Sneak peek: Those European Team room images
Seve Ballesteros in the European team room at Gleneagles - "Look into his eyes - His mission is clear"
The 47 inch Bose TV with surround sound that Rory McIlroy (or his sponsors) gave Paul McGinley so he could "boom out" those inspirational videos was up in the team hotel. But we managed to pop into the team room in the Dormy House at Gleneagles, just next to the driving range, to see some of the images that McGinley used to inspire his troops to victory.
The Dubliner even installed a fish tank with blue and golf fish to represent the European team colours.
Q. Did you choose the breed, what fish they were?
PAUL McGINLEY: Choose the colours, not the breed. As long as they were fish and they swam. But it was the colours I was more interested in rather than the breed. Yeah, it was great. It was just a little small touch. We had an area, two rooms, a dining area and you walked into an area which was like a lounge area. There was a big picture of John Jacobs, the first Ryder Cup, first European Ryder Cup Captain. A big picture in the corner of the first ever European Team, Britain and Ireland team playing the Ryder Cup -- took them a month to get there. They played great when they were leaving and they played terrible when they got there. Just a big, big black and white photograph of them actually on the boat. Obviously Seve and Ollie, big picture of them, as well, too. So we had a lot of different images around the team room but in that particular area, it was a transition area, so I -- we wanted something we could see through so the light, we could get light coming in from the windows in the far side. It was my idea for the fish tank and it worked great. They are still there swimming away, very happy.
Q. Are they staying there?
PAUL McGINLEY: They might have a few hang overs, though. A bit of wine might be spilt into them. I don't know what we'll do for them, but we'll find a home for them. There's been a number of requests actually for images in the room and stuff that we've done to maybe do a little portfolio of it and maybe exhibit it. It may be something I'll do for The Ryder Cup charity and we'll see if there's an interest in that, and maybe the fish tank can come and be part of that.
"We have always had graphics but there was no continuity with them — just nice pictures. My brother in law, Chris Perkins did them," McGinley said.
"Passion created our past, Attitude will shape our future"
"Europe, I give you my heart."
Having snuck in to see the graphics, it's no exaggeration to say they are stunning.
The image of the young Severiano Ballesteros with the words, "Look into his eyes — his message is clear", is one of the more striking ones.
But there are also two big images of Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter and several big placards bearing inspirational messages.
Do bees fly in the 'V' formation?
As McGinley explained on Saturday: "We have another huge, big graphic; huge, big graphic in our team room: "Passion has determined our past" -- Graeme McDowell holding the scales, and "attitude will determine our future." That's for complacency. I don't think anybody who has ever played for Alex Ferguson can ever accuse him or that's watched him or observed him that any of his teams have ever been complacent."
The Bob Torrance quote about these being the happiest days of the players' lives, situated on nearr the back door exit of the locker room is striking. But it was also interesting to see the pin positions white board with the words "No complacency. Destroy!!"
McGinley wanted the team to rotate the leadership role like a cycling team with each of the senior members taking their turn at the front. He used the geese formation analogy to explain it to the players and the caddies. So why the word BEES, written capitals on the white board?
"That's the caddies getting it wrong," McGinley said, laughing. "I said GEESE, not BEES."
Every window bore the name of a player or an assistant
There is some artistic talent out there....
