The rain started drizzling down. It had been threathening for a while, the gray clouds were hovering over head the whole match. It didn't make much difference to the lads, they were trying desperately to make some use of all the possesion they had. We were passing it back and forth around the backs and midfield with ease, but anytime it got near that Garda center-half, he hoofed it a mile away.
He was huge! At least 6 foot and looked more like a wrestler than a policeman. We couldn't get by him and he had scored the only goal of the game so far. No one on our team could compete with him in the air so we had spent the last twenty minutes of the game passing the ball from side to side.
"Come on boys!" I yelled, "Lets try to get something on the scoresheet"
We'd ran out of ideas, so it was one more aimless lob into the area. The huge troll at the back, took it down on his chest with ease and tried to dribble it out. Robbie chased him down and tried to put a tackle but caught the big lad's ankle. In fairness to Robbie, when that big brute tried to pick a fight with him, he stood up to the challenge but there was no way he was going to win this
"Leave off him!" Gibbo warned, throwing the ball at the center-half, "He's only a kid, about half your age".
The two squared up to each other and there was a bit of pushing but the ref eventually broke it up, and gave a free out to them.
They kept their game plan going and just knocked it long into our box, it was cleared out to the wing, and Neil took it under control.
"Neil! Neil!" Gibbo was stood, unmarked in the center circle, screaming for the ball, "Now Doyler! Give it!"
A quick pass along the ground, Gibbo took a quick glance around him and passed the first challenge with his first touch, a nice little roll backwards. He advanced into the opposition half, twisting and feinting all the way. Gliding over sliding tackles with ease, he dropped 3 defenders before reaching the opposition box
"Goon Gibbo!"I screamed "You have them"
By the fourth defender with a duo of step-overs, it looked like he knocked it too far ahead, with Mr. Wrestler lunging in with a wild slide tackle. Gibbo strecthed out and just put enough on it to nutmeg him, then a proper finish; outside of the right boot into the bottom corner.
"Yes! Yes!" I was jumping around the sideline like a mad man, hugging the subs and kissed some women, not sure who though. "Thats it Gibbo! You genius! Alright mate, thats enough, pull up your shorts."
2-1 up on aggregate, we held on. The final whistle was like some sort of sweet music, we had done it! St. Joseph's FC were in the Leinster Second Division.
"Group hug in the shower tonight!"
(Where'd that trophy come from?)
---------- Post added at 04:06 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 11:41 PM ----------
St. Joseph's Football Club
"Put the ball in the net for **** sake!"
Information
St.Joseph's FC are an amateur football club from Ballybrodden in Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Founded in 1969, their senior team play in the Leinster Second Division, Ireland's 6th tier, having beaten Garda FC 2-1 over two legs in the Promotion/Relegation Play-off last November.
They play their home games at Ballybrodden Park, a pitch just beside the town garage. They boast some of the best facilites in Ireland for an amateur club, possesing floodlights and a drainage system for their pitch, along with a full size astroturf pitch and two sets of dressing rooms.
Ballybrodden Park
The club are getting ready to play their first season outside the County Wicklow Premier Division, having won the league on 8 occasions.
The Boys
Barry Gibson
"Gibbo" as he's known around Ballybrodden. Arguably St. Joseph's star player and all round nice guy. It's almost impossible to find someone in the town with something bad to say about him, and if they do, it's usually that he's too relaxed. He's been treated as a hero around the club since last November, having scored the 2 goals that won them promotion, notably the amazing dribble at home in the second leg.
Neil Doyle
The only professional footballer to come out of Ballybrodden. He played with the St. Joesph's until he 18 before moving to America to star for Miami FC. After 10 years of playing in America he retired and returned to Ireland a year later. Now, with his local club moving up in the world, he came out of retirement to help St. Joseph's gain promotion and plans to stay on as player for at least one more season
Aaron Campbell
St. Joseph's home grown wonderkid. The club has high hopes for this boy. Having been capped for Ireland at under 15s and 16s, plenty of interest has been showed in him. However, he has refused to move from his hometown as of yet, prefering to finish school before making any major decisions.
Eddie Harris
Ballybrodden's resident hardman. Many say he hit puberty at the age of 6, which he never denies. Often described as the Irish Vinnie Jones, he was dropped from a trial with Shamrock Rovers after biting a fellow trialist in the back. He's has been the St. Joseph's senior captin since he was 17 and there are few people who challenge that title
St.Joseph's FC are an amateur football club from Ballybrodden in Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Founded in 1969, their senior team play in the Leinster Second Division, Ireland's 6th tier, having beaten Garda FC 2-1 over two legs in the Promotion/Relegation Play-off last November.
They play their home games at Ballybrodden Park, a pitch just beside the town garage. They boast some of the best facilites in Ireland for an amateur club, possesing floodlights and a drainage system for their pitch, along with a full size astroturf pitch and two sets of dressing rooms.
Ballybrodden Park
The club are getting ready to play their first season outside the County Wicklow Premier Division, having won the league on 8 occasions.
The Boys
Barry Gibson
"Gibbo" as he's known around Ballybrodden. Arguably St. Joseph's star player and all round nice guy. It's almost impossible to find someone in the town with something bad to say about him, and if they do, it's usually that he's too relaxed. He's been treated as a hero around the club since last November, having scored the 2 goals that won them promotion, notably the amazing dribble at home in the second leg.
Neil Doyle
The only professional footballer to come out of Ballybrodden. He played with the St. Joesph's until he 18 before moving to America to star for Miami FC. After 10 years of playing in America he retired and returned to Ireland a year later. Now, with his local club moving up in the world, he came out of retirement to help St. Joseph's gain promotion and plans to stay on as player for at least one more season
Aaron Campbell
St. Joseph's home grown wonderkid. The club has high hopes for this boy. Having been capped for Ireland at under 15s and 16s, plenty of interest has been showed in him. However, he has refused to move from his hometown as of yet, prefering to finish school before making any major decisions.
Eddie Harris
Ballybrodden's resident hardman. Many say he hit puberty at the age of 6, which he never denies. Often described as the Irish Vinnie Jones, he was dropped from a trial with Shamrock Rovers after biting a fellow trialist in the back. He's has been the St. Joseph's senior captin since he was 17 and there are few people who challenge that title
---------- Post added at 10:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 PM ----------
I woke up this morning with a huge grin on my face. It wasn't the dream I had or that it was Saturday, it was just my delight at actually getting some sleep. My excitement had kept me up till 2:00. See, today we were finally back pre-season training. I had been waiting for this for months. I don't think I had had this much interest in football since I was 11.
It was about 11:00, I hopped out of bed and threw some cornflakes in a bowl. I checked my phone, two missed calls from Roy. Better ring him back, I suppose.
"Hello"
"Alright Roy? Two missed calls, whats the problem?"
"Alright Jim. Eh, I got a text from Gibbo, he can't make training today, he's injured"
"What? Whats wrongs with him?"
"He accidently set fire to his grandmother's wheelchair the other night, and dropped a fire extinguisher on his foot trying to put it out."
"My God! Alright, well everyone is still coming right?"
"Yeah, I think so"
"Fine, well don't forget to bring the footballs"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll see you at training"
"Yeah, bye"
"Jesus, Gibbo", I thought to myself. "Hopefully this was just a once off, otherwise this is going to be a long season"