Latest / On Your Own Time Podcast / The Greatest Escape RD 2 |Athlone |Banter|Football with Ray Malcom and Deckie
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- On Your Own Time Podcast: you're very welcome to on your own time podcast with our special editions with the greatest escape. a bit of a change in seating here today. Ray wants to be the the what do you want to be the dick of the dick? I'd wanna be, I had no choice. But here a very, very good feedback from our first round one, so that's why we're doing round two. guys, I want to ru thanks very much for joining me again on a very Wintry bank holiday Monday. Well it's that anyway, that's for sure. Just want to pull it up a small bit towards it. Farquiet. I can spell it for it if you want. No, no, no. Exactly who I was. So what is So I know it was only last week when we done the podcast. So a lot has happened over the last few days. obviously with the few hooks and a few stories about the the the bell and Reyes refereed about four thousand games in three days. And Mal has practiced to theatre about five thousand times, have you? Jesus, yeah. And it's still at it, it still roars. Yeah, and Skinny set up this WhatsApp page and my heart is broke. He went out last night and wouldn't even offer us for a pint. What was the story there, Mal? Well, he knew why he was going out, but I always go and see the Bensons and whatever Terry Bensons, but I'm seventy five years of age and still rocking it out. I just decided sure I'll go to the olive for a pint. After after old man's pint. After a row. You see, I wanted to go for a family pint with my brother just for a chat and not have two Amadons taking the piss out of me all night long. 'Cause that's what happens like where there's over water, coffee and it's worse than alcohol. So I just wasn't sitting with the TV last night. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 'Cause Deku wouldn't send me money to buy coffee for the T V. Telling you. I'd say the Bank of Ireland ring you for a loan. That's the problem. Sorry. I I was setting up I was setting up the the place here for this the podcast and I realized what fucking top am I wearing? I said I'm gonna melted over this now. I didn't realise I thought you were a Liverpool fan, so you have me sympathy either, but you're a United fan. my god, you useless usel What is going on at Man United? Can I ask you a question? So we're that I asked you the question first. I I don't know, it's for the last number of years, but who fucking knows? but Bruno Fernand Fernandez's comments. What do you think of that? Bruno Fernandez, I said this for a couple of years, and I was watching the game because we'll say my two at home Man United supporters too. And I was watching it the last not not the last game, there the the game previous to that. And within the first remember the goal was conceded at two minutes in and then he was given out after that. Head down, shoulders, giving out to players, pass me the ball, pass me that. I said it for a couple of years. He you can be the best footballer. You can really be the best footballer. But he's he's very, very selfish. He's when his head is up and he's playing football, my god, he's a genius. But when his head is down or something else going on, he's just he's no good at all. And the thing about was his comment to have him say suspended for that game or put on the bench. It was wrong. It was wrong, it was wrong because For me, what it looked like he they were supposed to be doing this press. We know that he doesn't press. He's better just sitting back in midfield, letting it off. But he pressed. But I get the feeling. Now, I'm not a Man United fan, but I'm a Nuts Forest fan, so I my own worries. But I get the feeling that he pushed forward. And he wanted the management to say, come back, come back. I think out of boldness, he pushed forward because he's never played that far forward in a game. And I think he He exacerbated that situation. He I think he wanted that to happen. Do you know what I mean? I think he thinks he's the kingpin of the team. He's a super, super midfielder. my god, he's brilliant. But I think to say that about the management and his manager and staff that they should have seen it, they should have called me back. They said to go pressing. If that was a young fella, right, on your team as an under fourteen or under sixteen year old, you would have called him aside and said, Have a better manners now, they're what you're supposed to I was listening to Jimmy Carrager and Sky Sports there. And Jimmy Carrager says like he's not obviously he's not you're not your fan. But he was like, even back in his day, he disagreed with the manager, he disagreed with the coaching staff, which you always do in the dressing room. Yeah. that's a big comment, and he was like, the fans need to realise whatever happened in the past says in the past, Yeah. But my own experience playing football, you do what the manager says. But you didn't play football, you're a water boy. I know, I know. But you still did he play the old time now, he did. Do you know what I mean? Well, whenever I was suspended I brought in the water. Sorry, Ray. Two was reinroached. Well that's just been nice. I've I've got no feelings. Yeah. you always work hard for your teammates and you work hard because you want the manager to keep you on the pitch, not substitute shit. You want to play football. Your job is to play football. It's not to talk about management of the game. Have your own opinions on what to do before you go on the pitch. Your job is to do what the manager says. And you shouldn't be speaking about any hierarchy above that's nothing to do with the player. Nothing. If you're the team captain, you're the team captain on the field to play. Leave the managers to manage, leave the directors to direct. Your job is play football. And these have to go above and beyond and it's not good. But you know what I saw yesterday, and I thought it was fantastic out of the Man United fans that stayed. No, a lot of them left. But they clapped for a harrick. And they cheered him. And I thought that was an amazing thing to see. And when he went into the up the tunnel and then they booed a team. Rightly so. Yeah, rightly so. But they didn't put the finger of blame on Carrick there. They know what he's dealing with. No other managers have been there and they booed off the pitch. I thought it was a super, super thing by the Man United fans. But it's the team that let him down. You're right. But what is it's like if you put same as a bag of apples, lad, if it's a rotten apple. It could be the nicest looking apple in the whole app. On the inside if it's rotten, it'll rot the rest of them. You said that and y he's d he keeps it. I'm not giving too much praise, but he said it a few years ago to me. Remember a goofy years ago. Many small holes is think big ship. It's a small holes. And I use that a lot for everything. I actually said it in my work a lot. Yeah. Not that I've learned that from No, but it is very, very good. It is it makes sense. So it does make sense. Like when Roykine not right when Roykine came out a goofy years ago and said this about Fernandes, he's a great player, but he's not a team player. And there's no player bigger than any fucking club like it's it's actually it's actually I don't it's gone to the stage you don't even want watch the match. It must be hard for like it was hard for us for years, you know, to to watch say my team. But it has to be hard for you like the expectations you have. Michael Carrick got you into the Champions League this year. Yeah. With the performance last year. So Michael Carrick helped Bruno Fernandez to shine. He got player of the year as well, didn't he? I think last year. Yeah, last year. So all of a sudden he's forgotten that because he's a bit bold. Well what's going on with the Portuguese lads? They're all great players. Ronaldo throwing a strap. Right? You know what I mean? And for what is you pan for thirty days now as well. You got a two hundred and fifty euro finder something. for that. Jesus Christ. So and now Bruno as well. And while they're fabulous players, if you have look we've all played or it even if you have your team of referees and someone is giving out on your headsets and all that, they go, For Jesus' sake, will you stop giving out? But when Bruno Fernandez gives out, he's blaming everybody else, everybody else but me. Yeah. Yeah. and I think he he ha has to take responsibility there. he has to own up and manner. you keep a couple of young kids there, that Heaven lad, who I think is a great defender, but he had a mare. He in an absolute nightmare the other day. Dallow. Anyway, so Roy Keane had stated so many times that the Man United manager was thrown under the bus by the players. Yeah. 'Cause they think they're bigger than managers and on Sky Sports today it was saying who the next manager should be. That shouldn't even be a topic of conversation. Another manager is going to come in. Two managers won't come in and change that team. The players haven't got the ability. I think it came from Carrick's interviews. Did you hear his interview? Yeah. Yeah. He kind of knew he kind of ex he's expected to go. He's expected yeah, he is. And look rightly so, 'cause it would happen to any other manager if that was going on. Especially you know that we said it the bigger clubs. Yeah. If you bring in Ancelotti. If you bring in Angelotti into that team, he's not gonna be able to do a single thing with other players. He can't change their tactics, he can't change their attitudes. No. The players aren't good enough. And bring bring Jimmy Green into it. Bring Jimmy Green and sort them all out. That's that man. Sully. Tony Sullivan in there, sort them all out. See, he did a great actually a good great result there with the Ross Common Oscar Trinity. that's right. Some manager that's very good. Some career, some some achievements. He's he's he's look, he's he's won nearly every place he's gone, Sully has. Do you know what I mean? And Ferrison at all. And he was a good baller himself. And the thing is, players respect him, players do what he asks. That's getting onto the Bruno thing. Bruno's looking Carrick and going. I'm not doing what you're telling me to do. I'm doing my thing. Yeah. But you respect your manager. If he asks you to do a job, you do the job. We're on the topic there with Jimmy Green. I remember being I remember being a young lad going to Melz. it's mad that when I'm in the League of Ireland, but years ago. I was going to Melz like Sarfields, I was racing from Sar from Sarfields, but the car pack will be full. Yeah. You go to the pitch and you and you try to get in for free. Trying to sneak in through the gate and John West will be chasing you around the place. but like I remember watching Jimmy Green in the stands and I remember watching that was a very, very successful team they had back then. Yeah. Some great great local talent. That's the right job. Yeah. Yeah. Do you remember any do you remember any players back? I don't know, it's Andy Moiler. I was thinking I was even thinking before that when I was a young fella like Jesus that was Yeah, there was some savage lads playing with Lord. Jesus Dinosaurs I forget the man I was in stand. He used to be always in the he had a disability but he was always in the the the the stand beside the dress shop. Yeah. He was the bit on he the Best support for He was on every single thing. I had to laugh a few years ago because he was down to Athone Town Stadium. I was the ref referee in the game and the mirror. And all he hears, I'm doing me in the stand. So like it was mad like how 360 of watching him in stand and were all singing Andy Moiler and now he's got referees wanker. Well he's not wrong. He was a tough man to play for no Larkin. That lone man. What a striker. He banged in many goals in the eighties. Many, many goals. I he was top scorer. And I think they won the season at the time, they won the league back. Here, in your era era, in your own in the junior level, who was the most underrated player, who do you reckon? Do you know it's hard to know, but we've all we've always had this conversation. Some of the lads that we played against, we'll say in in later terms from SARS Streets, or some of the most gifted There you go. yeah, yeah. God, Jesus, the what are some of the gifted footballers. Malone. Malone Queen Lad. But I said a turn it a sixpence, you always said class. It was absolutely th the picks those lads should have got a shot. Don't get down to the bull ring. They were absolutely brilliant. But no, like Jesus, it was remember Froggy Newton, he was a great baller. Fergie was as I said too a while ago, he was one of the best players. And then I went to the absolute gentleman. yeah, yeah, lovely chap. Played with him with his long youth, and he was one of the him and Connor Frolio played midfield. And then we moved on in years and I went playing senior football in the Leintestur Senior League with St Mary's. Our first matches against Mullingard Town. I looked up the pitch. I was playing left midfield and who was right full from Ulingar Town? Farganogent. I went No way. I don't think I kicked the ball all night long. He was just unreal. But that's like this. It was a lot of lesson. I suppose didn't didn't get the shot or didn't take the shot, you know. There was one lad who played with us for a long time. Burmer Prendergast. Absolute. He'd win you a game, you know. And he just stopped playing football at twenty five, twenty six, but he was excellent. I I remember he scored a goal. It was the Gentle's against Peters and we won 3 2. Was that it? Mmo the most memorial game I've ever played. Greatest game ever. Complete underdogs we were. Complete we were playing with Gentex, Conox Senior League. Now the Peters boys like they were sound, but they were so good. You know what I mean? And I think we got them on a bad day and a boggy type bitch. You know, we were lucky enough when a bomb bomb scorers down on the chest and spoon and volley this and back in the net. Yeah. We were I was marking for a few minutes Martin McConnell and Martin McConnell, another absolute legend, this cross came in and I was trying to turn my head to see where the ball was gone and all I'd seen was Martin's foot over my head. It did this flying kick. I don't know where he came from, but he hit the top corner with it and I was like, stop. We're we're fucked today. But it was ring, but they're the they're sort of great old memories and having a bit of crack. And then afterwards, meeting the lads afterwards are going for a drink and just you know it was I don't know what the rifle's raiser like now. He Keyboard or reperieve referee in the town, Local local the local rivalry. Rail Rail won't travel. It's a big three litre engine, so he's afraid to put it on any petrol or diesel what is it? Diesel, is it? Yeah. Where do you rub it on a plug in like yours like? Where do you run? It is a hybrid. Okay. What's the difference? What? It's I don't have to plug it in. Take off, take off. I take that and tilt it. Yeah, hybrid's class. It's look, I I got it because if I didn't get it, I would have been stuck at home at the booth for a couple of months, you know what I mean? 'Cause I I ended up not being able to press the say the clutch in my own car. Yeah. So I just have to get rid of it. That's because you got no left foot. Christy Brown job. thanks be the god. Now you have that whole assistant. You can see his eyes. He lit all ways and I have him. Christy Brown. I went for a slag as well. He's texting me since since yesterday. I went for the slag and I was injured Obviously slightly small but injured. Go on, Ray. Go I let I open the floor for you. Decky, in the last podcast we had, you were said you were training hard for the marathon. The marathon was yesterday. You're training hard. You're working on your diet. You're working on this, you're working on that. You're working on everything going. Yeah. The slow motion ones as well. Marathon was yesterday. What did Deku do? Pulled out. Can't do it. Yeah. Have a sore toe. It's your anniversary. You're bringing me for a meal. Happy anniversary, buddy. To the restaurant. That's the you're running. Yeah, actually pulled out of the marathon yesterday. But you what? Read message. You what? Do know what? Planter fasciitis and the feet by my fucking god. I have two of them. And he's foot deck. You've two lefty. Yeah, no, and I've got that's plant of fasciitis in my two lefty. And he's still referees. That's from refereing four hundred games a weekend. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, no. How many referees referee today? Just two. Only two on one day, bank holiday one day. Yeah. No, I did the line in one and I was near. So you actually refereed one game. But I was it's a privilege. You know something as well. I did it I was on a game on Saturday and again Dick is gonna stack me off. And there was a team of assistants came with me, and one of the assistants. One of the assistants was Joe Cassidy. Joe Cassidy. And Joe had worked in the League of Ireland for so long. Joe had a FIFA badge, okay? And Technology for Joe years ago when he was finishing was probably a band the referee puts on his arm when you pressure button on the flag, let him know it's off side. But for his first time ever, we've got I've got a concept. So I'm in the middle. I can chat to the city. Why you've got the why do you have to bring it every time you bring the concept? Because it's important. I've got a concept. Well, are you okay? Yeah, slides open. The point I'm making is of all the games Joe Castle has ever done, I look up to him. I I it was a privilege to be on the pitch with him at the same time. And it was bucket rain. The wind that came down was shocking and the rain. It was wicked. But after the game, I'd into the dressing room. During the game, I was chatting with Joe and chatting with my nephew Damon that was on the line far side, the family job as well. Joe came in afterwards. We were soaked. And Joe goes, Jesus, lads, I really enjoyed that. I looked, these things are deadly. He said an absolute game changer. He said, I I I'd loved I do lines loads of times now if I had these. Yeah. What a privilege to have on the pitch and to to be there with But this is a game changer for him. They didn't have this technology years ago. And this still did a great job 'cause we were only saying at the last day about about the referees, and someone did make a comment and said fair play team all for saying, do you know what I mean? Because it was we had more respect for the the the referees and all that back then, you know what I mean? When the ref blew the whistle at the time for a free kick, you didn't shout the ref. You had to look and see where your man is, 'cause being the defender If I argue with the ref, the fellow's meant to be American has gone down the wing waiting for the qu so our job wasn't to fight. If you blow the whistle, it's a free, you just run away. Yeah. Did you see the class last night? Did you see the bit for it? Yeah. Yeah. That was a great that was a great game. That's why I went out to watch the match, not to listen to you two. Okay. Marino's class. He's he he has his moments, but he can't he he'll come to come to this wall again, he'll piss people off and the results won't go as well, and then he'll be out. Did you see him did you see what he said afterwards or something? He said I want to he sent it to Barcel Barcelona wanted to thank you all or something like that for for keeping me awake. You know what I mean? Because they said I was saying his hotel his hotel and roar and shouting and partying and whole out to try and keep him awake. He says I still bench him. Did you see when the Ray Madrid scored? He just started staring at the bench. Yeah. Barcelona bitch. He started looking at him. And he did just did a slide. I was thinking that fucking man's knee's gonna pop over something. he's he's he's super he's look, I Years ago, I used to download his tactics, you know what I mean, and try and adapt them for for teams that you have, you playing with He's unbelievable. Unbelievable that he includes players and the way he the way he's able to change things around it. Absolutely fantastic. But he's a lunatic. That's another manager manager of shaft by the players. Yeah, but it's either through him under the bush. Look, d I don't know. There's a yoke I saw on Instagram it was today it was six previous or five previous managers or like that. And if we're United then Michael Carrick joins the group, right and it might as well start roaring off. But doesn't go to show you that when Ferguson, cute boy, knew things weren't gonna go well, but he retired then and got Devin Weiss in, right? Look, it doesn't go to show how good a manager Devin Weiss is. You know what I mean? With with struggling teams, you the way everything was all out. And now Man United. I mean, you'd you'd be delighted to have him in now to try and save that team because like Okay, Forrester down at the bottom. We're gonna be down close to the bottom. So I'll fully for but you neither coventry. Yeah, we'll still go in because Coffee won the the game previous or something. Yeah, but I still think we're gonna fight Religan. And the rot the the rot to start there. Yeah, that's true. I think everybody that the Glazers were coming in and they were buying into it. And I didn't know this until Luke was telling me that. But the Glazers have taken more money out of that club than anything. And if they had reinvested property. You will have the silver players, you'd have consistency. It's goodn't for it's good for the United fans. No, as I say, I'm not a big United fan, although we are going to the United Forest game for the Christmas period. In all traffic. That'd be good. The atmosphere would be good for you. It'll be a different atmosphere than what you expect. It'll be hot and heavy. God knows what manager's gonna be there, but this issue shouldn't be about changing manager, it's about changing the team on the field of play. Yeah. On the field of play, like we seen them defending yesterday. Shocking. But did they want to they could hardly play from at all? I no, I you know what's wrong? I don't think it's been done on the training pitch. You know what I mean? I think that's that's where it's i it's not happening because they didn't jam together and you would expect Harry Maguire, although he's not captain, he was captain that he could captain the defence. Yeah. But from the first minute they were shaky all over the place. and it's unfortunate and if you're there's a lack of confidence there in the whole attention. It really, really is. But as a captain, you need to bring that team together. So right lads. what shouldn't have happened there yesterday? I wouldn't have walked that team off the pitch, I would have stayed there in the middle of satin all down. So r remember what you who did that years ago? Jesus. I forget who did but I remember the hull lads. The hull wasn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I forget it anyway, yeah. But he sat in the I mean like they should they should have stayed in there. They should have taken the the boobs and everything. Should have said, hold on in the bats and give the speech on that pitch there. I think it's a it's a lot of money to go watch a match, no. Serious money. You're been over for Christmas. The game was should have been St Stephen's Day. It's supposed to be on St Stephen's Day. Put him on Luke's birthday, but then your Sky Sports, the wonderful Sky Sports. We're going to move that now to the to the day after. We've had six first have had six games moved already. Six games. How does and like you bought the tickets already? How does that work for you then? Well you see I I got it on a package. Okay. So like if I was the white things and flights and all everything like that. you'd be shaken, wonder what's going on, What we did was we organized major than it won't be with a couple of days or two days to cover because w for the fear of of doing it. But it's the same as any of the lads song and we'll be listening to this, trying to get tickets to go and see their team, trying to get good tickets, trying get, you know what I mean, tours over, whatever like that. And then all of a sudden the game has moved. Yeah. This is gut enough. That's 'cause you were going over your Christmas trip was Saint Stephen's morning, going over to England and now it's on the day after so Yeah. So we're planning the quiet Christmas and now it'll be probably quieter 'cause we're going the next day. Yeah, I know. But look I should look at this what it is, but That'll be electric though. That'll be electric. I have photographs for with Luke for so Ibrahimovich play, Rooney, what's gone? Pulper. what's what's the other phenomenon? that's I can't think of it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I for that's how long. He went to Ar he went to Arsenal then, didn't he? He went to Arsenal, didn't he? I think he did, I think he did, yeah. Went to Milan or something after that. But anyway, yeah. So look, that's so anyway, I hope we beat the sh Okay Johnny How about next question. I have a question. I have a question. Go on. Premier League. Give me your opinion on three teams that are gonna go down. And I know one team is gonna get involved in this topic of conversation. Think of three teams that are gonna go down at the end of this season, the relegation. And wh and why? The teams that came up because it's impossible. It's relevant to be impossible to stay in. Right? But Name me the three teams. I think commentary will go down. And I'm trying not to say us. Yeah I I don't think you will, though. I don't think he will either. Look, see it's in a row, we're playing great games. Yeah. Playing great football. Arsenal had one shot in goal to beat us and they scored. we threw away a game against Crystal Palace. We were hammering the Bijzas though then. And then the last game won all against who were playing there at the weekend. But we want to avoid relegation. I think Coventry I think they're a they're a search for going down. Okay. What's the table look look look like now? You shouldn't know this are ready then. Don't come here unprepared. We're down at the bottom anyway. United are Man United could get relegated. Sunderland or bottom, then you have Coventry. Yeah, but S I don't know, Sunderland, there's something about them. I think Hull will go. Well Hull are well up the table now. I know that, but you know what? And Man United are well down the table. But Man United are going to crawl up the So you're saying Hull, Coventry Sunderland. Sunderland has to go. Sunderland. Or Sunderland or Man United. I'm looking at the table here. Sunderland. I definitely think Sunderland commentary is definitely for two. an Intridge. But you haven't brought in the main team that we all think are gonna go down. They haven't mentioned their name yet. Man City. No, well that's that's that's if they're get the point. And I hope they go down. And as far down I don't think they will though. I actually don't think they will. I think they will. They're peel they're they're appealing there, aren't they? Yeah, but have have they said definitively what they've done? I heard it's a fifty point deduction and two years in the championship or something. Well if you go back to what they gave Everton, remember that they rallied Everton. Yeah. We had to appeal it. they were trying to give us ten ten point deduction for one infringement, one interaction. And the reason we did go over that the money was because we were trying to hold on to Brendan Johnson 'cause we knew Spurs weren't gonna buy him. So we I This is fact. It said to the to the FA, Look guys, we're going to sell We're going to instead of this twenty three billion EOE, we're going to get thirty two million for So we're able to cover the cover the money, cover the debt, and everything is all right. If you just give us that, grace period. No ten point deduction. Matt. And they had to appeal it. Since everyone had to appeal theirs. Who else got us? Sheffield United got penalised. There's a few things that have gotten penalised over the years, right? but it's just ridiculous. Man City, sorry lads, and I'm pitting the likes of with Danny and whatever like that, the honest fans. The honest fans is the old city true pickets from things. It always got the newest ones. But the thing about it is is that they should be penalised. If they're not penalised correctly, I know Man City fans are going to say, who does he think he is? It's not that just look at the fairness of it. The players won the games on the page. Fairness. You have to give it to them. You to give it to them, they've won the game. If the city hadn't didn't have the money, those players wouldn't be there. That's also true. You what I mean? Look at the the back tonight when when the remember that Teva scored a goal. Yeah. that would have been they were on about that game as well. All the big players were there for that. Yeah. Would them players have been there for if the money wasn't there? Would a guero ever have been shouted? Never see the likes of this ever again. That wouldn't be shouted if he wasn't there. But then make the money talks. Money talks for close. That's what they're threatening as well. No, if you're interested to have invested a lot of money, I think and and infrastructure around that area. Yeah, they have for Manchester, yeah, yeah. They've done a lot like that. Well it doesn't matter, you know what I mean? It's a lice of and we call them the smaller clubs got peen lights. Yeah. You know what I mean? What did Chelsea get finding there? They got fighting was the ten million or something like that. So that's what's the story, what's going on? Rules rules or rules. Well there's rules for some and there's rules for others. I'm looking at lots of websites that were stating the fact that there's a possibility we all don't know the truth Could be a sixty point for two years. But I'm not trying to nail Man City go down, but I think is They're going to get the 60 points into February or March, which is going to automatically put them to the bottom of table. So that means that they'll be relegated. And then two more from the Premier League is going to go down. So the three always go down, but one of those will be Man City. So the rest of us are fighting not to finish eighteenth or nineteenth, which will be two of the other teams are going down. And then they're going to go to the championship, rumor has it, and at the start of the season have sixty point deductions. So then they're automatically trying to gain the sixty points back. Which is not gonna happen. Because they won't have the players. I don't want Man City to be to be gone. My brother is a huge fan of Man City. Unless they've just splashed the the Saudis say around and splashed the cash still. I do, but then they're they won't they won't be able to sign any of the players. I mean that that's not too much well. So I don't know, look it's it's it's a tricky situation, but you know what I mean? If they're going to penalise us for one infraction, six points. then sure as Jess is going to destroy this place. Yeah. You know what I mean? The a hundred and fifteen charges. so they don't forget it was one hundred and fifty. Originally. Was it? Yeah. Fucking a little chart, but but they they cancelled them out, you know what I mean? So they're gone for the bigger ones. Yeah. You know what I mean? So there's 150 large ones there, 115. and it it is it's a pity, but the thing about it is there is teams like They bet was the Crystal Palace in a final, whatever, you know what I mean, there recently. Yeah. Yeah. You know what's not fair and you could say, winching about it, but if it was your team, I was getting painless points and stuff like that, and you see these guys just splashing the cash. there was Arsenal now, we're after better than stuck with our tether, he's a painful law. But it's hard to deal with. The four officials just stick up the foot every night, watch fall. Yeah, I I always said to myself, What do you do with him? Straight away, I said, You get in there. Good luck. Drive me a mad. I give him them. Do you know why you bring them with you? 'Cause in case you get a match for you somewhere. Yeah, yeah, in case there's a whistle in this. They don't for it all, the mid last press are coming. No, I'm Yeah I'll do is change I always have a gear bag in the car with a whistle, me spare boots, flags, cards, just in case there's a match on the side of the road. Lads, I'll do that. And I'm gonna direct a match. it's always good to be prepared like then. Cash first. I I'll take revolute lads. Would you domestically, would you go are you going to any you going to the FA Cup final? Because I haven't I haven't really I've been down one or two at long yet. No. There's still a great support for the club. My fellow has been on there all the time, has gone so many way games and I think it's it's fabulous. There's great support. I'm gonna go down next year. I think, you know, with the the the change of ownership now, new people in there and everything. seems to be putting the glove on. Yeah. they were unlucky this year that they didn't get into the playoffs. I want to be a bad start I want to put the FAI Cup for in the Viva Stadium. Which I think F Fi F I Cupfire Dairy and Waterfall. I have to ch I have to I have to get below back for the FBI. fair enough. You know what I mean? You're dealing with it weekly. I'm not you know what I mean? I sort of we're the biggest club in the Midlands, the only club in the Midlands And a lot of people in around my age got turned away from that, you know. Not physically turned away, we we took ourselves away from it. But now situations have changed. there's new guys in there, and I think we can go back down because the more and more it's on the television so you see more of it. they're having a decent season, so more and more people should go back down to it again. And then maybe I say it's not football. You know what I mean? To be serious, it actually actually is a great league. It's an unbelievable league. Yeah, I can I think it's the the attendance in all across the league in the last number of years is gone. It is amazing, isn't it? It's getting lots of numbers like it's brilliant. You know what I mean? The other one, the other the other pitch, turn that into an astral. with the girls saying so I have an interesting some of the youth teams from young fellows and young ones that would have been playing in Atlanta. You remember it's case and they were in Atlanta, it's brilliant. It's a super simple thing. Where did you coach man? I just Hudson Bay and I got I sort of got robbed into one though was I think I knew something. I was dropping him down. Jess, you played a bit of the ball. Asked the Joe. You can give us a hand. I said, Well, what do you need? I went out the course. Two weeks later we scored the team and playing we were playing at Willow Park. I I still had the foreground at home on the first team. And there was five there was five five lads and two girls on it. That's true. They've developed up now, have they? I've finished playing them all and stuff like that. No one's gonna in but that. As I got better, likes of Capsey and the other guys that do the coach no coach the coach. Super. Every coach needs to go on and do those course. I think they're F F P one or something or something. It's fantastic, the information that they give you. And one thing Capsey also said to me, he There's the book, there's all the references, everything is in it, you know? And I said, Grand, he said, but adapt the game for yourself, he said. It's not just go by that. Have a look and see what you're doing with your kids and your culture and does that work for the work for them all. And it's right because every kid is every single kid is different. They bring something different to a game. But I did it for eleven and a half years and I absolutely loved it. No, we had a lot of data and we I I finished up when we went to the it was the first time we're in the Midlands League, and when the A Cell forward, which was a pity, but we ended up in the Midlands League and and we ended up in the I think they call it the major revision or something like that under elevens or twelves and we won it. You know what I mean? I was lucky. I had some really, really good players, you know what I mean? And one two of them are still playing for at the long time, I think under seventeens or something. And I pulled away done, you know what I'm saying. And then they asked me up with there were a couple of hosts to start and with a ground and host post. It's I done alright. The younger kids started and I was looking at them, they were five and six and I I was just standing looking and I thought will I wrong time? 'Cause the loaf that they have for it. Although they're all gathering in a corner trying to kick the same ball or whatever like that. Swarm of bees. it's fabulous, but it just it's the best thing ever. Coaching is a soon good thing. It's anything. I meant to bring this up on a previous podcast before. I think it's when you interview interview me interviewed me. Volunteers in in football. in kids football, adult football, volunteers. They don't get enough praise. No. There's not enough of them. There's there's not enough of them. and they don't get enough praise because they're the most organizing, you know like we was assigned at home and it's sitting in the kitchen making a lot of coaches at this house stops for football season. Right? So for six months a year, you know what I mean? And they go down and they're in the falling there's a drop of rain out. You know what I mean? Thank God for Jazz. They're the best thing. But are you trying to smoke? It's only a drop of rain, yeah. It's cold as well. Put on some of the morn, You can't say that. I just it's just you know, but you don't have enough volunteers in we'll call it soccer, right? And I'm going at a a bit of a a thing here. But St. Bridget's football club, fabulous football club, established for years. They're absolut unbelievable. The amount of volunteers that they have is unreal. Unreal. And it's it's brilliant that people want to get involved in that, but it seems to be less people want to spend less time with soccer. Like it's it's like someone giving you a hand. but a drop and go. I remember one of the guys but you know, one of the the girls just dropped it on her kid. Didn't need a hand set up or anything like that. And I said, But just fair play never again, but I wouldn't 'cause it seems to be along ten or fifteen minutes early. Yeah, like this down. This is what we're going to do. This is the training session. And you know, and if this is what we do in the training session, then we play a little match afterwards. And if if they were not paying attention, I'd say there's no match plans. But every now and again, somebody will come and say, Do you want to have taggy up the goals or taggy up the balls? 'Cause maybe there's somebody else coming afterwards you need to get be gone quickly. But yeah, there's a lot of volunteers, but they they don't I don't think people see what they do, you know what I mean? I like talking from Your chairperson now. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's worked for organizing games today who organise the claims on pitches. And you know, fix your secretary. You know, there's so many people, there are so many people involved, but God, turn in soccer, you want so many more people involved. And so like we see the coaches, you know what I mean? Like when I was there in the daily set was grand, I was called like two teams, you know what I mean? You can call them a division one division two or players of less ability. I didn't say you know your B team. I didn't like it. Very less of the thing. And I just enjoy them as much. What you were doing Sunday with them and Saturday with the other two and the whole lot. And when I met the big lads, couldn't couldn't run to do things in all. But there's not enough people. You know what I mean? You up to coach and train, you'd be there fifty minutes early, and parents are coming, dropping the kids off. And you're there for an hour and a half, two hours. You're the first one there and you're the last one to leave. Yeah. There's no real huge thank yous for that. You're working this your training session. Now no way professional. What I want to be right going down that it looked that the kids it was simple for kids to understand. But it's I saw one guy we played against a team and friendly. This guy came up with a whiteboard. Well I'm telling you, he needed a fork and lift him with all these teams on it. Markers I was telling the kids and I saw the kids look up like that. Zombies. It's on me. It's like me. it's your own and aren't you? But he was saying the kids were confused. Like I might have look at you this, I used to call it the Lourdove, the Black Dog. But I don't mean no. And I had no teams telling them what they're going to do, so I keep it simple because if you're down sitting down on a football talking to a kid's face. That's what they want. Don't even start with high thing. All right. But talk to the kids' face. Don't they are now? Every single one of them is taller than me now. Every single one of them. Okay. I saw a photograph. I think it's Ryan Kill Brian, one of the lads that's playing for a gun and he's a monster now. Now I remember this side. But you do you remember you remember kids, but the thing about this if you give it nicen simple to them and give every kid the same training session, whether you have a team on a Tuesday and a team on a Wednesday. Every kid gets the same training session. So if you have to make things, they all know what the story is. So keep it simple for it. These kids want to enjoy it. You want to get points point across. But if they're not enjoying it, forget it. Comp on the land sometimes, you're not going out. Well no of course the windows bad it has the haster transitions 'cause you don't want branches that are on phone. You have to come on the red. That's how dramatic up there, isn't That's it. Dancing around the centre circle. It's like singing lion. But the fucking Hudson Bay picture's like a bargain anyway. I'd dunno it is still now, but it was when I was they try to do so much, so close to the river. Like they try to put drainage in and everything like that, especially things down the the the part closest to the railway line or it's very bad. That's that's investment. And it's like it might be Hudson Bay, but they don't have that investment. You know what I mean? I could be slagging the British device and only slagging the other end. Jeez, we've no money. But in terms of of come back to your point, in terms of volunteers, soccer clubs need volunteers. If there's parents there and They want to get bobbed. That's very unprofessional. It is, yeah. Sorry, apologies. Jesus, Decky. That's actually You said you weren't going to talk to me. Huh? You said you weren't going to talk to yeah. That was one of his listeners actually telling me, tell that man to shut up. Decky, I have a question for you. I was asked this question many, many times. Okay. Yeah, just take one of those hosts. How do you referee? Yeah, okay. Hold on, give me How old are you starting referee? Many laws is there in the Jesus Christ. Many laws is there. Okay. So we know we had this question before. No, no, I'm gonna add to this question. So I'm gonna ask you what this law is. Okay, what's the multi-part law? We say this in l in a number of meetings. I'm bringing up the question. You can ask me this question next. Okay. There's seventeen laws in in soccer, but there's we class it as the eighteenth, which is the common sense. If you have an opportunity to bring in one more law or ruling. into the game, what would you bring in? People who dive should be bet with a shovel if they're on a shite. Yeah, okay. What are people doing with a shovel? Well they should be better than them a reason to you know. Do you know what it annoys me. Do you know why? Because it I think people who dive, they do it and and always say cheating and none stuff for this. And I've been I I've been guilty I've been caught on this number of occasions. But I think it's to try cheat the game of ball, try ch treat though the game we love. It's so disrespectful to it's it's horrible. It it's like I I'm not gonna say the game or anything that's but a few years ago I got caught rotten and I'm telling you for a fact when I seen that fella the next the next time I seen him, I told him. I said, The next time you do that again, I says I'm gonna fucking throw you into the stand. Probably can't leave that in the podcast though. Yeah, leave it the fucking podcast. So like and you know what? It was c it was caught rotten and we all talking common sense. Yeah, talking about common sense and and common sense is a major factor in our game, in ev every game because It's John Stacey who we said to us years ago, like the laws are the laws. But like if you went out there on Sunday morning and refereed like every single thing with laws of game, like you'd be a robot. Yeah. Like there's there's a robot. It's crazy, yeah. And I I'm I I said this to him when he interviewed me in my own story. I was guilty of that. I was guilty. When I start I started refereeing so young, I started refereeing at seventeen. So sorry, I started refereeing at sixteen. I was on the League of Aragon at seventeen. Here we go, here we go But for the beginning of the choice of content. I do respect but for about eight years I was the biggest arsehole of a referee because I I knew not I've still an arsehole. That doesn't change. But I I refereed the game I refereed the game as per the laws of the game. And when I came refereeing in the middle, I realised that's not gonna work for anymore. You're gonna have to you're gonna have to have that personality, you're gonna have to have that man management. And I said to you remember one day in Longford, the best advice I've ever got from any any observer was that if you if you want someone to stop giving out to you, confused of them. Do you remember the story I told you about Longford? Yeah. So this fellow is not I won't say the name, but a fellow in Longford, his biggest article ever. He's been always sent off. Always been sent off. And remember the pitch in Longford was this down the hill. Do you remember what's that pitch? that's right. It's up in it was Drumlish. Drumlish, yeah. So this fella chased me from the bottom of the hill, okay, up to the halfway point. It was hard enough for me to get from the bottom of the hill up, okay? The hill is like that. yes, and I used to find around to him, I says, Listen to me, do you want fucking sand? And he's like, What are you on about? I Do you want fucking sand? And he's like, What are you on about? I Do you want sand? And I ran off. Okay. Didn't hear about it, didn't hear from about twenty five minutes, twenty minutes. And he came up to me and says, What the fuck are you on about? I said, Didn't they get you to shut didn't it? And I went for twenty for twenty minutes I had peace from yeah but confused confused the fuck over But you still sent him off anyway. He abandoned the match. Yeah he abandoned. puts it in an opposition position for the attacking team to put the ball over the bar and get a score go a g a score out of it. In soccer week of verbal descent, you have to try and talk them down because there's verbal descent from midfielders a lot. You can't be consistently given yellow cards. You try and talk to them, confuse them. I'd often give them a sweet. I'd often have sweets in my pocket. I've often given a fella jelly bean. You get jail for that giving people their feet though. And he stands looking at me. And and I give him the sweet and I run off and he's there going to Thanks for that. Fine. But you can't keep on doing this, you know what mean? So in soccer to bring in the rule, in the middle of the park, verbal ascent, you'll look at card, get the ball, move it forward fifteen yards. Now they've got a strike and goal. Yeah. I I don't I he won't open his mouth again. It happens even in local area underage football, you can see young lads that are fifteen, sixteen are starting to do it because it's cool. Do you know what annoys me though? Ref w referees as well and I hate referees to stand around. So if you're in that, if people referee if a player's coming toward you giving out, why do we stand still? Yeah, I know, but I suppose you can look isn't it in just to stand there. Do you know what I mean? He's not gonna show me or a point. But there's making a way to show us a bit of I'm not saying powers, but But if he chases you. So if you're if say if you say if you're calling me name to height and in and you you have the same facial, so every n no one knows what's going on, but you're still cursing at me. Yeah. It's harder to sell that as a as a yellow card or a red card. But if I turn away turn away and run away and you've come after me, people are gonna say, Well, that's he's a bigger fucking agent for coming after the referee. Well you I wouldn't run away, I run straight towards his bench and say he's gonna get a card no less. Yeah. Okay. So it's just on I don't have to talk about you to your choice. Now we're responsibility is on you, manager. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? So you're not running with say that end of the pitch everywhere straight to the bench and now we're talking the bench to them. Isn't it? Billy here is absolutely don't have to turn in. But that all becomes your decision. That's a great point because I we were all trained that way. We're always trained to to manage it and sometimes what that is one of them to go to the manager and say, take him off before I fucking take I send him off. Yeah. Which is it can be as nice as I messed up and have a little board and if you just say to the manager himself, it's something I'm just gonna tell you one to one, if he goes, you'll end up going as well. Did you ever get sent off for giving abuse to referee? No. No. No, because a as we said, we didn't abuse them. Now it was times for you know what I mean, you could say as soon as someone trying to find where he has You know, he have a E. You know, it's like you might have red hair or you see referees on the air. But back then we ought to be gone like a shot. But I would I talked again. Do you know what I mean? Like i if it was referee who's got a bad game like going, I don't know, right across the skinny here, but we send it back for Go go look, just keep going, buy the attack, because he's not gonna get sent out. I'd go over and caution you know for doing that. I would stop the game verbal descent about a referee. Yeah, no, it's it's unprovoked. You could be cautious for lack of respect for the game. Lack of respect for the game now, that's what it's tasted. Don't care. It's not a regular sector game that's we're really going for it. Let you get broke up. That can't be in the podcast either. But you have to be over five foot two to play walking football. You couldn't. Is there is there a referee for you then? I'll do it. No, I saw but I saw the clip I'm making. And already one of the last is cheap. Because he rounded and scored. So how would you tackle it further? Yeah, how would you tackle it? How about you tackle? And you know what I mean? you can't take them from the neck down. You can't take them like scissors, kick, cider from the back, which were a great tackle. Yeah, we were goal. Yeah, he was just no good. He is he is Tanto Patty I just in his hand and his hands. Sorry. I did a claim decent decent decent goalkeeper I was. Well there you go no more. I know I know some decent goalkeeper. He stopped at under twelve. Jesus is a bad I actually I actually I actually have back refereed sorry back refereed I back playing football years ago after couple of years I went to Melville, Melville Celtic. Yeah. And I forget the manager's name, but we went over to Bally Matten refereeing. And at the time obviously I was League of Ireland and probably shouldn't be playing, but I was playing a match and I absolutely abused the the referee to the Hills Come Dry. Did the Hills come dry? And I said to myself maybe I shouldn't be doing this. Did he know who you were? Yeah he did. He led you away with it. Yeah. Yeah. guys so around the town so we're talking about players that Savage players. I have to t from my era, well, for my era my slight referee, Gary Stevens. Gary Stevens is so good. Unbelievable. Unreal. He was part of that little Melville kind of background. Do remember do you remember Melville, like God rest from PJ? PJKO. do you remember like the the old who was it? There was a good few savage players. Got Raf was God rest from Legends. Make a Raf, modern legend. Good lad as well. Broke from many referees' hearts. yeah. He'd come chasing after you into the dressing room at half time. complaining about something like there was a massive madman there wasn't there on that then yeah yeah yeah there was but it was a great game it was a good good game of ball and those boys the only thing about those lads likes to rap like the hatcher back yeah never had to go on a pitch like that those boys were dead yeah support you defend if you were taking off you knew but it would fight ten minutes the lad took you out to come on yeah as you said PJ absolute lovely gentleman apart from ninety minutes while he's on the line. my god He'd be afraid to give you free against him. 'Cause he'd nearly come on the pitch with the flag in his hand and and after the game he'd apologise and give you the flag back. Lovely man. And it'll work at the moment one the morning. I don't know about Jesus some some good la some good men. Johnny Marspark. Remember him playing. Johnny Marspark, in fact. He was another man. Cycle Square. Jesus was an old evil. He didn't have inside of the These Thai muscles that would stare at yeah. He was so strong and I've seen him a while ago and his hair is like mine. He has hair. No, it's like mine. No, it's not. You don't have hair, but I know. That's too right. That's what I see. I can't say his hair like mine. He has he has no hair, he's like me. I got new haircut as well. I can't say it on the cast. You can say what you want. When you come back to get it finished. See, Ray, you're just jealous. I just caught the skin phase. You have I cut me on here. You a zero for you got a zero all over the whole time. I do, I do myself. Mac tree can have proper. Do you do you shave it yourself off? Yeah, yeah. Mac tree. Face and head. Face and head. The worst thing is during the old winter last, the back of the neck does get freezing. You know, leave a bit of hair to mind yourself the back of your neck, but it's fucking freezing during the winter. When did you go baller? The back of my neck starts there though. It all fucking. Well, here's a funny story going back to Dirty Harry's, right? A long, long time ago, I don't know what the reason was, but Tommy Flanagan great by the stuff. He decided one day to do a skinoton. And they made a collection for St. Hilda's Behind the Bar and Dirty Harry's. And I think whatever Kevin behind the bar said whatever the rays in the skinoton, he would match it, I think, for St Hilda's. And on one bank holiday Monday night, Tommy Fanning and put my sitting behind the bar. And he put in a head shears and he shaved my head. And at the time I did have hair, I did have hair. Shit and he shaved it behind the bar, it was really funny and I looked in the mirror, it went state of me. And then when it grew I was about twenty-six at the time, twenty-seven, then it grew back a small bit, so I bleached it white. Yeah, you went through the space of white. And I said, not bleaching my head anymore. And then it just grew on the side and nothing grew on the top after that. So I was probably bleaching into the head. But fair play, Kevin from Dirty Harris at the time, whatever we raised, I think we raised about eleven hundred pounds and he matched it for San Hill isn't it alone. Skinatan. They were collecting money at two euros behind the bar. People are coming in. And there was a socket behind the bar and There's no point doing it now, you can never do it again. No, no, but that's it that's what I mean. Probably you're Tommy Flanagan or you're having no hair. Tommy's thoughts, yeah. He was good at the shaving of the head, so he did mine for me like sitting behind the bar. How is Tommy? Yeah. He's good. Tommy's good. Tommy's good crack. Yeah, he's a good crack. He's a fair man. Yeah. Was he a good football? Did he play football? No, he would not go football. No, you couldn't log Tommy on a pitch. We used to play football with all the the taxi drivers and stuff on a Monday down in Tormy Villas. Jimmy Fanagan had played that Charlie Green's brothers had come down just for give him a football, go for a few points. Well lads, you're blimping off the pitch after that. And Tommy would play Jimmy would play. Jimmy had a savage left foot. Yeah. What a left foot Jimmy Fanagan had. Kenny Colch would come down and he'd score an overhead kick and he'd say, Anybody looking? Anyone watch it? They go, No, I can fuck it. And they'd go and they try it two minutes later. Nikki Heffner would play it and it was just madness. Yeah. But You couldn't you couldn't let Tommy near a pitch. And he was he was like an assassin. His time would be always off. yeah. But you Manny's a lad didn't get by him. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. We constantly had to say John the Gods when we're ready, and anyway, so he did. J Jimmy Flanagan was a great footballer. I remember Jimmy's left foot. He hit this ball hard. Jimmy is classic. And then there was a fellow from Assumption Road, Jimmy Graham. What a player. Do you remember the day we were playing with Elon, right? And I was playing left full. And we were playing against St. Kieran's. And I to mark Jimmy Greheten and I was like, a hard man to mark. But they got a free kick outside the penalty area. But thirty yards out. So I stood in the wall and Jimmy had a right foot. And when he hit hit this at you, it was like a rocket. ball come at me, smack between the two eyes, and I fell back in the ground and I was in the ground for a few seconds or F stopped the game to see was I okay. And I was a bit dizzy and I was like, okay, I'm okay. I'm fine. So whatever he did, he let Jimmy take the freight kick again. What did Jimmy do? Smack. Into the forehead. I went down the second time and I was like, Jimmy, I'm just not getting the wall for the next one. So I don't know how we restart the play, I don't remember, but the two free kicks in the space of forty seconds, smack straight in the face like He never apologised to it like it. Just picture you hitting the ground. We were down playing we were playing for Gentex and we were doing music at the same time. And we were down absolutely hammered. Yeah. We were I think we were drinking till six o'clock, was it, or something anyway? Best game we ever had. Which is like remember. But we went down, we were playing anyway. And I never forget like the two you could smell the drink office. Yeah, all right. I'm over and look fine. That was fine anyway. And even the ref was looking at this. Something wrong with G2 nice. We stayed away from the ref. Was it you went up to head of ball or something like that? Or did you just start getting sick? Probably one of the two. I wouldn't say I went up to head of ball anyway. No, no, no, definitely not, no. So I think he we were ten minutes into the game, I looked over it, and here's your man. I used to have on the gocks at the sideline, and I burst me around laughing. So I was laughing at him. But about two minutes later this ball came up and he was just like he was feeling good. I headed this ball anyway. Well I was spinning like that. I was easy. I even opened fire once. That's the story. You're right. we're gone, we're grand. We're not a raw. Not a bother at all. It was all over the place. And Jesus, yeah, all we were shocked and said. I don't I can't remember that game. I can't remember any of that. I can remember yeah, I don't remember we had to go back to do a show that evening after that was on Sunday, I think, and we had to do another show. But the bunch of lads we were down on a Sunday, it was all down in Gentex and we'd go in to have a few points in the ball and alley and the crack was mighty. Great bunch of lads. Connick Senior League, probably won two games in the season. That's why that memorial game, memorable game against St. Peter's. It was a cup match, though. It was unreal. The the fellas playing that game. We had Mark Murphy playing with us and Warmer Prendergas, Dirk Bowman was in goal, Sid Allen, Tony Farrell, some great lads. Brian Gunning, Dunning. Yeah, song there recently as well. the overall getting older and all that, but it's basically some of the fails around that you did play, but and it's something you'll always have, so and that's what I I just say to the likes of young fellas that I me should just get involved in a in a team. It doesn't matter what sort of team it is, if it but it's a chess team or soccer team or get involved with a team. you you have memories for years and years afterwards. See yeah, see Celtic are back. Yeah, seeing that yeah, yeah, they're back in I'm not sure what division, but they're back in the season. Division four senior team. Yeah, yeah, they're playing. I used to play for I used to play for SC Celtic when I was young. I played for AC Celtic. Obviously, it Auburn Heights and Carton Drive. We played in Auburn Heights. Yeah. In that pitch. Remember that? Jesus. Before they actually dug it up to fix it. Yeah. It was on a hill. Yeah. I don't remember it. But I remember being young being a young lad and we went ended up going to the TUS, which was in the AIT back then. Remember they had a old big pitch at the back. Yeah. Yeah. John Stacey was manager. John Stacy was me. We got we got done. We done very well. We just saw some savage players that time in the league. We'd need Harney, Robbie Benson was there. Ray O'Brien had some some Dave McHugh, some top top players. Yeah. loads of went on to play League of Ireland. Apart from him. He was no good. No, he's not good. Planter thingy. Slippy hand thingy. Slippy hand thing. I actually fight either ankles. I remember I remember being a young lad and we were playing at Tormy Villas. I couldn't cat catch the ball for Shy, all right. Paul Tone was a feeling again. And you were in gold. Yeah. Couldn't catch cat. I was only young, young, young. But Paul Tone came over and gave a corner. He says, Compared to me, you young lad. All right. Well you wet down gloves. Well you wet down gloves, he said you can't catch anything. It still worked. It is a right work. But man said I had fourteen, I'm not gonna play football anymore, it's no good. But the AC the ADSL. Well, like I I remember back then when I started when I first started refereeing a young lad, poor Quinn Tori O'Neill was Fix your coin. Those boys were with it right to the end. Yeah. Right. And I remembered the very last meeting we had and it was in the bounty. And wanted you know what I mean? And it was about the potential for the AD Cell to be broken up and to stop it. And we knew about it. And I forget Alan's name. Alan was there. Or had he gone away from it? But there was about two or three committee members and six coaches. No way. Six coaches. In the bounty and we all look on one under one another. And people just what happened was other coaches teamed just not turning up. They gave up. Yeah. But those lads didn't get the same volunteers, they didn't get the praise. Yeah. For keeping that going. for so long. You know what I mean? I think it Brefany Roan had started. Bref Murray, those lads got in and they kept it going. They were brilliant, brilliant men to keep that going. I was in the Kennedy Cup. I played in the Kennedy Cup and I remember the ADSL used to have a bus, their own bus. Do you remember that now? No. John Stacy was well one of the managers, Jimmy Green was the other manager. And there was another fella from down to St Francis. Park. I forget his name now, but another another good light, another good man, another good coach. But remember the Jimmy Green drove the bus. The L C L bus. Yeah. The bus broke down in Limerick. Alright. So the bus broke down in Limerick and I was gonna I think was too expensive to get fixed or something like that. So we had to get a different way home. But that year we got to the Kennedy Cup semi final and went to penalties. You weren't gone. No, I so keeper. Phiddie Coffee was the keeper. Fair enough, he a good keeper, in all fairness. But he missed it, he missed the penalty. He took a penalty 'cause he'd he'd some right foot or left foot, I like he was left foot, but Jesus, I think they went looking for the ball three for three weeks there. But I remember that I remember Park Quinn and Bretton Rome was there and I remember Parker Quinn, like we wanted for nothing. Yeah. Wanted for nothing. I'm really sure it was all his own pocket money, his own pocket over his own pocket as well. was a lot of that. no, he he believed in the game. Yeah. He believed in the AD Sanding, pushed it on. But look, everything's has its limb too. Do you know what I If it's not go if if things aren't going to be supported, they'll break down. Yeah. I remember it'll fall apart. A few years after that then I went referee Sylvahring, sorry, I went a referee to Kennedy Cup final at in 16. And at Lomer He was going to bring this up, wasn't he? Yeah, but I would tell you to find it But Pork Nicholson Pork Nicholson not Park Park Quinn to Por Nicholson, but Pork Quinn came over to me watched the whole final even though Athlone wasn't in Yeah. Yeah, so he he stayed for Rome for the whole hour. That's one thing, you didn't referee another thing. Do you were you on the bus? I know it's just when he said what Worcester, you and bus that we got, I think it was one of the only claims we got it was it Gentex. I'm not sure it was Gentex the reason. But we were playing all we're going to Longford and Frank Wilson was driving the bus. But the brakes went. And you know when you're coming into Longford you have to you to hang a right, you know, a sharp right going on to the air road. Yeah, yeah. The brakes went. Don't remember. And we were on the thing and all of a sudden Here's Frank. Fuck And throw in the bus like that. You know what I mean? The brakes were locked through in the bus long to that. We thought this is it, bro. Midweek game. I think it was. Yeah, I can't remember now. Yeah, they beat the shit out of us. Mickey O'Connor was playing actually. Mickey. I heard it. Does he vote of he'd obviously another brother, but is there a few go fewer, mister? I heard that heard that O'Connors were unbelievable for brilliant. Fabulous footballers. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. even Roddy Roddy Roddy Collins tells a couple of stories, you know what I mean? About been down with lawn, playing with lawn. But yeah, Porrig was an animal. I think he was number four or five or something like that. He was just brilliant. Yeah. He was I think he was there to play with facing Milan, wasn't Yeah, he was. He was, wasn't he? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But Nicky Connell was a brilliant footballer. Yeah, I heard that. David he was a brilliant footballer. yeah. Cracking goal scorer. And look that goes back to at almost it's always been a great football town. You know what I mean? It's always been brilliant. It's you've never always had it. A a football team there. Once or twice now, do you know what I mean? It's very, very tight and was, you know, going to go, you know, and the time when John West was trying to maintain that pitch, sounding since everything and legend of a man. Unbelievable. Still doing it, still doing it. That's that's a lovely, lovely thing and he's always there, but It's been great. London's been great for football. Because at the end of the day, it's you've Longford Town and you have Atlanta in the Midlands. Now you're talking Galway, Sligo, all the Dublin teams, you what I Derry and Survey. It's great to Carrie coming through. And it's also great to see that that third division that you're refereeing in, that's a brilliant thing as well. that'll feed that'll that'll feed players into the n the the the teams in division one, you know what I mean, the premier division. there'll be more and more players, getting better training. No better coaching is gonna happen. It'll develop the game way way better. No, we're going to lose players to England anyway. There again. Yeah, the standard of football in that new division is excellent, but that's gonna put the first division teams under some pressure because I think after next season there's gonna be a playoff cup final and there's a possibility if they get the financial support that the teams that win the third division will play off against the bottom team in the first division. Yeah. So there is a possibility a team Isn't our first division now will be gone down. That's if the the money comes in to these clubs that's and they get licenses. It's hard to get money in because you know what I mean, shit years ago and that all the money they had. Cork City, there's the plain example of of team the money pumped into them did they were brilliant. You know what I mean? And now they've fallen down by the wayside as well, you know what I mean? I know they're they're placed on the league this year. You know what I mean? They're promoted. they got good got struck good structure and they're again but look at the end of the day that's all about the money. We don't have any of them in the country. Ray has on. It's all changing. It's in the mattress, lads. Okay. I have a few questions here. so we we kinda kinda briefly briefly told you about what the way I want to do this. Okay. So the first one is real world w real world world questions. Okay. And then the second one we're going to talk about made up ones. Okay. So you have to make you have to think if it's made up or not made up. Right, go for it. So I've a few of them here, I'll just pick the ones I like. Do we answer as a team or do we answer individual individually. Okay. Individually. Yeah, we went well. I I was meant to have a whiteboard and put a small little oak on I forgot about it. And if if Deki gets a really stupid question, he'd get one of these. So I'm dyslexic, so it might read this question three or four times. Yeah, that's what we got in the ideas in his wrists and his legs. I'm opening But you can take brains. W we you buy runners, these fellas bought this fella bought runners off the Mingi man, they call it. And this fella wore these we were playing Astra for this fella wore for about four or five days and I went for a run, came back and we're all in the room watching the United match on and on the b on the TV. And this fella I looked on this fella's feet and he there are Puma runners. So do you know you have runners, you've like Puma on the left side and you'd have Puma on the right hand side. So I looked at the runners I said, I said, I wanted a man's name. I There's something wrong with your feet I said, He said, No, don't I said I said there's not definitely something wrong with your feet. And like I says, There's Puma on the left. There's Puma on the on the left here as well. I said, You've two left feet on no, no, there's not there's not there's not, it's definitely not. I said, I'm telling you. So at this stage all the lads looked down and were like, you've two left feet on the turn around, I knew that two left feet, two and I knew there. boy, yeah, funny story. It was he left the army. He left the army a few years later. I know lad. We checked him a year ago. He was getting bullied in school by a fella, and I won't bring up this fella's name, but he knows the story and he's gonna laugh at me. this fellow's bullying him in school for a long time. He was always punching him in the back in the class, always and it was hurting him in school. So he reported it went to the teacher and they were sitting outside the principal's office in the tech. I think Val O'Connor was probably the principal. And outside in your man, he was limping, he wasn't able to walk properly for a couple of days. And the person was outside and he was afraid of his life for this fellow. He was only fifteen, he'd fucking hairs in his chest, sticking out with a shirt. And the lad said to him, Are you okay? And he said, No, you fucking I'd fucking break your face outside. He looked at him and said, Hey, your shoes are on the wrong feet. He fixed his shoes and never fought with him after that. They became great friends. Don't fuck don't you fucking tell anyone. They went off down then. They said to the principal, It's okay, we won't fight anymore, and they became no other bullies even still. Go on, you're passing it. Okay. Number one. In Finland, you can win your partner's weight in beer by carrying him on an obscure course. True or false? In Finland you could win your partner's weight and beer by a You can win your you c in Finland you can win your partner's weight in beer by carrying him through an offscreen course. Carrying him. Carrying her. I think that is actually true in Finland. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's true. I think it's true. They'd do anything for a session. Yeah. As bad as we are. Because I'm here. We should try and take it up. Yeah. I'll buy it. If he carries women, I I will do a competition in the next few weeks. If he can carry your women, I'll buy you five points each. I would show an obstacle course. You're gonna go and create an obstacle course. I will, hundred percent. I'm a ministry VTR, you do that nobody. If I go home and say to Ministers, I'm carrying you through a fee. It's an eight hour solid. Yeah. There's your your plantar fascinators. You can play either so I reckon it's true. True. We're going for true. True is right, Anthony. Come on and say the wife carrying world championship traditionally awards beer based on the person's weight. Excellent. Okay. You can you must be legally married to complete the in Finland's wife carrion world championships. No, I'd say no, I'd say it's not. But partner you said a minute ago. What's it? Go on. I would concur with Ann. Jesus. No. Yeah, I'd say yeah. I'd say it's robot because this thing is global. Yeah, you don't have to be married, literally, you know what I mean? Just to say it's your partner. Yeah. You know what I mean? Go get in trouble. Go get in trouble. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Go on. No, it depends as well, so does it depends on how much beer you want. It counts in if you drink Guinness or or cider. no, not playing to a competition. No, not playing. The answer is no. You don't have to be married. Twice. Twelve questions. There's actually super questions, aren't they? Do you make up these questions? I try to sweat or deliver. I tried yes, that's it as well. I don't say you're displaying. He's got blank sharp fast reiterate. He can't even say anywhere. Yeah, it's not Lanter Phasy eyes and his wrists and his ankles, now in his chin. He's going for a tough one here now, right? Going past the boys. The world's first stag party was held in Las Vegas. No. They were all over the world, man. There wasn't the first ever stag, wasn't it? First it was in Charles Barr in nine nine nine hundred and nine. Nine hundred and nine by the Viking. Okay. pick a nice one here. Pick a nice one for you. Surround with this for that time. Coming from stupid person. No, no, it's no that's not nice. That's not There you go. Fast users In Spain No, we ready? In Spain a groom must buy you a drink for every stranger who kisses their bald head. Heck, I'm going to Spain. I'm going to Spain. No, that's definitely not true. Yeah, true. You reckon it's true? Yeah, I've said it's No, no. It's fault. I thought it was actually fault. You knew it was fault. Same answer it because then you say, You're copying me and they say, I'm not copying you, I'm more intelligent. Okay, here we'll make up different ones, okay. So Michael, Must the worst stag outfit you've ever worn. This forgetting manual Emmanuel Knight and I said this forget it'll be the worst. I tell you now, this is a true story, okay, and you'll know this for a fact. years ago, here what's his name? Anthony R Anthony Rafferty. Right? It was his stag, okay? And this is when the patch was opened. And everyone had to be spot. Okay. So the patch, over there just down from Aces, it's just a shell of a place. yes, yes. But this is the truth, right? So I said that's grand. So everyone got this. So I got a bishop's outfit. Right? And it was a really good one now. It was really good. And other lads with comics like Bro Anthony was there on paper saying, what's the film? she's look, what was it saying? look at you because Anthony was and of course in his in his feature at time, I said there you go. He says, I don't know what's happened there. Yeah. But I was dressed as the patient. We need a few drinks. So what we did was we went over to we were outside and we were getting ready to head across town. And so mass was just finishing. So managing the bollocks and then right. I went over to the church and there was people leaving mass and I was shaking their hand down. What? I was shaking their hand and they were looking at my eyes and the bishop's go, I'm going to hell. I know I want to hell, but I want to see somebody there. But I was shaking their hand and reading mass. And I was shaking their hand and were heading us and I was blessing them. And that's true as I'm sitting here. I was I was there in the bishop's outfit and shaking their hands in the hotel. I do I've been all I've been all photographs somewhere. I I must get it for you. I'm dressed as the bishop and Pam Flanagan is dressed as a convict. And he was standing behind me, people read the math. Bless the hell you know. Because he had a few drinks on me. So that's why I went to hell. Do you remember the weekend we went up to Donegal? Like we went to Donegal for a weekend golfing. yeah, yeah, yeah. Didn't do a lot of golfing. And of course, Alma Dunn here decided to bring me guitar. So had a few scalatis during the day after the golf that wasn't great. So decided after a few pints in the bar, we'll go upstairs and have a change of clothes and have a shower and come back down. So inside myself, Tommy and Mal, I think we sit in the same room, if I can remember properly. Inside in the room, I was I was just out of the shower, picked up the guitar and I started missing, singing the song, although I wasn't able to sing a song. And I was booked naked, pretending inside in the room that I was like the the the cowboy, the dance the singing cowboy New York. Still New York and I was doing this. What did Tommy do? Glad me, open the door. Get me out into the corridor. And I was there going, Let me in, guys, let me in. I looked up and all of a sudden there were two kids coming down with the parents. They had made their communion. And there was the parents. And I was like, Let me in, Tommy, me baiting the door. Tommy, let me in. Malcolm, these fucking pricks, let me in. But let me in. And I says, lads, what am I gonna do? fuck it. But I just started singing. Started singing. And the kids come down and they stopped. Yeah. And the parents were there, are you okay? And I said, Yeah, I'm fine. So I just have to carry on singing. We were laughing at this lad at the out in the middle of the hallway. We would not let her in. But naked with the guitar like. And I always wonder why I got myself in trouble. It's not me. They did just your company. We were just having a few pints. Yeah, well sure. There you go. It wasn't a lesson for you. Yeah, but I got for any guitar again. Well you got to sing two songs. You're fucking singing. Badly though. Are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine. Yeah. He would have been arrested now for this. Flanagan, I'm gonna I owe you that one. All right, guys. So we're coming up to an hour, nearly an hour and twenty minutes, guys. jeez, it's that's fine. It's going well. So so anything else you want to finish off with, guys? No, it's just great to be here and talk about the football. Different, something different. look, it was cool. You know, it was it's nice. Look, we're all opinionated on different things, but it was nice to you know, talking about stuff that that's going on at the moment, not It said the lights of Man City and Man United, chaotic at the moment, for Manchester, you what's gonna happen there. So that's it's a huge topic. But look, we can still throw in the laughs and that's what twigs the old memories every now and again and it brings come down. But no, look, I have to say, Jesus is enjoyable, you know, and says me going home and me chatting yourself, she said, Jesus, you ever stop talking, man. And so no, hence I'd have my suit. Yeah, but no, it's great, you know what I mean? And just Keep keep going. We have I c I had about fifteen questions, but you put me off, you embarrassed me, so I don't want to ask any more questions. Thank you because there's stuper questions. Give me a break, we're there. No, we're there. No. You're always picking on me and I'm letting you not letting you pick on me today. Look, he's after doing to get this spare life he's after doing well. But you know what? My Munra always said to me, Don't be bullying older people, so I have to leave you alone. yeah, but she's she's she's right, she means yeah. He was like, when I rang that bell, it was probably was it thirty five years ago, that was she said? It was about thirty years ago. I was about twenty six, twenty seven. That was about thirty years ago, yeah. So I was five. You were still nappies. Five years of age when he was ringing the getting that bell ring a button. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But they kill the memories and cracking just 'cause he was useless that day playing football. We always had like an award for like a player of the match, but then you had a muck of the muck of the match, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And we'd go in to to Dirty Harries at one o'clock in the day and be there till closing time and Sloppy Gorgeous to play the disco set and then you go into Bozos and you're there till three o'clock and you go to work on Monday. You know it was We was to go t to go play the go to bar. Amazing enough, it was Dirty Harry's then, but nuts was still there. Yeah. It depends on what side of town you're on as well. You know, in the course of the last drink, it'd say Castle Inn. Yeah, that was busy enough for the the said the peas lads and stuff like that. For us in the in the middle of town was like Dirty Harry so it was, you know. It was Dirty Harry's forty ones. You know what we Forty ones instead? Well, you know what I mean? And nobody had an issue with it. Because like when we did finish up in football, that's where it was. But they just kept drinking. No. Every everybody got a chunk of money over Sunday. Thirty Harris was bought it, wasn't it? When we start drinking first on Sundays, there was a holy hour on Sunday where the pub closed from two o'clock to four. And from two to four they had to close the doors. The guards would come knocking indoors. And it was a privilege to be in the bar. You'd be in nuts corner. And you'd be like whispering to people. Shh. Armin will give you a point and close the the blinds and lock the doors. If you're a caught you'd be you'd be probably done. They decided to to break the whole hour. But they were the best crack on Sunday. You wouldn't go home for dinner then. Someone go, someone'll say something, someone go shut off. And here, looking back the lock ins. Is it supposed to even do lock ins anymore? Not that I know of. No. No I'm too I'm too old to be I'm by half nine in lifetime I've enough. I've got to go home. So I wouldn't wouldn't be able for a lock in, but I don't know. I three points last night I'm dead today. Dead brutal. Yeah. Yeah. I had a couple last mate alright now, but it almost did that Vencant's been like nothing. Absolutely rocking last mate. Yeah, I've not been in to see the Bensons a long time. it's it's Terry, Terry Benson, Leon, Bianca Benson, Albert O'Connor, Ian Derry. you want to like this it's just a a super group. But they play nearly every Vancouver weekend, the Sunday at every Vancouver weekend and nuts. shit. And it was just jammed. It was jammed last night. And it was they're brilliant. You know, good old rock at the moment. Three seventy five years of the night. And he's still rocking the rocket. Still rocking and it still looks as fresh as Disney and he's still entertaining people. He still has his hair, isn't he? He Yeah, he does, yeah. He went to Turkey with Alkin. He went to Turkey. That's I get my hair cut in the ladder in Connorsry in Bomber, is it? That's the closest turkeys I've ever been. Just in the side, people go to the the barbers to get their hair cut. Dickie just goes to get the gray bits cut out of his hair. Do remember do you remember the you're talking about barbers? I remember a year when younger going to barbers in Conishry, you know, down down behind McNeil. g yeah. Just going down the stairs. Yeah. He'd be dead with all the sm smoke and the smoke. I used to vote him or whatever it's whatever it was quiet at the same downstairs down but unrate the the public. the barbing third years back. That's literally said. Literally. and I I just kinda just throwing it in you at the last minute as well. So again it was a topic about football, about everything. So it's non scripted, as you can see, we just talk shite. It was funny for twenty minutes of lines. We just found it funny that he had questions. Ray brought his own fucking coffee. That's miserable. You didn't send me the five euro to get us coffee. I actually can't believe he actually didn't buy his coffee. I can't believe it either. Why would you not believe that? I just can't get over it. You should have text and sent me 12 euro to bring us coffee. Twelve euros. Who gets there? And who kept the guests? Yeah. Two rars he just. Yeah, All right, guys, thanks very much. stay tuned and we'll be back next week with with a special special guest on next week. Read people, not these folk. We'll be back in two weeks' time for another episode of The Great Escape with Tom, Dick and recall it, ring that bell.