From the Courier: Treasured Arbroath FC flag back from Toronto travels after being left behind on boozy Dublin trip
Gareth, Ryan and Sye with the treasured flag.
A Dublin drinking session with two Canadian air hostesses saw a treasured Arbroath FC flag end up halfway round the world.
The flag, which was bought for £250 in 1982 for the Spain World Cup, has been to countless Red Lichties games and has travelled all over Europe for Scotland matches.
Lifelong Arbroath fan Sye Webster said the Saltire – emblazoned with ‘Arbroath FC 36-0 World Record Holders’ – had never been lost before.
However, in June he left “debutants” Ryan Squire and Gareth Mowbray in charge of it when they went to Dublin to watch Scotland against Ireland.
Sye said: “During the day of the game in Dublin they had got talking to and drinking with two Canadian air hostesses from Toronto who were enjoying the Scotland fans’ hospitality.
“The Scottish fans partied all night and Ryan and Gareth slept in for their return flight home to Scotland and in their rush to get to the airport had left the flag in their hotel room.”
Once they got home the duo realised they didn’t have the flag.Recovery
They made numerous frantic phone calls to the Dublin hotel which agreed to send the flag back to Arbroath for what was described as “a fortune”.
Instead, they decided to get back in touch with the Canadian air hostesses who agreed to pick up the flag at the hotel the next time they flew to Dublin.
The ladies picked up the flag and took it back to Toronto with them on their return flight before taking it sightseeing.
With the flag in their possession, they arranged to meet Ryan and Gareth in Edinburgh the next time they flew to Scotland.
The Arbroath standard was brought back home last week to its Station Bar HQ in the town’s Westport area, with Sye unaware of what had unfolded.
That was until he saw pictures of the flag on Facebook in the company of the stewardesses being displayed at tourist hotspots in Toronto.
Ryan and Gareth had some explaining to do once Sye confronted them about the “world famous” Canada adventure.
Sye added: “So from going to a simple Scotland game trip in June to Dublin the flag has been on planes, trains and automobiles to the other side of the world and back on a three-month holiday.”