The flawless wedding organisation included a severe but effective hangover cure for the day following the wedding - a football match against the local first division team, the Chinese Recreational Club. Mark's bleary-eyed and haggard collection of sportmen assembled knowing they faced a formidable task: not merely a game of football in the tropcial heat, but one in which we had to try to make Mark look good, too. We had a secret weapon, though, in the thirty supporters who cheered each move and effort, regardless of how jaded or pathetic. 

The Team
 

East meets West: the pre-match lineup.

With sensational diplomacy, the CRC fielded their more experienced players to allow Groom's XI to start confidently. After a few near misses, the unthinkable happened: A sharp cross from the right by Richard fell to Mark's head, who nodded blindly into the net. 1:0! Chris doubled the visitors' lead after 20 minutes with a sharp turn onto his right foot which he unleashed between two defenders into the bottom left-hand corner. On the half-hour, Michael side-footed home a volley from the right to strenghten the lead. At 3:0 ahead, the Groom's XI produced a display of open football allowing the global talent assembled to display thir skills: even the legendary sliding takle of Dave the Salmon was flaunted with his shot on goal just before half-time.
 

A refreshing beer or two later, the end of the wedding weekend began with a seafood spread at restaurants on Gurney road. Both players and spectators alike could celebrate a perfect ending to the day, the highlight of which was undoubtedly the karaoki singer butchering a collection of western love ballads.