Hospitality number 5 and the third paid hospitality, feels like a milestone. The joint £40 a month is paying off and this now feels like ‘a thing’ myself and Tony are invested in. We get the train to Montrose and for some reason Tony feels he needs a pie before we get to the stadium, even though he knows fine well the hospitality set up. A meal before kick-off (usually soup and steak pie) and something at half time. We need to walk through the town centre to get to the stadium anyway and do a cash machine stop off for any games or raffles, so we make a bakery stop on the way there too.

£82.50 each at Links Park with a 12:45 meet. Two course meal and complimentary bar until kick off, half time refreshment and an open bar for half an hour after the full-time whistle. Programme and team sheet also provided. Another ‘smart casual’ dress code for this one.  

A 15-minute walk from the train station, via a pie stop and we arrive at the stadium. We are shown upstairs to the Captains Lounge, greeted by host Ross Thomson who shows us to our table for two. The first time we’re not seated next to others. With a bottle of wine on the table and us facing one another, it feels like a first date. Ross asks us a bit about ourselves and as Tony loves a chat, grills Ross back with more questions than he had for us. Ross is Mr Montrose FC. A local high school teacher who has previously been the mascot at Montrose, the stadium announcer and then over time progressed to the hospitality host. He gets asked to help in different roles at the club and can’t say no. Ross cares about the club and genuinely made every person in the lounge feel valued for being in hospitality that day. His enthusiasm was great. The usual welcoming of each table took place. Sponsors and fans were introduced and our £20 in a pot story was told with great gratitude. Small clubs like Montrose apparently rely heavily on hospitality as a source of income and apparently people like me and Tony, with our mission, are doing their part to help grass roots football. We get a round of applause, but I feel a standing ovation would have been equally deserved. Not all superheroes wear capes! A joke about our wives also appreciating our mission to get us out the house and a comment about my first week back to school as a teacher was also made. Ross could read the room and gave friendly banter to everyone. Introducing each table as if he knew them all individually.

A bottle of wine and match day programme was on the table for us along with a guess the minute of the first goal entry. Like previous grounds, this is a cash in an envelope job and we enter our predictions. The same choice as Arbroath, hoping that will be our lucky number. I’m not a wine drinker but feel I had to give ‘The Secretary Bird’ a try along with the Beer Moretti I ordered. Tony opts for a vodka and orange juice on this occasion. A safer bet than the cranberry juice ordered in Brechin. Ross explains how the day will look and gives continuous check ins. Food is from The George Hotel and first course is a butternut squash soup, one of the better soups we’ve had out of all the grounds so far. Standard soup roll to accompany it. For the main course we have Chicken filled with stuffing, wrapped in bacon, served with veg and a Yorkshire pudding. That’s right, it’s not steak pie, however after finishing the meal, I wish it was. The food was disappointing. Chicken was a bit dry and the stuffing inside wasn’t great. The drinks keep flowing though and we make a good dent in the bottle of wine before kick-off.

Tony nips to the toilet before we head to our seats and on his return is followed by a lady with his bank card. Apparently, he left it in the toilet. With no cash machines in the stadium, the lady doesn’t ask any questions however, bank cards found in toilet cubicles in Dundee could mean that people are going to the bathroom for more than a number 2!

We head up to our seats in the main stand and for the first time we are given the option of a cushion to take up with us. Seats in the main stand were your usual plastic ones and the option of a padded seat was a welcome addition. Great view at the halfway line. We were 5 or so rows behind the dugout, where you could hear every word shouted from the side-lines. I don’t think the Montrose assistant was a huge fan of the referee and he made it clear with some of his shouts. Being so close added to the experience. As the goals were scored, we realised that it was our host Ross, that was making the stadium announcements. I wouldn’t be surprised if he filled up the water bottles and cut the oranges for half time too.

We head back down to the lounge for half time and have two small pies waiting for us, one curry and one steak. There’s also your usual option of tea or coffee. Tony nips to the toilet again and this time is followed back with a woman holding a ten-pound note that Tony had left in the toilet. The suspicions of what Tony does each time he goes to the toilet are rising and if it wasn’t for the fact that we were saving the club financially by just being there today, I feel Tony could have been questioned more but they turn a blind eye. Back up for the second half and there is another first. After not finishing his dry chicken and only having a small half time pie, Tony opts for a chocolate bar from the stadium kiosk, needing something extra in his belly. This can’t all fall on the catering of Montrose though as we need to remember Tony had skipped breakfast and his food routine is out of sync since his 12:20 sausage roll.  

After the match we’re back in the lounge for a few more free drinks before it becomes a paid bar. We’re joined by Montrose manager Stuart Petrie and his assistant, match official hater Ross Campbell. Ross Thomson interviews them as well as any sports journalist would and both men give their honest opinion on the day’s game, with Petrie making it clear that he wasn’t impressed with the performance. Apologising for the efforts. There’s also an appearance from club captain Andrew Steeves as he hits a milestone of 400 games for Montrose. Ross Thomson makes a massive deal on his achievement, and he receives a well-deserved memento to commemorate. It was fitting that he receives the gift in his very own lounge! Just as they were wrapping up, the club chairman appears next to our table and thanks everyone for coming. He then continues to have a chat with us, as Tony tells him about our now infamous in Montrose, £20 a month challenge. We appreciate the recognition but need to head to catch the next train home. As I get up to leave, someone from another table also decides to spark a conversation about our challenge and tells us how great we are. Not loving a chat at the best of times, I’m as polite as I can be but I feel the man is not taking the hint of us having our jacket on and about to walk out the door, so I tell him we need to catch our train. He leaves us and we are stopped by one more person. Ross Thomson himself. We can’t not talk to him. He gives a genuine thank you for coming and a handshake to see us off. Telling us that he hopes to see us again soon. Which I believe he does. We leave the stadium heroes but need to get a move on to catch the train. After a Trainspotting style sprint through, Montrose town centre, past Tony’s morning bakery and down a small alleyway, we make it in time for the train to discuss the days scoring. To set the record straight Tony genuinely just loses things and doesn’t do anything other than the toilet when he goes to the bathroom

Ratings

Entertainment 3/5

Other than the guess the nearest time to the first goal there was no other games. Three post-match speakers though. Interesting if you’re a Montrose fan.

Hosting 4/5

Ross was great from start to finish. He’s firmly invested in Montrose Fc and seemed genuinely appreciative of everyone who was in the lounge. He made the effort to go round and check on everyone and had a charismatic style without being arrogant. Interviewed the guests well and made everyone feel welcome. 

Seating 4/5

Cushioned seats. Enough said!

Meal 2/5

nice soup but a disappointing chicken and stuffing. Not sure I would have that with a Yorkshire pudding either. Stick with Steak pie.

Half Time refreshments 3/5

The pies were nice but very small and only one each. Needed a bar of chocolate to keep us ticking over. Tea and coffee readily available.

Drinks 4/5

Wine on the table and every drink we asked for is available. First time I’ve been able to get a Bier Moretti which was much appreciated. Service was also quick.

Value for money 3/5

Tough one to call as we had a really good day but a low score for the food and entertainment. The lower of the prices so far though and still open bar for 2 hours before kick-off. Only half an hour bar after puts it down a little too. High score for the hosting though as Ross was really good. We also got our picture on the clubs’ social media.   

Total 23

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