MY CRYSTAL CITY WAS MORE THAN FAIR

If you’ve achieved even the most modest of success at some point outside of your home environs it’s always nice to return to the fold and celebrate that with the people you know best – your family and friends.

With that in mind I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous as I was last Saturday night (October 15^th) in Dooley’s hotel for the Waterford launch of Just Follow the Floodlights.

This was my eighth book and though everything I’ve wrote has sold well within the city (knocking on wood several times here) and a little beyond (I know a couple of Waterford United books somehow found their way to India!) this publication was different.

For a start the book wasn’t entirely local. Though the Blues are held in fond regard they only made up for around 16 pages of a 310 paged book. Bar some extremely well known players throughout the ages, it didn’t feature a host of local everyday folk. When I wrote my last book Blow It Up Ref! based on the local Waterford & District Junior League, it was standing room only in the Granville Hotel and almost every club showed up. Plus I was aware that relations between Waterford United and the Junior League had been frayed at times down through the years.

 I’d been dealt an unlucky hand when four of the 1966 Championship winning side was on holidays whilst another couple had no interest, but I was determined to get some hallmark names for the night.

Al Finucane was always in my mind. As captain of the 1980 FAI Cup winning side (astonishingly still our last success in it) he was delighted to come on board as was a certain Brian Gardiner who’s goal in the 22^nd minute that day captured the cup.

Johnny Matthews would have gone to the event if it was in Anchorage, Alaska. The man is a star, whilst having the great Jackie Morley and Peter Thomas there made my day. Throw in Alan Barry a stalwart of the Blues defences throughout the 80/90s and Paschal ‘Snackbox’ Keane and current manager Paul O Brien I had the ideal spread to cover the ages.

Matt Keane done a great job as MC, John Delaney gave me a lovely present as his guest in the Presidents Suite for the Estonia game, and my cousin Erica Butler nearly collapsed when told she’ll be able to meet Damien Duff, but the real star of the night was Eoin Hand.

Now I got the former Republic of Ireland manager down from Kerry for personal reasons (I’ve felt he’d been forgotten about in the bandwagon under Jack, given that his Republic side had lost out on goal difference qualifying for the ’82 World Cup thanks to a disgraceful decision on a cold wet night in Brussels from a ref who if he fell on his arse would bounce out of the stadium with the wad in his back pocket) but he really got everyone going – I’d come back from the toilet to hear him singing “Working Man” and was wondering what in the name of Christ he was doing, till I found out he’d produced a CD last year!

The hard working Blues Supporters Club were given a brown envelope (not as big as the ref in Brussels) but as a token of their help in a previous book, whilst I presented the clubs kitman Michael Walsh with an outstanding achievement award that brought him a standing ovation - a man who appeared at the gates of Kilcohan Park in 1965 and was asked to help put up a gate, who’s never been away from the club since.

Every player should have been there to see it. He’s not a guy who washes the kit for the privileged few...he’s an institution. Fair dues for the club committee being there  to witness it.

I finished the night in the Residents bar with Mr Hand still cracking jokes before I got the bill for the night...which sobered me up.  If people enjoyed it as much as I did, then I’m one blessed man.