My alarm is buzzing at 07:30am ,where am I and what the heck will today bring?.
It's Monday morning and it's a maybe, it is maybe, it is not Match day.
Before I shower I recheck all the information available. We know Bursaspor is the team we play. We find their HQ in Hall in Tirol near Innsbruck. We have no further intelligence. Alex and I are down to breakfast and the clans are gathering. We had arranged to meet to discuss strategy at 9.
These are the facts.
1) No statement from our club. For anyone reading this from our football club that is unacceptable. Here at this hotel there are some 30 of the most dedicated and top supporters this club of ours will ever have. Elsewhere, in Austria and Germany are similar groups and people who have devoted their lives for Leeds United. We spend valuable holiday days and great amounts of hard earned money every pre-season. I have arranged tours and trips to every friendly worldwide since 1981 a lot of the people with me have been with the group through thick and thin.
2). No reply from agents arranging games.
3). Apparent press blackout also.
Based on what we have we decide to head for Hall in Tirol. No coach available from company I used for rest of tour. Train is expensive but I find a possible solution. We use a flexibus but there are a lot of us,18, and no guarantee we can get on the coach there and back to Innsbruck. We head out early to try and manage to get on just. Out at 11:50 and return 22:20, we are in luck.
Before we embark we read a statement from the reliable Phil Hay saying it's behind closed doors and in a secret location. Still no official statement from the club.
I plug in and scour the world of social media as do others on the trip.
I sit with a yank who is an interesting guy taking a three-year world trip. He is a computer guy working in security. We discuss Trump as I say he may blow up the world. He says most of the US warheads will not work which is comforting. We agree that cyber war is a possibility and he knew more than I needed to know. And I am worried about finding a phantom friendly.
As we arrive we now know a bit more information and based on this we don't think the game is in Hall.
Already there the manager of the team who plays at Hall had given by a relative working at the Turks hotel a destination. Sterzing on Italian border. there are approx. 100 Leeds fans in Hall or with us in Innsbruck. Time is passing and David Snodgrass and I talk to taxi and coach companies. I agree a price with taxi to take us and wait until return back to Innsbruck. It’s a lot of money for a folly. We um and ah and it's decide time .12 want to risk it. Rest think Hall a better option. Taxis arrive and someone who did not say yes was in and like a game of musical chairs Bri is left out. Sorry mate I ask him if he wants me to throw someone out. No, we are off heading at speed to Italy. Great taxi bloke and a credit to his trade. We pull up at stadium and there in green and white track suit tops our opponents colours are players warming up. Giddy as kippers we alight but it's after 6 I'm on twitter and find a picture of match in progress from their TV. Think Snod had his flag up in record time before realizing. It’s the local team now it is funny and it's not but I have to say I never got out of cab and even I had to laugh as I show pictures to lads of match. Driver shows locals and they say ground in pictures is about 5k away again we are off. No joy again show pic and another ground 3k away last chance. Now I think all off Austria and Italy are in on the ruse as guy there says Leeds play there tomorrow. I pull the plug and it's back to Innsbruck as Leeds go 1-0 down. By the time, we are having a pint we had lost 3-0.
It had been a folly and we can only laugh now.
It's off to a superb Italian and a glass of wine and a surf and turf pizza. Back to pub and time to go back to Munich. Come on lad’s bus soon we match off to bus stop. I Have the one ticket and Stand awaiting stragglers and a head count. Where’s Bri?
I phone him and he's lost. I say get back to pub and turn right follow the road. Now 10 mins after scheduled departure bus driver calls it and I pass the baton to Alex. I set off to find Bri who has not had best of days. He’s my mate and like everyone on my trip family. I would hope someone would do same for me. I find him at the station we check timetable for bus and train. We decide ibis and back in morning.
Been a long day!!