The Highland Derby
By Patrick Vickery
I was at a football match in Dingwall (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Pheofharain) some years ago, Ross County v Inverness Caley Thistle, a Highland derby game, match nearly over, a lull in activity on the pitch, when a young fan moved crab-like through the main stand with two dozen pies.
Got them cheap, you see, near the end of the game, pies unsold, caterers packing up, something like that. As he returned to his seat one elderly aficionado broke into song: 'Who ate all the pies, who ate all the pies,' he bellowed, whereupon a ripple effect began as three thousand fans joined in. It was an orchestra of sound that reverberated about the stadium and attracted much attention from the startled players - in particular the more sturdy ones. The pie man was clearly delighted by this reaction and generously shared his pies with those around him. They, in turn, acknowledged his generosity by chanting 'Who ate all the pies, who ate all the pies, we did, we did' with tasty gusto.