Back of the net! – McSherry’s Musings

About ten years ago on a Monday afternoon, a cavalcade of beeping horns accompanied by whoops of triumph, moved along John Street outside the Herald office. Our farming and Fermanagh and Western League reporter Tommy explained that Strathroy Harps had won the prestigious Irish Junior Cup and the lads were headed to Sallys for further imbibement.

Lo and behold! Last week Coalisland Athletic and Tummery Athletic met in the Irish Junior Cup quarter-final. I’d never seen Coalisland Athletic play and could perhaps name three of the team, PJ, one of the Coneys off ‘Ireland’s Fittest Family’ and young Fianna lad Sean Corr. It’s not that I was hostile to local soccer, it just wasn’t my thing.

On reposting the promo for the match on Facebook indicating I’d be going to see Athletic (the Coalisland version) for the first time, a ‘Friend’ as they’re called on social media, responded, ‘Lundy!’ It was tongue-in-cheek, as it emerged he is wont to cheer on Strabane Athletic, but there-in lies a story. Read on…

There was a sizeable support for both sides at Gortgonis Playing Fields, indeed Tummery fans brought a few flags. The local lads swept their team aside in a fabulous display. To be honest, I was a mite surprised as I expected to see 90 minutes of a ball being hoofed in the air. However, it was skilful with great goals, well-organised defences and a number of mighty saves from the away goalkeeper.

Standing on the line at the council-owned field, my mind wandered back to an era when playing soccer locally was very much frowned upon. Indeed, verbal barbs, jokes with a jag as our Strabane man demonstrated, go on to this day.

The first big soccer game I recall was the 1968 European Cup final when Manchester United beat Benfica as I jumped on the sofa with my younger brother in our pyjamas, along with our babysitter. It was wonderful! George Best, Bobby Charlton, Alex Stepney saving from Eusebio. Such joy.

However, that was three years before the GAA dropped the ban on members playing or watching other sports such as soccer or rugby. Rule 27 was introduced by the GAA in 1905 as a barrier to curb any attempt to Anglicise the nation. Any breach of the rule led to expulsion.

During the late 1960s, Rule 27 became increasingly outdated as football and rugby became more popular in Ireland and it was unenforceable as GAA members were able to watch those sports on television. It was finally abolished at the GAA’s annual congress in Belfast in 1971.

Before 1971 we played soccer in the school yard and fields in the evenings. At the tender age of ten, the idea that it was a ‘foreign game’ seemed bizarre as Pelé, Jairzinho, Rivelino and their Brazilian team-mates weaved their magic on our screens at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The phrase ‘the beautiful game’ was popularised by Pelé. His team was sheer beauty. By ‘foreign games’ the elders meant ‘English games’, although ‘international game’ was a more accurate description.

Adults who poo-pooed soccer were fighting a losing battle, although they got misty-eyed when talking of the Lisbon Lions, the great Celtic team that won the 1967 European Cup final. The most adamant often exhibit glaring contradictions.

I picked the wrong side of Merseyside; the 1970s were all about Everton FC, Frank McGuigan, Horslips and Embassy Regal. The first game of soccer I played was for Omagh Tech during the exile years. I was about 16 and lined out at inside right. Going onto the field, I whispered to a classmate from the ‘Derg, “Where is inside right?” I was good!

A few years later was a short stint with Tyrone Crystal where I worked, after Bert put a page in front of me to sign. I looked up for the photographers, but alas… Derogatory comments were made about playing soccer and this was eight years after the ban was binned. I played a while but didn’t shout it from the rooftops. No-one was abused for playing, but there were snide comments and it was frowned upon. I know a GAA man who played at a higher level did get a lot of flak.

There were few live games on television, save the World Cup tournament every four years and the FA Cup and European Cup finals. Match of the Day and The Big Match on a Sunday was our diet, the highlights of five First Division games. I don’t watch Match of the Day now but enjoy ITV4’s nostalgic series of the Big Match. Penning these Musings, I hear the theme tune and see Rodney Marsh and Charlie George and Pat Jennings. Players now are separate business entities. There is no soul, no love of club. For goodness sake, an average player like Seamus Coleman, who has won nothing, is a multi-millionaire!

It was cold in Gortgonis. Coalisland Athletic won 4-1. Up until recently, when sponsors came on board, their players were paying for use of the field and for refs. Many have been playing since they were at Dungannon Youth when they were seven. I’m told GAA clubs are accommodating them in pre-season training. As it should be. There is a huge cup semi-final ahead. I’ll stay on board the bandwagon.

They’ve been playing off Broadway for years. Hopefully in the weeks ahead they’ll take centre stage!