Away Win

Away Win

Up in Dublin on family stuff

Football related oddly enough

A Crumlin pitch behind the school hall

A glorious day for a game of ball

An old man next to me on the line

Starts chatting in the warm sunshine

He talked of each Crumlin player by name

Guiding them through every pass of the game

He had gone to school here way back when

A pitch just for Gaelic, no grass on it then

The surface now was carpet like though

With Irelands best amateur players on show

“How are Cork FORAS doing?” he said

“Up until last night the table we led”

He loved to see local players come through

I point out the five ex City on view

I was only too happy to talk of my team

And our first division title dream

And then he mentions without a care

“My Thomas is the manager down there.”

There is nothing sweeter than an away win in Dublin.
I was in the Pale last Sunday supporting Avondale United in the semi final of the FAI Intermediate Cup away to Crumlin United. Crumlin had beaten Avondale in last years final and were going for three in a row this year but the Dale progressed by two goals to one.

During the game I got chatting to an old man on the sideline and from talking to him you could sense his passion for the game.
It was only later when he asked about Cork City that I realised I was talking to the great Theo Dunne, father of our manager Tommy.