Latest / On Your Own Time Podcast / The Greatest Escape| Ireland| Banter| Episode 1

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The Greatest Escape| Ireland| Banter| Episode 1 · On Your Own Time Podcast

• On Your Own Time Podcast: Hi guys, you're very welcome to On Your Own Time Podcast with Dekie Toland and our new two co hosts. go on, open the floor, Ray. You start first, you've been here before. Top of the morning. it's nice to be welcomed back to Decky's podcast again. on this lovely, crispy morning. I wanna welcome a good friend of mine since we're a kid, Malcolm. Thanks a million lads. It's a pleasure to be here. Well that's at the moment until this thing kicks off. yeah, the light will be up for the chats and the crack and just see how it goes. as you said there now, Skinny, or do we call you Ray here? Don't start, don't start, half question your name. I haven't come here to be used already. Just whatever goes off, goes off, we have a laugh. And nothing is too serious, all right? All right, so Deki, if you wanna take it away and frighten the BJS out of us. No, no, before before we go any further, I have not come here to be a victim of your Abuse, tolerance, sliding I'm here as a one of three, not just to be a picked on. Okay. I actually think we look like the three stooges here at the picture. We're all hugging together nice and close together. Two stooges, one normal person. I'd like to e if you talk about yourselves in that plane, that's not a problem at all. I'm here as a guest and it's don't start. Man Yeah already. I mean you're not even five minutes in the place and it's me and leave me alone and don't be at me and look at me and I have no hair and da da da da da da da and it's cold. It's cold because you're skinny. I'm not tolerating this. Yeah. I'm going. I'm going. me and Mike will have a good chat, won't we? We'll be alright, thank you. Yeah, it'll be at it'll be an intelligent conversation. Two homodons. Spell it. So before we start, before we start Nah, not today. Before we kind of get into it, okay. So I text I text Ray this morning, I we're running a bit late. Will you do me a favour? Will you get to get us three coffees? Somebody said to he says, Revolute me the money. The major fuck. Michael, what you think that? Well, actually, when he he said to me, Would you like a coffee? And I said, Yeah, thinking that he was going to pay it. But I should have known better. Do you know what I mean? And he actually Ray doesn't pay. Well, yeah, I yeah, it's I have sugar is very popular, but I don't like the only sweet thing you have anyway. But anyway, yeah, but he honest to God, he texted me, yeah, would you like a coffee? And I said, Yeah, you know, black or whatever like that. And I thought legend was coming down after, there's your coffee. Yeah, I got to feel. Absolute liar, but then again that won't be the first or last night today. Sorry, Skinny. No, we're not ganging up here. I think it's just more factual than I'll I heard a story about playing I heard a story years ago, I don't know if it's true or not. Dirty Harris used to have a bell, did it? Yeah. So every time Skinny told the lie you'd used to ring the bell. Yeah, yeah. There was a re there was a real special day where now we'd be used to Ray telling, you know, the odd porky pie and that was grand. But I think at one point we had enough of it anyway. And was it Super Sunday or Super Saturday? Anyway. So there was a whole eight of us in there, and Philly Ryan was running the bar at the time. And right down at the end near the toilets, just behind the bar, there was this lovely gold bell, and it was it was just there for showing the whole ass. And at one time, Philly had enough of Skinny anyway. So Skinny was at one end of the bar, and every time Skinny opened his mouth, Philly went down. You got ding-al-ling-a ling-ing-ling. And he hadn't got a clue for a while what was going on. But this bell was I didn't figure out till the Monday or something. It was absolutely shocking. Every time he opened his mouth the brand. And then it was so it got so bad and so used to it, he still didn't have a clue what was going on that Philly was serving up one end and Skinny started talking. Someone else got on ding a linga ling a linga ling a ling and gave it loads and it it it took him a while to cop on but eventually he he he understood that he was the butt of the joke, sorted. Now it stopped him lying. Did it really? No, no, lying, I was just making up stories. Well it wasn't so much making up stories as as lions. But it was it was it was quite funny 'cause every time I turned around there was someone rang that bell and I was like, What's going on? And everyone was laughing. It was hilarious. That was my hair crack. Were we c were we was it Elon or Gentex? What were we playing as Elan's Elon wasn't just to win after the match on a super Sunday. So Michael, actually we bring him back actually talking about football here. So the like one of the podcasts Ray mentioned you actually in the podcast about playing football years ago. god, yeah, yeah. So were you as good as he s was he as good as he says it's look we were look, appearance we were decent, we were Sunday League footballers really, you what I mean? I don't think we could have had a career out of it. But we really we enjoyed it, do you know what I mean? From a young age playing ball, It was just i it was great. It was great to get up and get out. And we go trailing, you we'd no issue trailing well most of the time. But we go but we play but skinny would be leftful and I'd be rightful, you know what I mean? And We played well together, we had a great understanding and it it was good for the team, but we played with some crazies, you know what I mean? Like people say I was a bit mad, but I wasn't mad, I went in hard, you know what I mean? But being a short fella, always the big fellas would be, go on, shorty the whole lot, and that used to ride me up, and that's how I enjoyed the game as well. But we were decent, you know, and we could play. We could we we could kick a ball and we could play. Some had the balls in the team. my god. Some crazy like what was refereeing like back then, like? do you know what? I think The referee in back then was you're more respectful towards the referee, right? It was still one man in the middle, it was very few lineos. You had we'll say someone from the opposite team doing the lines. But I just think The referees when they made a decision that was it. Now you might give out a little bit, but there was no running round them or in their face or nothing like that. Because you were afraid of being sent off. You know, like they'd say it's you, look, if you open your mouth again and you're gone. But back then there was it was more respect yeah, it was a more respectful game, you know what I mean? You you wouldn't look the thing about it was you didn't want to let yourself down. Now there was times as lads would give up and thought, for Jesus' sake, ref and the whole lot. But you give it back, but as soon as ref said no, sh blow the vessel. at the threat of a card, off you want to play it again. Not like now where you see and y even you see young fellas gathering on referees. And I think Jesus I when when I was coaching kids and I coached for about eleven and a half years, Jiz and and I miss it, but I'd always tell the lads, Don't be giving out to the referee because number one, you're wasting all your energy, okay? And the referee is always right. Yeah. So don't waste your energy. Keep it for your legs, you know what I mean? Why do we take care of it? Well, I I'm saying that 'cause you're in between the two, yeah. But as soon as I leave here I go. What a peril. Well you can say it knows. No, no, no. But but back back then, in all honesty, the referee and was you were more respectful. And do you know what? Y you knew the referees as well. There was very few referees around the Midlands that you didn't know. But And they were fair enough. And even though you could meet one or two of them now and they'd be saying, Hiya, how's going? But Jesus, I mean I remember God wrestling Jimmy Bowman anyway. He annoyed me one day anyway, and I went in hard. I went in hardened a lad, but I went in hardened. Well thought was fair. He took his time getting up, but I thought he was pretending anyway. Yeah. So eventually when he did get up, you know, with help from his teammates and a physio, but and the drop of holy water, Jimmy came over to and he gave me a yellow card and I I started getting onto him, you know what I mean? And he said he said if you keep going like that, he says I'll send you off. And he says, I'll give you a reason to send me off, you know what I mean? But I backed away from him because I said, Hold on a minute now. That wasn't me. And I backed away from him a whole lot. But he nearly sent me off in the second half, but he did give me about six warnings before he says, You're gonna have to stop now. Were you a motherfucker on, huh? If I had to ask, if I had to take no, I want to ask you a last brain. Was he multi-fucking? No, his his feet did the talk. Okay. Like if the man he could buy him, the ball could buy him, but never bought. Okay. That's just the way it was. It was a rose ed and lads would be sitting in it for a while. Malcolm was really like. He's to be honest though. He wasn't as he no, he was actually he was quiet enough, you know what I mean? But when we played together we'd be shouting at one another. You know what I mean? But we'd never We never shout abuse at one another. He definitely can have the big shot. Yeah, okay. No, he wasn't, he was grand, you know what I mean? No, I tell you one thing, but he had he had a serious speed, you know what I mean? And he'd get by lads and you'd travel up the wing and the hula and he'd be letting balls into the middle and the whole up now we couldn't score. Forget it, we get a nosebead if we saw the goals, right? It was something shocking. But no, he was a good tackler, but we had a great understanding. We called the line to get lads out, you know what I mean? So w look, it didn't work all the time. But yeah, when we weren't dying from drink, we you know, we we were well able to play like that. Did he ever tell you the story of when he played we used I used to run the charity match every year. Yeah. every few years we used to and we the Midlands referees played the Ross Common referees. And Ray Con Ray was he wa he was just in the branch, so the branch members didn't even know who he really was. Yeah. But he he came on the were playing as Ross Common. What happened to it? Be honest. Be honest, though. I mistimed the tackle. Okay. That's in the first half. Roll it back a bit. What did the player say to you first? He said it afterwards. So in the first half, he gave me a couple of digs and I said to myself, I'm gonna mark this fella now. Little did I know, this fella was a beast. So he got past me, so I took him down with a pen there, yeah, and the penalty was given and got a yellow card, and the start of the second half he got me an old man. He did learn. He did, he did. So he was going in on goal and he was had a one on one and that wasn't that just happened. So smacked him. Yeah, but with your legs? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Perfect, yeah. Fair too. I totally forgot that I was on a yellow. So I got a second yellow and a red and he got a penalty. He took the panty and he laughed at me and the they beat us. Well that's probably his only like that's that's his achievement. So like he's probably the first he is actually he's the chairman of the Bidlands referees branch now, but he's also the only person ever to get sent off in a charity referee match. And I was told by the ref he could have sent me off four times in the game. Patty Nolan. geez, that's right. Paddy sent off his own son before. Yeah, but I mean in fairness, you let your side down, you let yourself down, you let the referees branch down. And now we now we say going for some members, not go heavily. But he he has to. can I go for that meeting? Can I just say his name? Kern O'Reilly. You deserved every bit of that tackle. All right, is he? And a tough cast player Absolutely though. See Karen, there's a reason you're there on fair play to you. Do you know what I 'Cause you can take a tackle and obviously the tackle wasn't that hard. years ago and Karen told me for three times before his player was nine. He said, You're a grown man. He says he says, man the fuck up I said. Two minutes later, up I told you Neki But fair for a place, we had to take these things. He can hit really hard. Lord I felt a couple of shoulders off him and Or was he with the walkie with a heart on your shoulder? Good player. Actually, offered to play League of Ireland football. yeah. He No, I want to go referee. Jeez, fair play to him. Yeah. And look, it's it's hard making League of Ireland. But it's it's it's hard to make a career of it, bar your top quality, top class, you know what I mean? You know. What? You would have never made it. No, no, no, no. And obviously you didn't either. So I wouldn't know they wouldn't want to be shouting about that. Ooh, referee. So back and my so obviously anybody who's watching or listening to us, they don't know much about you. look. Well, there's probably better off than they're they're probably better off. no I I played ball and I enjoy ball and met skinny. But I've been working all my life and my hobbies would would be on stage, you what I mean? Amateur dramatics, musicals and actually rehearsal for a play at the moment and It's out of order. It's going to be in just in the local parish holiday town, but I they're really, really good down there and they're they're serious about their their drama down there and it's a great bunch. I I I really like it. I hadn't done none in a long time down there, and I really like it. And I'm supposed to come again out of order. Okay, you are at the moment. But yeah, so but yeah, I'm supposed to have my script off. I have a major role in it, and I'm supposed to have my script off. Sorry, Ollie. Just apologizing now. I think I was actually gonna bring it up today because I a lot of you people a lot of people these don't know much about drama. Yeah. And they a lot of kids drama tattooed in the back of your head. But it it's good because like we all like you see a lot of kids they're actually very they're very into like if it's he'd be good in drama or she'd be good in drama. Yeah. And they how do people get into that? Listen what there's loads of stage schools and dance schools and especially around the Midlands as well there's Instep there's Alpical Duffs there's someone that's common you know Magella Flanagan stuff like that. Getting a kid into a stage school, it's grand, but keeping them in it is the hard part because of sports and different things like that. But if you have a kid that enjoys it, let them enjoy it because it's a massive confidence booster. I see it in different kids, and include my own son now who's on his fourth musical. and he's just he loves it because but it's the social aspect, and also what it is is that you have this. this boost, this lift from other people around you, and you're meeting new people. And what you're doing is you're meeting people that you will probably never meet out. And you're meeting these people in a room where you're dancing, you're singing together, you're you you get to understand them. And somebody is like you. You know what I mean? And so for people might think, Jesus, it's it was only amateur dramatics and there's nothing in it, you know what I mean? Like there's 99% of those kids aren't going to make it. to the top, you know I mean, of a career, you know what I The likes of Lisa Duan from Atlone, you know, and her acting career and and loads of others like that. But what it does is it gives them a great old sense of community. And if they're not playing a sport, you know what there's a lot of kids not into sport, but if they're into drama and stuff like that, let them enjoy it. You know, uplift them into it. You know it's super. They come back knowing people, knowing people that they're alike instead of sitting in a room where it's they're on a laptop or on a computer, you know what I mean? And and that's where the life is spent. And they're out. And they're out and it's a whole different environment. and it's similar to sports and training, you know, they get through instruction, they get through training, but what it does is it brings them together. People, you know, and they're all so different in their own ways, but they come together as a family and put on super shows as kids. So if there's a a a stage school anywhere near you, get involved. Go down. The best thing is to go down and and and they'll encourage you to come down and have a look. Have a watch, you know what I mean? And see will your kid enjoy it. The hardest part is to get a kid in there and and don't force them to enjoy it, but see how them they sit in and see how they enjoy it. You just have to keep bringing them. And what'll happen is they'll meet someone that they like, they'll meet a friend, and that friend will bring them into the group and all of a sudden they're in. And I guarantee you a hundred percent they will stay in it for as long as they can. It's a super thing. We started doing shows together probably seventeen, eighteen. yeah. We must have done a show probably every year, musicals, and it was the best time of our It was just rehearsals were excellent, crack. You meet people, the social aspect was class. Being on stage was one thing. When are you actually gonna finish that? You're in a referee every weekend, is that an act? But he's very good. You ever see him when he's refereed? It's all image, it's all image from. Yeah. he's very good at it though. I can easily fucking go all in fairness skinning we did lose you there it. We forgot you were here. I can't even show up. I brought my young guy down from the moment someone was the last week we've seen it. Yeah, pitch for free and he's running on the pitch and Billy turned on to me and says There's Ray. And I said, how do you know it's Ray? He's not here. He's clapping. Who age is Billy? Three. I was I was I was I keep laughing at that. that's brilliant, but that's what you want. Is it great? And he's full of life and there's Ray. It's that's super, you know, it's that's good. Yeah, he knows they have no every weekend watching football. Yeah. so do anything when I ask you, is there a biggest achievement on the stage? do you know what? your biggest achievement look in terms of we'll say awards or something like that, I won one or two awards, you know what I mean? I think it stands out to you and I'm short as But do you know what what stands out to me? It's it's not sometimes it's not what people say. You know what I mean? There was it's when when things go wrong on the stage or something, it's like i if you have the support of someone, you know what on the stage, look it'll be alright, we have you covered, that sort of thing. Or if something else happens to somebody else and you can go in there and And nobody sees this after happening, but the scene and everything keeps going. There was one there recently we did in Clara, god, I forget the name of the show, they'll come to me anyway. But one of the girls, you know what I mean, there was cables around the front of it. And I was sort of playing a waiter on this, but I was off stage and unfortunately her heel caught the cables and took down a a monitor, the plug-out of the monitor and some of the cables across. And so when the scene was going on, we wonder, what the hell? What's you know what I mean? The cables are in the way. People are coming on the the set and we'd say 30 seconds or something. And I said, Give me a brush. There's a boss, yes, quick, quick, give me a brush. So I went out onto the while the act was going on. I went on, pretended I was sweeping the stage, pushed all the cables back in the way, came back out with a brush, and everyone went back on and it carried on. And the audience didn't know. And there's loads of little things like that that happen on stage that nobody sees. And they're the things you remember. But is that from experience? It's that would have been from experience. Look, people have saved me on the stage. he absolutely he buried me on the stage one day. Right? This was the most ridiculous. This is probably one of the most selfish things that anyone could, and I'm glad he has no hair. But this is one of the most selfish things that anyone could do, right? So you have at the Atlone Dean Craw, right? Brilliant. Super venue, one of the best venues around. It's absolutely fabulous. There's loads of things going on there, and and but years ago we were doing West Side Story, right? And what happened was well towards the end of the scene, it was a big fight scene, we were hiding, we were supposed to be there in a group and the group disappear and what happens is we're left on the stage and We'll say Patrice Coyne. Patrice, if you ever see this. Hi Patrice. It was you. Yeah. It was you. But anyway, Patrice never come out on the she's come supposed to come out and get the two of us off the stage. Power's Grant said, No sign of Patrice. All of a sudden, like I'm sitting with my legs over the stage, dangling. He's sitting beside me. And we're wondering, like, this is our first read major musical, you know. We haven't got a school of what to do. Powers Grant said, No sign of Patrice. And I knew something was going on. We were sort of looking another. And we we two of us were nearly like this, because there's four hundred and something odd people looking at you. The spotlight is down on us. Me man. And we like, what do we do? What'll we do? Trying to find American accents, you know. What do we do? Me man here. I'll go get somebody. Gone! Right? Gone like a he's gone like a shot. And all you see is this 400 looking at me to do something that had never been done on the stage, you know. And me dangling my legs like this. And the spotlight was closed, and all I could think in my head, no, have to, do you know what I mean? I wanted to burst out crying, and I wanted to kill him. I was there, and then I went like this. Ho ho ho. And spotlights, the lads and spotlight just closed at end of scene, the crow went, yeah, clap when Ian went after this fella. I said, Yeah, rotten. I'm not gonna curse. Well, I said, I'll kill you if you ever do that to me again. I'll murder you. But then we got together and then we said, Right, come on, we find Patrice. And here she was in the green room. And she never had her cup of tea. Reading the script. I said, Hi Patrice, how's it going? Hi lads, you know, when are we on? we just did the same. Thanks a million. Good luck. What? You know what I mean? She was down completely forgot. Go on say it, but they're they're the sort of things that that happen and they're the stories to talk about. You can have a fabulous show, a brilliant show. But for little things, for anyone's in the cast, when it goes wrong and the audience don't know, they're super, they're super one of the best shows I ever did now was the more recent ones was I did Lord Farquharden Shrek. It one of the best roles ever you can do. It's absolutely fabulous, and I loved it. And what I had to know, don't even start with the short, right? Okay? Don't start but you have to kneel down. All you do is stand Anyway, I had to kneel down. It was Lord Farquhat. Everything shreck is tiny, so I had to kneel down. So I for the whole show was on my knees and knee pants. It was tough going, but it's absolutely a super cast, super support, and it was brilliant. But what the opening scene we had the set built, Wayne handy over on Clary Bridge, a super set, all set scenery. Man way in. But what happened was the set was built, but I'm supposed to dangle these legs over the set and it's supposed to open and it reveals Lord Farquad. And then we went out and we were looking and he said, Wayne, I can't I'm not high enough to dangle the legs over the side. He said, What? I said, We never built a platform. Alright, watch this. No, this is Clara all the time. It's just it's fixed and insult. Wayne goes out on his hands and knees, and I'm just high enough to dangle the legs over, and off we go, open or night, the legs, and it opens, and no one knew a thing like that. But it was it was a super, super, super, super musical. Clara Musical Society loved them. They've done the shows for years there. And and but it's as I said, it's stuff like that. But what happens is if you get kids involved, they'll have those stories too. Like the audience, the parents, everybody out there, and all you do is do. there's a girl who does the musicals and I remember I was having a tough time in the show and I couldn't get it and I couldn't get it. But she pulled me aside and she says come here look she says all anybody wants for you is for you to do well. The audience us Said, it'll work out fine. It's just all anybody wants. Nobody wants to see anybody fecking up or anything like that. And it was a it was something that registered with me. And I Jesus, you know what I mean? You're actually right. And we had a great show. But if you get the kids involved and the parents are watching, I know don't be nervous, parents, let the kids enjoy themselves. But all you want to see is a kid. on that stage enjoying themselves and if they make a mistake, so what? It's something to talk about. It and don't don't you know push down their confidence. Lift them up, you know, no matter what happens. You need that. Savage, what's your biggest fuck up? My biggest fuck up, Jesus Christ almighty. Meeting me. You talk on stage or or personally. Personally there's been a lot, but this is probably the biggest. But no the biggest fuck up in stage is not going on it. I didn't arrive for a scene. I was in the dressing room. That's the truth. And it was recently in in in we did what was it? Sister Act. it was it was the first one my son was doing. That was grand s like I had nothing to do in it. Or was it no sweet charity, I had nothing to do in it. In the scenes that go out, look, you what I mean? I was the owner of a club, look decent, you know, have a newspaper and walk back in again. And they never come out. And he says, You feckin' eat it I said, What's wrong? He said, You never come out for the scene. I says, feck it. But look we I But it's it's stuff like that. Not not going on for scenes would be the big one, wouldn't it? You know, but you forget because you're talking. Yeah, you know. You make so many memories and it's I'm so glad I got involved in shows. I didn't know I didn't know you were I know I'm gonna touch on that next book. I didn't know you were into music as well, musicals as well. Yeah, I did love. This this guy is and was One of the best dancers. That's what I'm gonna touch on next dance. He's no he he has the the spelt body, do you know what I mean? He looks like a dancer. Do you know what I mean? Nothing upstairs, but he's a dancer, you know can sing. Mine stick to dancing. Mime. Fabulous mimer. Because you'd look at him on stage and you think, he's actually singing. He does stop and shoot. I used to go to the singing rehearsals as well, and I was asked just to mime in the rehearsal is like Yeah. Shocking. Shocking. And I know I'm shocking. I love dancing. Just loved it since I was really small, loved dancing. I don't know how or why I managed to get into dancing, but I loved it. But I actually I actually someone told me to talk said I said before, you're actually very, very good at it. unreal. It wasn't too bad. Well he was, he was. And look he just I remember there there was he did a tops of the tongue with moat or something like that. But Whenever this song comes on from Batman, the Prince did, he did this Batman routine. And I would think it was a Clara at the time. We were we were opposite anyway, do you know what I mean? In terms of the tops of the town. And he did this routine and I don't know how he wasn't wrecked after it, but it was a super, super routine that he did himself, you know what I mean? And he he did another one, What Show Do We Do that you picked up Ali in? That wasn't Clara that wasn't ballet. He did a ballet with You know, for a lad who's not trained or anything like that, he did a ballet with with a a young one, the choreographer's daughter, and it was super And he's just anything Guys and Dolls. guys. Yeah. Yeah, it was guys and dolls, yeah. And then remember the time we the fire extinction went off and at lawn. That was many. Myself, you and Alfie, we were doing a dance routine. And we said, What are we going to do here? Because the fire extinction went off. Big psh or into the audience. It was out into the audience. It was like this cloud of smoke and all it had four hundred people coughing. But we were there and we had a routine coming up because we were waiters in it and we had white shirts, black trousers, the whole lot. And we used to have to do this roll on the ground. And we said, Jesus Christ, what have we got to do? And myself and Alfie and Ray were there and my man here says, We're all right, lads. He said, What do you mean we're all right? You we'd be destroyed and white powder and stuff like that, you know. He said, We don't have to go underneath. So what do we do? So we did this belly roll, was there something like that? A barrel turn. Whereas you jumped and you spun around in the and you landed like that when the tree was did it. Now the girl said, No, should have done. No. We went out and did the routine and when it came to that thing, we were nearly smiling at one other and up we went and all that. And people were clapping, they just thought this was absolutely brilliant. But that's a good was and that's how snappy he was for stuff like that. Super. And obviously buddies wouldn't know that. A of the boys in the that the league around with me in school of accents with you that time. They wouldn't know that. No, 'cause I didn't want to be slagged off to be like a fairy princess or anything, you know. Well that's that's a new title is it? Yeah yeah it was called a fairy princess for I but I want to tell you a story about the show many years ago. The same one West Side story. It was in nineteen ninety four at Law Musical Society. And I have to give a shout out and very sure it was Charlie Green and very sure it happened to him. There was yeah yeah. Twenty men fighting on the stage. You were told, choreograph it, lads, as much as you can. No, I turned out and there was black eyes in every dressing room after that big rumble we call it. There was blood, black eyes, busts. Everyone was sweating when he came in, but Charlie Green, I think he got a black eye or got his finger. It was kick in the ribs, it was a kick into the ribs or a punch into the rubs. He wasn't sure. He was down on the ground, he didn't know who hit him. He was bang. I fucking dunno find find out who it was. You what? It's been video recorded tonight, lads. When I watched this video, whoever hit me is gonna get it. Gonna fucking get it. We were all worrying because he was angry. We were angry. Do you know what I Is a yellow, no? No, no, no. Charlie's actually over the States. He hear he hi Charlie, I was going to see this super guitar player. He played he played with a couple of bands in the club. Yeah. And he moved to the States years ago. It's a lovely family. He visits every now and again, but sorry, sorry. You're okay. You were there as well. But he got this dig anyway on stage. And we were all world because if he found out whoever did it, they're all gonna get a hiding. And I knew it wasn't me. He knew it wasn't him. So we were wondering who it was. But in our gang, there were two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. One of the girls, Patrice Reed. Hi Patrice. She was called Anybody's in Our Gang. And she was the person trying to be in the gang. We kept on pushing her out. She kept on hanging out with us. There was a role, yeah. The same girl that didn't turn up from something skinny, by the way. But we were all sitting down mad to watch this video to see who hit Charlie. Who hit Charlie? And there were about fifty of us sitting watching the show and Charlie sat in the front. looking at the screen to see ready to kill ready to kill and we're all worrying and w wondering next minute a video comes out and you can see Patrice coming over, swings out whatever she did was Patrice did it for him. We were like going, Thank God for that. Thank God. It was ki it wasn't great. She absolutely she drew the boot on him, you know what I mean? And it wasn't in it wasn't intentional, but it could have been Ray on the ground, it could have been me, could have been anybody. It was supposed to be a rumble, a fight scene, you had fifteen versus fifteen. It was chaos on the stage, absolute chaos, but organized chaos. But then when everybody watched and it was just silence and you see This boop and drawn. Charlie said, All right, fair play. And that was it, end the story, wasn't it? We're all delayed that it wasn't used like. But but look, in fairly just come back to what Ray said. You said there, that like why doesn't any of the lads know and all that sort of thing? And that's the way it was back then. Like, you couldn't say you're on stage when you owl this and you owl that, you know what I mean? And Jesus, you know, you're one of them, all that sort of thing. And that's way it was, but we sort of we were hard enough to to say, look, lads, come and see a show. See what it's like. It's a great night out. And I'm glad it's sort of changed nowadays that kids can be on stage without that. You know what I mean? There's more opportunities for lads to hit the stage and enjoy because it was always a lot of girls, very hard to get lads. That year it was just it was the most amazing thing that you could get so many lads onto stage, you know what I mean, and and enjoy your show. get 30 lads like that ever again and lately it wouldn't and do do you still think there's a small bit of stigma? look you people say kids are cruel. No, I think it's more like as adults now and you see adults don't mind it as much now. You know what I mean? Because we were speaking earlier on about how you people we want to get them into stage schools. You know what I mean? You see the potential for them now to enjoy themselves and there are many more stage schools. But there is still always going to be something there and they all saying kids are cruel. You know what I mean? And they can always say what are you doing that for you know Like they could be going to the stage school on the Sunday and playing s a football on a Saturday or something like that and I heard your goal, where are you going tomorrow? That sort of thing. But that's that's up to education as well. It's up to food to parents to educate their kids, you know what I mean? To show that there's different things. It's not just sport. You know what I mean? They can play sport, you can do all that, but there will always be something attached to it, I think, you know, but it's words are easy. Yeah. You know what I mean? And people can say things and and and talk about, you know what I mean, what you do or what I do, whatever like that. You know what I mean? And finding maybe some sort of little bit of abuse on it that might make them feel Little bit better, yeah. But I think kids are stuck. Some kids are strong enough that that washes away, you know. Social media is a big aspect of it now for kids with no confidence. But once kids go on stage, you can see they shine, yeah. And that's what social media is good for now. When kids are on stage, it gives them such an amount of confidence that they never had before. Get on stage and you'll love it. It's the best thing kids can do with it. I'd be probably guilty enough by looking back years ago, not years ago, when was growing up with like I that never entertained me in terms of all that kind of stuff. Yeah. But I think you're older and wiser and like you I go by the thing, Dean Crow Hall every year, what's it, the thing that's every year and All Ireland Drama Festival. Like I said, this looks mad and I keep saying I wanna go to it, I wanna go to Yeah. Or I see a show being advertised and I say, I wanna go to it, I want to go to it. But like I don't think they actually go and have a look at it. Then you y like I mean I I've I've went to Du Dublin. Yeah. Or if I go to New York, I go straight to the go to watch the musical. Yeah. It's in your own town. Why don't you look at it in town? It's it's a different thing. At lawn has been like that though for a long time. It's they they find it very hard used to to to support that sort of thing. I think it has changed, you know what I mean? It it's promoted better. There's a great guy in the Dinkro now, who's run it, John John McLean has run it. He's loads of different acts on it, you what I mean? Not slating anyone that has run it before, but he he he's looked at a different perspective with different different forms of art in there. You know what I mean? And he's he's brought it through. But the thing as you were saying, like it's great now, social media you know promotes it more, you see what's going on more, you get more people involved. But if you see five people on a stage There's at least another five to ten behind them. You know what I mean? If you see thirty people on stage, you've costumes, lighting, you know, musicians, you know, backstage crew, all this sort of thing. So what looks like maybe a sp a production on stage is a massive production to get it on the stage. And fifty rehearsals to get that on the stage. And it just means that you you get yourself involved another way, you know what I mean? And then maybe hit the stage. It's but like w we can say that because we're we're a long time on the stage and I'm a long time doing it and and I've got great benefit out of it, you know. It's very hard to make that step for people to actually go and see a show. There's a great thing coming up now for a Clone Musical Society, the Battle of the Musicals. And just take different groups from different places in town. Like in the Good Cafe have a group going in, but they would have maybe a representative from the musical society with them. And it's a brilliant, brilliant event, you know. And I I'm not sure where it is. Put it out there again, guys. But it's a brilliant thing, and it's for people who haven't been on stage. To be involved in a group and the reming to tracks, you know what I mean? It could be we did it one year, we did it at Madness. So there's six tracks, you perform and act and the whole lot, you get votes, you know what I mean, people put money in to vote for you and all that sort of thing. But it's the way it's for getting people on stage. it's very hard to cross that line to get involved. Yeah. But once you're involved, you go, my god, this is absolutely circuit. The best thing you can do. Just even if you ever want to do one show and just get involved, you fall in love with stage straight away. and the social aspect, the frames you meet, the people you meet, it's just I'm glad I've done it for so many years. Yeah. I was lucky to meet some of the good people that I met. You know, apart from you. You probably can't you probably you're all a good actor, so you wouldn't know when you're lying or not. Well well Yes. Well him especially he's he's unreal. Unreal at the act. Do you know what I mean? I mean not on That's not being good, that's not a compliment. No, look, we I think probably done I we rattled so long, you know what I mean? And y you enjoy it and little things might throw you but you're able to recover. But what what I like to see is I I seen it, you know, kids that I remember kids that we acted with, you know what I mean, in in shows. And now they're up there now. You know what I mean? There's a a young one from Clara and I remember when she was coming through and she's beautiful voice in the whole lot. And she came through and through and last year she won Best Actress, you know, in AMC or Ireland Musical Society Awards, which is that's no mean feat. That's very, very hard to achieve and she won Best Actress and And I was delighted because I remember as a kid and she stuck with it and she came and she worked hard and got all the way through. Now in saying that, you know, yeah, she's exceptional, but there's other kids that have come through and they're on stage but they're enjoying it. Yeah. They're on stage, they're enjoying it, they're mixing, they're having a laugh, they're having a joke. It's those couple of months that you know what I mean. It's usually in the cold dark winter months where you don't want to be out training, but you're in a hall or something and stuff like that, and I seen all those kids coming through and it's a it's it's a magical thing to see them. But older people we we have to move aside, and sometimes it's very hard to let go. You know, very Absolutely. People just get so used to being at the top of their game and they it's like what Roy Keane said, like when he was when he was at United had a few fall outs Aleph Ferrox and stuff like that. He had a big fall out when he was in his twenties. Yeah. And he says if he could rebuild from that, but at thirty four he could never rebuild for because he needed him in his twenties, but he needed him in his thirties. Yeah, that's it, that's it. But other the other thing I'll talk about, did a bit of research coming a bit of research. trouble now fucked here. I don't do much research. Go on now. So take it back to years ago, it's probably not research what you know, but the biggest nightclubs back in town was Ginkgles, was it? yeah, it was it was Ginkgles, it was Banana Fish Park, it was something else. Then you had Boses, which I think is the piano bar, which I I didn't set foot in. yeah, look it it was grand. You went to the pub, you enjoyed your music. So like there was great bands, you know the likes of Billy Mulligans. There was great everyone was out. you were out and enjoying it. Sweet Lord God, they were brilliant. Just all through the day, like I was banned. It was great. And and you went out and you just yeah you had your few drinks and yeah, the nightclubs you went to, but it was dancing. And as as my wife says to me, and others, it that's why we were so thin back then, because we danced. Do you know what I mean? And we were young. Duellism was that would be dancing. But that's still going. That thing is that's still going. That is no, I haven't been, but it's a serious country music Western venue. A place in Moat there was whatchamacallum in the middle of Moat across more supermax now. There's a nightclub there. The old should be that was a giant. There's I don't know who's running that now, but they've they've doing bringing good music down. Fellow come from Dublin, Nine McLaughlin comes down then. Right. Very, very good Irish singer, very, very good. I it's nine. No, maybe I'm wrong his first name. McLaughlin. He's a very, very good like like a Dubliner singer. right, okay. Yeah, very, very, very good. It's look, it's great that this place is open, and for a long time, like pubs were were were they weren't playing. music the jukebox had gone in and what happened years ago was that's where you met Decky. Do you know what I mean? It wasn't on the phone. You rang, so I'm going to ring you at eight o'clock or we have to be there at eight o'clock. There was no mobile phone. There was no mobile phones. It was the there was the payphone you may be ringing somebody's house and trying to organise it through a group. But what you would do is you would say I'm going to be in there at eight o'clock and you were there between So we'd be there at eight o'clock, seeing the rock about quarter past eight, twenty past eight, looking for the ring car to be rolling out. I'm here now, boys. I didn't that's not the way I was. Because you were so even at hair back then. But anyway, I'm talking to this. That's not the way I was. Excuse me. Don't start Alright, go on. No. Do you want me to say it? Go on, say it something. No, no, I'd never turn up late. I was always there, give or take. A few minutes. it's just a takeoff time. Anyway, so we'd arrive at eight o'clock. Right. but that's the way it was. You would arrive and you'd be in your groups, and everyone would mix, and the places would be jammed, and it the volume for talking, like it was well up there, and then the music would start and everybody enjoyed themselves, and then you go to the nightload. And it was just dancing, drinking, mixing, socializing, you know what I mean? The socializing is done now before they go out. Yeah. You know what I mean? And unfortunately, and you would see Like a bar for nuts corner or whatever, but y it's phones out. Yeah. And it I think they're missing out, they're missing out on a trick, you know what I mean? Of of, you know, conversing one another and even though you might have to shout over the music, whatever like that. But I think that some people are missing out on that, you know. it it's it's a tough one nowadays. Yeah. The good thing was when we played with Elan, we played down on Torney Villas for AC Celtic Play. Great venue. But we finished there, have your shower after the match. So the match was at eleven on Sunday. Shower straight to Dirty Harry's. In Harry Dirty Harry's before two o'clock. Track suits. Sporty spice we call ourselves. You leave the bag behind the bar, you stay on the beer. Up on the stairs. Up on the stairs. Up on the stairs. You go to Nuts Corner for a couple of pints, maybe 41s, back to Dirty Harry's. Drink there all night. Slappy Gorges would come in at nine o'clock and do a discourse. Absolutely. Excellent. We go from there to the nightclub. You're drinking all day. None of us had mobile phones. It was all just excellent old crack. And then you had to go into the pub on the Monday to collect your bag after work for training on Tuesday. yeah. But you'd have one or two. You one or two binders. Yeah. But that's the way it was. Yeah. It was just it was excellent fun. And the social aspect of football then was class. Was he all was he measurable back then? Wouldn't buy a drink, would he? I can't believe you heard that, yeah. That's true. Yeah, very much so, yeah. He's t I'm telling ya, as I said to Aaron, a duck's arse has nothing on the tightness of this man here. I I remember meeting him early fellow. I said to him, if you don't start drinking your full points, I'm never buying you a point again. He used to never drink the full point. No, no, no, he's able. I used to give up and never buy him a little point. Because I'd be like hocking the points into me and this fellow didn't finished and let a fucking quarter of a glass. Yeah. Or he'd be gone. Where is Ray gone? yeah. Gone. He's wrong. Gone. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's No, no, I don't buy your drink. No, now he doesn't. But back then, honest to God, there'll there be smoke coming off the runners and get out the door that fast. Mike him, you hit running though. But jeez, no. I was never into running. no So we we we do yoke every year, you know that a relay event. And I said I was gonna hold this out. We do f I we I started this a couple of years ago for Ray. Okay, go on, I guess. It's the limit marathon we do for for charity every single year. Yeah, you know it. I know it, yeah, yeah, and I think absolutely fair plenty. Okay, so the May bank holiday weekend, how are you fixed to do a couple of miles? Right. I want to show you something now that will why left foot, Christy Brown. I can't do it. I can't do it. So I Michael Mossy, I'm in the army, no, I'm in the army. I don't to hear soft stories, is either yes or no? You don't know, people are watching, you know. Okay, we can't do it so But that's that's weird. What was that back in your twelve? It's been your twelve. Can't I keep that picture since I look, referee friends ganging up on Mali. Hold on a minute now. No, I'm only just back from it. I know more lands that have gone through that and have gone back I'll go through everything. So I will. Just my foot. Looking crystal. Do you know what? In fairness, I would love to, but I can't. And that's the reason. I've I the last couple of years and you know this as well. No okay. This man has had a tough. I mean really, really tough. And to do what he's done and to recover from what he's recovered from and to to still be like full of life, full of goal, you know Ever every day he's up and he's doing it and he could sat at home wallowing in self misery, but he didn't, like you are now. Do you know what I'm like I am I am now, right? But he got to there. That was in the cover for cancer, or I know it, but I mean it's great that he gets one. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? He'll get another one, I don't know, maybe in six months' time or something and I'd well done you. But he's a legend. But the the thing about it is like and I can't complain, but like the past couple of years, every time I put my foot down, it was like a knife. And even though I would say I did a musical this year and every step I took in it, it was Jesus Christ, it was something shocking. So eventually I like I'd gone last Christmas to a specialist and well the doctor called me, how was the leg? I said not great. But I was going to I was going to different chemists in town getting all the neurophins that I didn't know, you know what I mean? But and I was taking neurofin constantly, I was taking too many and I don't know how many livers I'm damaged. But eventually I had to get the operation done and a guy up in Dublin, I opened the hermitage cedar, he was absolutely brilliant. so like I six months out of work, so I'm only literally back about four weeks, three three weeks in work. and it's great to be back doing something. But you don't walk to work, is it with the computer like I don't Quen engine, what do you work? You don't even know what I do. What do you do, Mac? Do you know? look at me. I drive a forklift, meet me. Would you go away? Up down. You drive a forklift. I drive a forklift as Well you got that job, did you? No, I didn't get that job. No. Right, you another job. No, I'm no, I'm still I actually what I'm doing is I'm working listeners lawnmowers, fixing robotic lawnmowers. I look, I'm an electrician, my technician by trade, I've done all that sort of crack, facilities, breaking management, all that, but You know, luckily enough we're in a position where we have our mortgage paid, right? And that's the biggest millstone around anybody's next nowadays. You know what I mean? It's sh it to have a mortgage is God love anybody. I you I don't know, you probably haven't whatever like that. It's so tough for people. But we were lucky enough to say, Look, mortgage is gone, and just get a job with a friend of mine. He says, Come on, come work for me and just tip along and do things and and I'm enjoying it, you know, it's great to be back doing something, you know, not like hero status hero. And like my podcast is all about like on your own time, whatever but we talk about again. But life has no timeline. And my over the last few years, and and I've said this throughout as well, since Ray got sick and recovered, You're looking at your race more often and saying the time of use. Like Ray knows and he's in the position now. I'm so busy in terms of referee stuff. Yeah. Like I do fixtures for Roscommon League and helping into Midlands and doing National League appointments and doing this and doing that, and you forget about the now. Like you you always say, weeks, where the fuck did that week go? That's because they're busy doing ten thousand things. Every Friday I'm doing three and a half hour journeys, but you forget about now. Yeah. Like worrying about money, worrying about this. But like you're you could be dead tomorrow. Well, that's the thing, and it's it's something like and when we know I don't know if you know Colin Kelly, when Colin Kelly passed away and that that actually that was a kick in the stomach, wasn't it? That was just a big loss to the it was a big loss at the time. But what it was for me it was a personal loss as well because Like he was always going and doing things. He was always busy. But anytime when tur I know to go back to the musical again, anything any anytime anybody needed something, if they said from the musicals, some part of a set or a car or a a bike or anything, you know what I mean? Call a call call Colin. He was great for getting stuff like that. and he he was so busy and and that's in light passed him by, but all of a sudden he was gone. And He was gone in his fifties and I said, What in the Lord Jesus? You know what I mean? He started look back and things at the things that you know you did, things you shouldn't have done, all that and then I sort of said, Look, do you know what? Think about what you're doing now. You know what I enjoy it now. go and do things that you want to do now. Like I were over to Liverpool there when I came off the crutches and all that. And went to Nottingham for a game preseason friendly as well, you know what I mean? And we're going to Manchester for Luke's birthday on Sin Sedens Day, you know what I mean? The Manchester United first game is on on the day after. But it is about People have busy lives now, okay? And it's very easy for me to sit here and say, yeah, well I can t I can sit back. I've been lucky enough that we were able to clear mortgage, both working, Luke is doing fine and we're lucky that way. A lot of people don't have that because everything is so expensive now. You've got to work, you've got to double job, you've got to bring in the money. You're trying to make a life for yourself and sometimes that life that you're trying to make, it flies by so quick. but you you're doing it for the you're doing it for your family. we used to think years ago when when we'd leave Luke into we'll say the minders or into his his grannies and all that, you know what I mean, who were great for him. But you were working, you think are we missing out on something here? But no, what you're trying to do is you're trying to give him a life. You know what I mean? Later on, you know, spend as much time and then but Given the benefit of you know, a a solid home and money in the pocket for him if he ever needs it, that sort of thing. But it's just so busy for people now, and it's a no it's a tough life now for people. I had a a a lovely girl on the podcast a few weeks ago, a psychotherapist. yeah, yeah. she talked about childhood trauma and she talked about she went through a difficult time until she was in her twenties. where she was told she a child young and she was told her life is old over. Yeah. She's not from Ireland obviously, but when she came she moved to Ireland and she realized that what a country we actually have, the modern people we actually have. And she opened up to like no like people can actually have a child young and still have a life. she talked about childhood trauma, she talked about like kids, no matter what you you do with your child, bro, like when your child is older, something always relates back to their childhood. If that means like there there's abuse in the house or there's poverty in the house or their fathers are always working or their mothers are always working, that child naturally vears off to that. So like if you're always busy, that child is always thinking, it's normal to be busy, it's normal to be stressed, it's normal to be this. But it's it's quite not it's actually Not. and it's not in negative in terms of the child, and it's not negative in terms of the parent, it's just a situation that people find themselves in. so like lately I've sitting and I'm watching my own younger, and I'm saying, I'd love to give stuff to him that I wouldn't have. Yeah, I'm bringing a football matches even like I always went to football matches a younger, but I want him to get out there. I want to or his granny's always saying, it's raining outside, don't bring him out. He's alright. I'm gonna jack it on him, go and kick him. Or like I was in Mongsa Monday, I think you were there, and it was pissing over the heavens, and there's a hill in Kushla. I don't know. He was enjoying that. Rolling down the hill in the Christians around. You can see all the parents looking at him that's a poor that that's the poor dad. But he got and he smiled and thinking, let's do it again. Yeah. And just seeing the face, his face, it was like, that's what it's about. Yeah. It's not about what other people care or think about. And I I said this to Ray before, you'll probably listen to my podcast. The reason I started this podcast is because I want people to have this. I want people to have the experience. Like a fella said to me a couple weeks ago on a podcast, he says he was going through he had a drug drug drug addiction and he's recovering now. Yeah. But he said He's never actually opened up as much as he opened up to me in a podcast as he did in an AV. Yeah. He says it was just different. It was like a normal conversation. And he actually texts me very much three days in a row. He says, I want to do what you're doing. Yeah. That's a super but it's very easy to talk to you isn't it's a piece of him. You fixed a piece of him. You know, but sometimes people need to get it out of them as well. And it's the environment that you that you create. It mightn't be in a meeting with a load of people, it mightn't be a one-on-one, but it could be something like this where you sit down and just talk about it and go, you know what I I this is good to talk and get it out. Yeah. It's but i it is important for for people to understand like you're working hard for your kid as well, you know what I mean? And you're trying to give them the best and that's all anybody ever wants to do and you know yourself You just want them to have a a a sort of better life, you know what I mean? And sometimes you might you know, you're working so hard. It's the now, you know, give give them as much now as you possibly can, you know what I mean? 'Cause as that lady said, y you can report back to a bit of childhood trauma and stuff like that, you what I mean? But it it comes back, it it does come back. It it she mentioned in multiple cases, she mentioned about the bloom therapy therapy. Like I was always told my job in in especially in instructing about the I'm sorry, iceberg. So like the top of the iceberg above the water is what we see and then below the water is what What like people don't see, and that's what that's what people need to realise as well. And especially I'm gonna revert back to refereeing, small bit about refereeing. You've got on a pitch, no one knows what's going through that referee's head. Yeah, he could be going out there, he could be his could be fighting with the wife, he could be divorced from the wife, or it could be she could be divorced from the husband, whatever stress, whatever stress they're going on. But they might have to go out there to do the game. Yeah, people watching the game don't realise that. Like, and I threw this stat out a few years ago, and you you know you're well used to it, me showing her out, and when I do beginner sports, as I always say, and I always find I always try to get to know my audience and I could say is I I could ask them by two minutes into the the training I could say I know you're a manager. I know you're I know you're a coach I know you're I know you love football because the all the only question I ask is what makes a good referee and what do you think the best responsible manager is? It's a control, no? it before. I'd say something stupid and then you'll laugh at me. I don't Well manager always says, and it's the way they know the audience, it the best referees is the best referee to let the game flow. Facts, let them play. yeah. That's a manager. But like a person that understands football, a person that understands what referee in a row and you just touched about control. If I let the game flow, I let them go, what think happens each time? Sure it gets worse and worse. We talk about control and like that comes down to like it comes down to the iceberg therapy. It comes down to comes down to that. No, I'm sure it's grand. That's what I you can edit all this and this you can edit all this bullshit. No, I edit. This is obvious. No I like And the reason we do the the reason I'd the reason I I have a referee and because I've seen I went to the match a couple weeks ago, a junior match, and I've seen the abuse that referee gets on the sideline. Yeah. And I was like, I look all I say this I'm lucky my young fellows would be. Because I wanted to go over and stuff I wouldn't do as a referee. But I wanted to say it to the manager, the manager was there, will you ever cop on for yourself? They k there are kids out there. Yeah. And like to be honest with the referee was young as well. And there was another situation recently happened in Midlands and we went to the referee or the game, a referee rank Ray. Highly upset over a situation last Saturday. Unbelievable. I think I shouldn't be talking about an instructor, but I'm just saying it people need to realise, and anybody's watching this that had is a manager, is involved in football, give that referee a break.