Living by numbers: McSherry’s Musings

“LIVING by numbers, adding to history and living by numbers, I guess was always meant to be, li ving by numbers now…” as sang by New Musik in 1980.

Numbers will be the whole focus this week, on and off the pitch. In 2010, Michelle Gildernew was elected MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone just four votes ahead of Independent Unity candidate Rodney Connor. It was nail-biting fare. Poor aul Pat Fahy, (God rest him), was woken in the early hours from his slumber to make haste to the count centre as the tension reached fever pitch. No doubt the Drumquin solicitor enjoyed the drama as did my colleagues here at the ‘Herald. The case went to court and the result stood.

A notice in the Sinn Féin office in Dungannon, with a picture of Michelle, read, “I’d like to thank you, you, you and you”. Four students sat in a pub on Irish Street that weekend congratulating themselves for making the journey from Jordanstown to vote.

The polling booths open again on Thursday morning. The count this time for all Tyrone constituencies takes place in Magherafelt. I’ll be there with a hot water bottle, blanket, overcoat and layers of socks. Meadowbank Sports Arena is a cold house for unionists and nationalists… f-f-freezing. The numbers, however, will have us on tenterhooks as hacks and political aficionados rush to TV screens to hear the latest scores elsewhere. It could go to the wire again.

Al Pacino’s speech in Any Given Sunday still gets the sap rising. “….. we claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches that’s gonna make the f%#&@! difference between winning and losing, between living and dying!”

These Musings were penned before yesterday’schampionship clash between Tyrone and Derry. One doesn’t like to use the word ‘hatred’ but there are folk across the Sperrins wouldn’t be dying about us and the feeling from many in our midst is mutual.

I told a friend in a caravan in Downings that I was going to the pub to watch a game on TV as United were playing Liverpool. Her reply, “again?” However as Brian Cody is wont to say, “Every game takes on a life of its own”. Tyrone vs Derry will never be tired.

Numbers bring back the memories. In ‘95 I was in ‘The Roaring 20s’ in the Bronx watching a live hurling game from the old sod. At half-time word came through that above in Clones, Tyrone were trailing Derry and reduced to 13 men with Pascal and Seamie lined. After the hurling I exited and was chatting to Philip from Co Cavan when a cheer emerged from inside and I knew; be the jees! Tyrone have beaten them.

The following night the video arrived out and we made our way to the bar to watch the heroics. It became the stuff of legend as Red Hand supporters taunted the Oak Leaf going up the hill at sunny Clones, “We beat Derry with 13 men, do-da do-da.”

In ‘77 there was less enmity with the neighbours. Teens in our skinners and wrangler jackets, we cheered for Derry in the senior Ulster final against Armagh. With red and white flags to support Tyrone in the minor game, perhaps the Armagh youths thought we were Derry delinquents. In those days only players wore county jerseys, not fans. The Orange mowed Derry. Various times a group of Armagh lads turned around and impersonating Bruce Forsyth laughed, “Let’s take a look at the old scoreboard!… Good game! Good game!” To be fair to them, it was funny and terrific homage to Saturday night’s ‘Generation Game’.

A few years later I was big buddy with Badger McSorley from Armagh during my time in Dublin. One day he reminisced about the ‘77 final when him and his mates on the grass hill at the Ulster final turned to Derry supporters and… Yes! You got it! “Let’s take a look at the old scoreboard!” It’s a small world! Hands across the Blackwater!

In 1984, 11 was the magic number Frank posted in the Ulster final to sink the Armaghda. It was a display that is still revered.

Monday morning here in Coalisland, Clonoe and surrounding area, we’re setting off on an unlikely journey down the motorway to Windsor Park.

This afternoon Coalisland Athletic will play Bangor Young Men for the Irish Junior Cup. It is a Roy of the Rovers story for a team that has no underage sides, does not have its own pitch and until recently all the players contributed £5 a week to cover the cost of using the council field, paying refs and other
expenses.

Since the turn of the year, local business and generous individuals have sponsored their games. Athletic deserve it.

The squad of 20 or so is made up mostly of GAA club players. Remember, Conor McAliskey and PJ Lavery played for Tyrone…

It would be an incredible achievement were they to take the jewel in the crown of Junior football, and all the more so as in September and October the team got over the first two rounds without the GAA players who were otherwise engaged with their clubs.

The words of the famous old commentator David Coleman would do, “One -nil!”.

These columns aim for about 900 words and I’ve reached my quota. Hurrah!