Sometimes in quieter moments I think back to teams I've been involved with over the years with the club. Many memories flood back, but one in particular gives me a warm glow and affords me a sneaky smile.

It was 1978! and I was a fresh young minor. In the football league that year we had got thrashed by a very good Rossa team, of whom great things were expected. That match (I wasn't playing by the way!) was particularly memorable because we were absolutely stuffed. I think I'm right in saying that we actually failed to score! Rossa banged in something ridiculous like 5-23, loved every second of it, and I was sitting on the hill beside the pitch thinking that life was over. I think however that 6 or 7 of the team I'm going to talk about were not playing that day.

The Selectors that year were Wee Andy, Peter McGinnity and Joe McGuinness and things were pretty grim. We battled on through the League and the early rounds of the championship, but I think we all wanted another meeting with Rossa. In the semi-final of the championship we played Cargin up in Toome. I remember looking to the side of the pitch during the match and seeing some of our better players standing there (either injured or suspended) and thinking 'we'll be lucky to get out of here with a win'. Anyway we played out of our skins and did get a win. The result was a big surprise and I suppose gave Andy and the boys something to use to motivate us for the big one against you-know-who.

The final I remember was played on a beautiful summer day in Casement (17th September 1978 actually), and was before the Senior final which also involved us. Rossa had all their big guns out to play, most notably: a lad called Gerry Farrell at centre-half back, a school friend of mine named Larry Shields, a very good mate of mine and current Antrim selector Hugh McGettigan, and especially their best player - Brian (Teddy) Quinn. Teddy had become a friend of mine through the years. He was an exceptional sportsman who excelled at Gaelic football and hurling, basketball and most notably soccer. He went on to a professional soccer career over in America and still lives there. As I said he was their talisman of the day - and guess who was to mark him! I knew that Teddy was either going to be in Midfield or Centre-half forward, but when I saw in the programme that he was the number 11, I thought 'Oh s..t'. I was pulled to the side by Andy and Joe and given the kind of pep-talk that told me to forget who I was lining and just get on with it (I think they had probably made up their minds to give the same talk to whoever was going to be lining Teddy).

Our plans for the day were further hampered by the fact that Sean Wynne, arguably our best player, was injured before the game (Sean's dodgy knee was legendary) and he was to be a sub. Rossa also took heart from seeing Sean with a tracksuit on.
I've often heard it said that important games sometimes go by in a flash and it's hard to remember what actually happened. This is not my memory of this game. Even nearly 25 years later I can still recall many instances during the game. This is strange to me because sometimes I can't remember a game last week, but that particular game lives on.

Needless to say we won (why else would I be writing this!) and therefore caused a great upset at that time. Only those who were around at that time will realise just how much Rossa were fancied for that one. I remember with fondness some of the lads who wore the blue-and-white that day.

In goals was Brendan McCann (brother of Paul who won many championships with us). It's fair to say I think that the occasion got to Brendan more than most - I suppose that happens to Goalies - and he was even subbed off in the second half. Brendan never continued with his football beyond Minor level.

The full back line was Neil Peden, Micky Carlin and Paul Downey. Neil went on to excel at hurling but in those days was a very fit guy who could mark somebody well (couldn't think of anything nicer to say about your football ability there Neil!). Micky, even in those days, was a tough tackling fullback who had more than a handful of trouble that day in lining Hugh McGettigan. Hugh scored 1-2 on the day. Paul at leftback was a gifted footballer and also talked a good game! I remember him saying to Gerry McCann that night (with a few on him of course) that he'd better watch his back, 'cause Paul was after his place on the senior team. I always thought Paul should have picked on somebody else to say that to!

The half-back line was Brendan (Benners) Grieve, Myself and Pat (Burky) Maguire.
Benners captained this team and led by example - the sort of fella that any forward would hate to be marking him. Loads of guts and would keep going until he dropped.

There is a special memory of the day involving Benners. Rossa had a guy named Danny Murray playing at left three-quarters. I'll be a little bit kind to him here and say that Danny had been a bit of a mouthy player throughout his career, and had become something of a hate-figure to all the Johnnies supporters. During the game Benners had been giving Danny a bit of a hard time to try and wind him up. Well, good old Danny-boy fell for it and threw a haymaker of a punch that somebody walking his dog in the Falls Park would have seen. It actually missed Benners, but Benners let on it had connected. Danny got his marching orders and whilst walking off the pitch to the ridicule of a lot of our supporters, gave them all a 2-fingered salute. Danny was carrying on with the verbals to our supporters on his way down the steps when he slipped, fell down the steps and broke his arm! Benners now lives in Australia. Burky left us after Minor and continued his playing down the road at McDermotts.

In Midfield we had Ciaran McCaffrey and Aiden Gough. Ciaran tried to carry on playing at Reserve level for a few years but was unlucky with injuries. He sat directly behind me in school for several years but thankfully I didn't hold him back too much and he is now a Solicitor. Aiden's main asset was his running. It was great to win the ball somewhere in the back line and give it to Aiden, because he could run quicker than anyone to get it up the other end. Aiden played on for many years until he moved to Newry to live.

The three-quarter line was Brian Doyle, Stephen Drysdale and Kevin McGuinness.
Doylers was an old mate of mine from basketball at school and said that he wanted to have a go at football. I brought him down and he took to it well. He was used as a 'relief midfielder' on the day, making use of his ability to run all day. Andy had told the other 2 lads that if they needed a breather they were to switch with Doylers. It worked a treat. He also now lives in Australia. Stephen was a classy footballer following in the mould of his older brother Sean; indeed Sean was to play in the senior match afterwards, although Stephen didn't stick around much after Minor level. Kevin only got on because his brother Joe was a selector - (just kidding, I owe you that one McGuinness). Kevin actually replaced Brendan in goals on the day and made a couple of telling saves. When he went into goals Sean Wynne came on. Sean coming on gave us all a lift at a time when we were all knackered - an inspired bit of management.

 

 

The full-forward line was Jim (Jingo) McKernan, Kevin Grieve and Jimmy Darragh.
Jingo, more famous as a hurler of course, was a good footballer also with the ability to win a ball when needed. He now plays with Sarsfields. Kevin was an uncompromising full forward that gave all full backs a hard time. I think that many of our scores came off breaking ball from Grievsy. Jimmy D, again probably more famous as a hurler, but was as good a score-getter as there was. The fact that "this delightful teenager" as the papers called him (we all got good value out of that) scored 4 goals in the final speaks for itself. Sadly, when I think of it, Jimmy was lined that day by another school friend of mine - John Murray who was to be one of those killed in Milltown Cemetery following the Gibraltar killings - RIP John.

The team-talk given by Andy, and particularly at halftime was the stuff of dreams. If I'd taped it at the time and used it now we would never lose. Brian Doyle said to me after the game that we would have beat Cork that day, we were so pumped up! Indeed, 10 years after the game when Doylers and I were having a little chat, he would mention that teamtalk.

For the record we won 4-4 to 3-5.

Also for the record we won the senior also, beating St.Galls.

What memories.

A great team? Maybe not the greatest team I ever played on, but one with plenty of heart and pride. A bunch of lads determined not to be beat. Funnily enough, I reckon that 10 of the team that started were still Minor the following year, yet went out of the championship early.

The team that won that championship however was the last to bring a Minor football championship to the club for 12 years, until we won it again in 1990.

Is mise
Rory Best
13/11/02