrot sticks and a half-time portion of paella!
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