The 106 GROGS who gathered for the November Lunch heard a guest speaker who was able to talk about rugby the way many remember it. Ian Docherty, a GROG in his own right, took a journey back to the yesteryear of his playing days with the Unofficial Championship winning side of Glasgow High School FP’s and the ‘by invitation only’ Co-Optimists. However, he received no support for his suggestion that GROGS, with its inclusion of the disparaging “Old” word, might consider changing its name to GRAGS (Glasgow Rugby Aging Geezers Society) or even GRIGS (Glasgow Rugby Incontinent Geezers Society), the latter in spite of the regular traffic to the Gents throughout the lunch. Ian started with a doting story about his granddaughter who had asked why people die and then went on to ignore his deeply philosophical answer by pointing out that his toenails were all yellow! Thankfully, no evidence was presented. Ian’s meander down memory lane was a familiar one, back to the days when Clubs were populated by local lads with common bonds leading to much more socialising in Clubhouses after matches than is the case today. One such event (a dinner) at Old Anniesland, involving a chocolate gateau and the then SRU President, led to the Glasgow High School FP, and successor Clubs, having as much success as GROGS in getting an SRU Presidential presence at their functions. Ian had a number of stories from these halcyon days involving well kent names like John Jeffrey, Pringle Fisher, Angus Cameron and his own brother, the late Jimmy Docherty. As one member put it after the Lunch, “Happy days, indeed”. However, Ian didn’t just live in the past but had strong words to say about the way rugby had evolved since then. Among other things, he is not a fan of the way referees and touch judges are abused at all levels and certainly not of the modern rolling mauls. As Ian was finishing, Bob McPhail, with the same unerring accuracy displayed in his playing days, threw a mini rugby ball to him … missing by about 20 feet! Ian ended saying that his story had only taken him to age 18, leaving the Grogs thinking about a sequel - “Ian Docherty, the Middle Years”. The inevitable bottle of GROGS whisky was presented to him in appreciation.