The passing of Kevin Keegan brought some unexpected feelings last week.

Obviously there was sadness with the news, a flood of nostalgia and thoughts of those moments we all remember.

For me there was an acknowledgement of where I am now and what it means.

I’m a Newcastle fan and I’m a Newcastle fan largely because of Kevin Keegan. It’s mainly his fault.

Being in Belfast during the 90s we didn’t get a lot of glamorous visitors. Big events and stars came but once the obligations were done they very quickly headed to the airport. Belfast wasn’t the weekend visit spot it has become back then sadly.

August 1994 Newcastle United came to visit. They were the opposition at a testimonial game for Billy Bingham. He had stepped down as manager in November of 1993 after failure to qualify for Italia ‘90 and USA ‘94.

The game itself hasn’t lingered long in my memory despite a 2-5 win for Newcastle and my Dad leaning in to tell me that seeing both George Best and Kevin Keegan on the pitch at the same time was a privilege that few could ever say they had seen.

The impact of the game though remains.

I became a Newcastle fan that night.

I made my choice and I did so with very little knowledge of the game itself but because of what I experienced. Dazzled by star power and the passion of the travelling Geordie faithful I made my decision.

From there things were always a case of coming close.

The league, the sale of Andy Cole to a hated rival, the protest and how Keegan dealt with it, that post match interview, Keegan slumped over the hoarding at Anfield thanks to Stan Collymore. Shearer signing and the masses coming to welcome home one of their own.

I was invested. I was all in.

Even during the Ashley era and the second coming of Kev. Despite the fall out from James Milner being sold to Villa and the inevitable departure of Keegan, without a helicopter this time, I was on board.

The ups, the downs (literal and figurative) I was as passionate as any.

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Recent seasons thought I’ve become a little detached. The current ownership and my moral compass are out of sync. The Carabao Cup win brought tears and since then I’ve almost felt on the verge of walking away because this relationship doesn’t feel like it once did.

When the news of Keegan’s passing broke I remembered what he meant to me. The entertainment, the thrill of the chase, the joy and the disappointment, the ecstasy and the agony and why this club all those miles away still matters to me.

Distance was irrelevant , I felt every ball kicked, every tackle won and every goal conceded. He was THE personality in a sea of bland managerial interviews. He felt everything and as a consequence we did to. I never wanted to beat Man Utd more than after that ‘I would love it’ interview. Keegan made me feel connected.

There over 6000 at Bingham’s testimonial that night in Windsor Park. Sometimes I wonder if anyone else became a Newcastle fan that night as a a consequence. I have nothing but gratitude for Kevin Keegan and what he did all those years ago.

What do I do now?

I think the right thing to do is say here quite simply thank you and to the club I decided to follow that night, maybe it’s time to try and reconnect.

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I always had the USA as a last 16 team. Nothing more, nothing less. Being host does not give you an automatic pass to glory or even a quarter final.

They hype behind the USA team was beginning to snowball long before Balogun received red. Every passing game it stepped up a gear. The disrespect towards Bosnia -Herzegovina was quite something from some wings of media and (as always) the online contingents.

They weren’t a bad side by any stretch. However, could you genuinely identify a truly terrible team from the tournament began?

The red card should never have happened. The coming together and the bad tackle was the consequence of accidental contact and not intent. As a complete bystander and armchair viewer I’m saying it’s a yellow.

In a Premier League game it might have been a red but an appeal would have probably seen the card rescinded.

The issue isn’t the tackle, the card, the VAR. The issue is what happened next. Outside interference.

Trump got involved. Asked his mate if it could be dealt with. His mate whose offices reside in Trump Tower. His mate who gave him a peace prize for well……nothing.

That’s the issue.

The guy with the final say.

Despite what the current White House incumbent thinks…it’s not him.

At the end of the day the overturning or suspension of that red card proved fruitless anyway. The USA will go no further, the last 16 is where the journey ends.

The conversation though will continue as this is not the first time something like this has happened.

The precedence sadly, already exists.

Ronaldo got sent off against Ireland and saw his card suspended.

A tournament without Ronaldo from the start? Unthinkable apparently.

So outside forces have been at play before a World Cup ball was kicked.

The case for allowing the suspension of the decisions made by officials is already here.

Big Brother is already watching. From high up like an emperor of old ready to deliver thumbs up or thumbs down.

The call was coming from inside the house.

The red card needs to be brandished elsewhere!

Messi is incredible. Walked out and bagged a hat trick game one, went straight to the top of the all time scoring charts. Joint top with Klose at least for now. The modern day GOAT had held the World Cup and wants more. You can feel it in the air. Will he get there? Time will tell, but he looks hungrier than ever!

Ronaldo meanwhile looked like a pale imitation of himself meanwhile in Portugal’s opener. His powers are waning even if his ego is still at 100%. Trying to get to every ball, despite team mates being in better positions and a point rather than three the consequence. Individuality over team, if something doesn’t change Portugal may exit early.

Smaller nations have come to compete and not just participate. Yes, Curacao took a thumping but the joy of their goal in a 7-1 thrashing is a world cup moment in itself. African nations are showing up too with all winning starts Ghana and Ivory Coast making their fans suffer for the the points first. Ca

Haaland and Mbappe make early shouts for the golden boot. France have all the pieces to go all the way to lift the trophy and Norway will no doubt fall into the ‘dark horse’ pick for many.

Scotland toughed out a win, the fans did what Celtic fanbases do and endeared themselves and drank a lot. How far they can go I’m not sure with Morocco and Brazil awaiting.

Quick sidebar- if Flower of Scotland didn’t give you chills please check your pulse!

Oh and England won so as soon as the whistle blew and the analysis began with ‘best game of the World Cup so far’ as a question I was already reaching for the off button.

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So wait awaits in this second round of games?

Australia and USA will be a key game in and might be my pick of the bunch after both impressed in their first outings.

Will we see Neymar? Or will he be used to scapegoat a Brazil exit whenever that may come.

Will Cape Verde, Curacao or another smaller nation do the unthinkable and topple a giant? With Verde’s point against Spain, you could argue it’s already been done.

Can the goals continue to flow?

How many managers will Tunisia have had by the time they exit the tournament?

Will everyone stop banging on about hydration breaks?

Will Messi become the all time World Cup goal scorer?

At what point will Ronaldo take a look at himself?

Could England win it? Could we cope with the media frenzy?

The second round of games are already under way.

What stories and moments await?

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A lot has been written and said on podcasts in recent years about the World Cup. The politics, the hosts, workers rights, FIFA, ticket prices. The list feels ever increasing and more depressing as each tournament comes towards.

However, remove the noise, strip it all back and there’s one thing undeniable about the World Cup.

Moments.

Milla dancing.

Gazza crying.

Lineker looking to the bench.

Houghton scoring.

Big Jack jubilant.

Paul McGrath shackling the very best when many would have wilted.

Baggio standing in disbelief ponytail in the breeze watching the dream die.

Maradona running crazed towards the camera.

That Bergkamp goal against Argentina (my favourite World Cup goal incidentally)

France lifting the trophy heralding a new era.

The new era lose to Senegal.

We all backed South Korea in the semi final.

R9s redemption arc.

Spain exit early.

Poll forgetting two yellows mean a red.

A young man wearing 19 destined for greatness emerges.

Portugal and the Netherlands going to war in Nuremberg.

Zidane walking past the trophy never to be seen again on the grandest stage.

Vuvuzelas everywhere.

France on strike.

Slovakia send Italy home.

de Jong going for the heart of Alonso.

Mueller’s hat trick.

Cahill’s volley.

Tim Howard saves everything.

Van Persie diving for that header.

James Rodriguez hits it sweet.

Klose makes the record books.

Brazil v Germany the score line no one saw coming.

Ronaldo’s hat trick against Spain.

England’s penalty redemption.

Toni Kroos folks, Toni Kroos.

France v Argentina foreshadowing things to come.

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Netherlands v Argentina. 17 yellow cards and a red after the whistle.

2-2 and two penalty saves from Emi Martinez.

Mbappe’s golden boot.

The 19 who became a 10 ten who became the one true great.

So what comes next.

No one really knows.

When the dust settles, the sticker books are full and the last pint has been drank, one thing will remain.

Moments.

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We need to talk about Northern Ireland.

Michael O’Neill has turned down the regularity of club football to take things forward with Northern Ireland to 2032 .

A moment worth celebrating.

I’ll be honest I’ve never been a fan of returning managers. It never goes quite as well second time around.

I am prepared to say something rarely seen on the internet.

<taps mic>

<clears throat>

I was wrong.

O’Neill has put together a young squad, playing good football and playing to their strengths. Shea Charles, Isaac Price and Ethan Galbraith the young guns running the show is one of my current footballing joys. Upcoming friendlies with Guinea and France will see more uncapped names take to the field and the future looks bright.

Part of the paradox of that however is that while the future may be bright, the darkness must still linger.

Recent times have seen criticism of the IFA/Northern Ireland social media account for congratulating Martin O’Neill on his recent league win with Celtic.

This did not sit well with some.

An affront to the very notion of being a Northern Ireland account that congratulations could be given to one of its legendary players (64 by the way), on one of our most iconic teams (Spain 82) and indeed captain of that team.

Congratulate a Celtic manager??

Congratulate a former Republic of Ireland manager??

Some were and continue to be incensed by such an idea!

Totally ignoring the congratulations by the same account to our players who were successful in their recent EFL playoff victories.

Perhaps thought it’s harder to be not so subtly sectarian views when someone plays for Bolton Wanderers?

That sound you can hear by the way, is them reaching for the ‘some of my best friends are…’ card that they put down for such accusations.

Likewise a recent appearance by Northern Ireland women’s legend and ex captain Marissa Callaghan received some chat in the comments section as she said it was ‘quite sad that Northern Ireland don’t have its own anthem and flag’ on a recent Give My Head Podcast appearance.

Let’s skate past the fact that Marissa is so clearly proud of where she is from and what she represented for us all in her club and international career. Instead comments from both sides, underneath the video would have made you want to turn the internet off for at least six months!

In 2002 Neil Lennon received a death threat on the day he was due to lead out a Northern Ireland team as captain. Playing for Celtic at that point in his career, some felt this was a step too far and whether or not the threat was legitimate, Lennon opted not only to not play that night but called time on his international career.

We were going to the game that night against Cyprus.

I told my Dad I didn’t want to go.

It didn’t feel right.

I didn’t want to be part of that crowd.

My Dad sat beside me and said ‘we have to go’.

I must have looked confused by this.

‘We have to go. If we don’t it becomes their team. We can’t let that happen.’

In that moment I understood.

It took a while, but things got better after this.

Work was done to fix things in all sorts of ways by the IFA and supporters groups.

It’s not like it used to be at games these days, and even as I type I know some may not believe me, but I

There is still the anthem.

There are still union flags and Ulster banners.

There are still a small pocket of ‘no surrender’ anthem bigots who are thankfully decreasing as the years roll on.

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There is still work to be done.

We need to talk about identity as fans and being legitimately for everyone.

It can’t just be words, it must also be in deeds.

The future is bright.

We can’t let the darkness linger.

If I could steal from the Northern Ireland social accounts for one final sign off.

Maybe it’s time we think outside of the pitch, tournament qualification or results on the pitch.

Maybe it’s time to #daretodream of something bigger.

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This Premier League closing weekend felt quite monumental.

Realistically, it didn't have too much at stake on the pitch. Yes, the European placings needed ironing out, and we all wondered if Spurs had one last nerve-jangling moment left in them. The big decisions had already been made.

The real upsets, the real victories, the real emotion came off the pitch, or perhaps more accurately, from those leaving the pitch.

It felt like guards of honour were popping up all over the place from 55 minutes into games onwards. No need to ask Roy Keane what he thinks about that, by the way, we all can guess!

David Silva, John Stones, and of course, Pep Guardiola all got their send-offs. At Anfield, Andy Robertson and Mo Salah raised their hands to the adoring throng and walked off into their respective red sunsets.

None of these players are retiring, by the way. Simply moving on. Acknowledgement of their service and trophies presented to their fanbases.

Guardiola is getting a statue, a stand named after him and if stories are true, a global ambassador gig with City. I’m not convinced by that last one, by the way, it feels like Pep’s true heart lies in the Catalonian sun rather than the rainy winds of Manchester. I’m not questioning his love of City its just that for so many of us, our first love is our one true love.

Is Pep the best to ever do it? Maybe. Misty-eyed nostalgia will bring Ferguson, Wenger, and even Mourinho (maybe) to mind. However, comparison is the thief of joy, as a great man once said, and perhaps we should just be glad we were there to see it all. In saying that, if Pep won the SPL with Aberdeen……

What happens next at the Etihad and at Anfield could be anyone’s guess. Who comes and who goes? Can either team take the title back from Arsenal, or are they to become the next big powerhouse after so long waiting in the shadows? It certainly feels like all the parts are there to do just that!

With nearly the entire top half of the Premier League in Europe next season, following a World Cup, could it all be up for grabs as fatigue and injuries take their toll?

At the bottom, poor West Ham filled the final relegation spot. Spurs survived their tribulations, and even David Moyes couldn’t conjure anything to save West Ham again. Karen Brady has departed the boardroom, and David Sullivan left his seat early at yesterday’s game, presumably in a puff of dark smoke. It all feels like the rats are deserting the ship.

With the competitive nature of the Championship, you can never be sure of a straight return to the promised land, and with player sales an inevitability and rent to pay at that terrible stadium. The books will take a tremendous amount of balancing to make an instant return a reality.

Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City will join the pantheon of pub quiz trivia for relegated teams. Frank Lampard will return to Premier League touchlines, Hull will change managers three times before Christmas, and Ipswich might….might just stay up. Will any of them ‘Do a Sunderland’ next season? I’m not convinced, but Coventry and Ipswich at least will make a good stab at survival, I reckon.

Finally, the true end-of-an-era moment this weekend didn’t even happen on the pitch but rather on our screens, as Football Focus bowed out of the rotation after fifty-two years of providing fans with updates on their teams, comings and goings, and the big stories of the week.

Sadly, much like myself, it can no longer keep up with the pace. We receive all the information it so lovingly provided instantly, in many cases directly from the clubs themselves. Texts, social media, are operating at a speed that a weekly magazine show simply could no longer manage.

We even have clubs, making their own documentaries, providing a level of access that the press could only dream of. Mind you, if someone says ‘back to back, to back’ one more time on that Wrexham documentary I may throw something at my TV!

I have many fond memories of it being on as I came in from playing football as a kid. As I ate lunch, it took me through many a footballing moment, providing information, comment and knowledge of teams I would never have heard of in any other way in the 80s and 90s.

Football Focus leaving the stage is not a failure, but simply an acknowledgement of one era ending and another beginning.

I’m grateful to have been a viewer. I’m thankful that I got to see Salah dominate and Guardiola coach the game into something altogether different from the game I grew up watching.

There is change afoot, a new era is on the horizon. The old heroes will fade into memory, and the crown for the new idols awaits. I, for one, can’t wait to see what happens next!

Never one to miss an opportunity before leaving, I checked Futbology for the chance of an RCD Mallorca home game, and the fixture gods provided me with RCD Mallorca v Villarreal.

It should also be noted that a few lower-league games were available, but the opportunity to attend my first La Liga fixture was one I could not pass up.

The next step was research.

How to get there.

How to get a ticket.

Get it booked, make the trip and enjoy the experience.

So here is a quick guide on how to visit, should you be on the island and fancy adding some football to your break.

Tickets

First things first…tickets.

Pleased to report this was a fairly easy and painless experience. I was prepped far enough in advance to buy a ticket via the club’s website and requested notification of when tickets for the game were available by simply entering my email.

On receiving notification of availability, I selected my seat, and I was in!

Pricing at RCD Mallorca varied. I picked up a ticket for 80 euros.

The seat was uncovered and down near one of the corners in the Tribuna Este (Grandstand East), and the Mallorca ultras located behind the goal in the Fondo Sur (South End). Being uncovered, there was a level of heat to contend with, but given the time of year, a cool breeze was never too far away.

I’m not sure how this price compares with other La Liga grounds, as this was my first visit. I felt that, while a little pricey, it was worth it for the experience if nothing else, and it should be stated that there were pricier options available that exceeded the 100 euros mark in certain sections.

Presumably, these prices, much like English Premier League games, may fluctuate depending on the opposition. Tickets for games against Madrid or Barca may cost more if available.

My view though, was excellent, and screens at both ends helped out when visibility became a minor issue.

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Getting there

My journey to the ground was fairly straightforward, with two buses getting me within a short walk of the ground. Mallorca is well connected by bus routes, and public transport is incredibly reasonable. I was travelling from Can Picafort in the north of the island to Palma and its large underground TIB bus station.

TIB buses connect most parts of the island to Palma, and from there it was a quick trip to street level and locating the EMT Palma service (line 8 towards Son Roca), and my stop at San Moix, from which the stadium was clearly visible, and the sea of red shirts led me to the stadium entrance.

Both sets of buses offer a tap on tap off system that makes travelling that little bit easier, and also, particularly in the case of the EMT buses, provide clear information in relation to upcoming stops, etc.

The total journey time was roughly two hours, and I still had an hour before kick-off to explore, grab a bite and get some pictures taken.

The ground and the game

Fans mill around the ground before the game, grabbing some food and a little refreshment. The atmosphere was carnival-like despite the real possibility of relegation for Mallorca. Spirits were high, and friends were embracing each other as they made their way up the steps to the relevant entry gates.

The club shop was rammed with tourists and fans alike. Shirts were flying off the shelves, and even for mid-twenties, heat scarves were a big seller. The shop was quite small, and there wasn’t much room to manoeuvre, but I persevered, and yes, a shirt did of course end up in my hand!

Fans on the concourse were welcoming, and I got into several conversations about my visit and chatted with other touring visitors as well as locals.

The game was a great watch, both teams going for it, Mallorca being endlessly cheered on by fans who appreciated every effort to ease their relegation fears.

The energy around the ground was infectious, and I found myself very quickly becoming more and more invested before realising that half-time was approaching. The break allowed for some further refreshments on what was a busy concourse and more conversations with those in the long and winding queues.

By the time the second half wound towards its climax, I found myself wishing for more time to be added on, to prolong my visit. I stood at the game’s end applauding off players as if I’d been a season ticket holder, as I’d become so invested in the game.

The reverse journey took a little longer; traffic outside the ground was heavy and slow-moving, which held back the bus that would return me to Palma. A quick stop for a cortado and I was on my way back to Can Picafort and editing photos, relishing in what I had just experienced.

Yes, the ticket was pricey enough, and the journey was long, but it was worth every moment. I had a great week in Mallorca, but I had a wonderful time at RCD.

The season is almost done here.

As a Dundela fan the Championship season finished last Saturday. So the question hangs in the air. What next?

Luckily not everything is resolved just yet and this weekend provides a plethora of options. So a quick trip around what promises to be a full weekend of bitten nails and new hopes.

Friday 1st May

The Championship season may be over but there is still the possibility of one Championship team being promoted as second placed Annagh United face Crusaders (who finished 11th in the Premiership) in their second leg promotion/relegation playoff.

Last night (28th April) Crusaders squeaked a 3-2 lead coming from behind in the 90th minute at Annagh’s BMG Arena.

The tie now heads back to Crusaders’ home at Seaview with it all still in the mix. Annagh have been here several times before and never quite made it to the promised land. Could this be the year?

These playoffs always give home advantage to the Premiership side in the second leg. Many might think of this as a formality but with one goal in it you never know!

New away days pending

More games with Championship implications for 26/27 will take place on Friday evening as the Premier Intermediate League (PiL) our third tier in Northern Ireland wraps for this season.

A point will gain Moyola Park the title of champions in their final game but the real excitement could be in the top six as with restructuring taking place for 26/27 the Championship will increase from 12 to 16 places. So there are four promotion spots up for grabs.

Pick of the bunch fixture wise is Dollingstown v Newry as the home side could yet be champions and Newry need a win to secure a potential promotion spot.

There’s more to be said about this new restructuring but for now it will be interesting to see where exactly those new away days for me as a Dundela fan will be come next season.

Women’s football returns

Friday night also sees the return of the Women’s Premiership. No doubt Glentoran and Cliftonville will go toe to toe once more for the league trophy but last season Linfield snuck up close behind both and if their growth continues it can only add another level of intrigue to proceedings.

While a small league with just the eight sides participating it continues to grow and the standard too continues to rise as do attendances. Hopefully over the course of the season I’ll be making a dew stops around some unvisited grounds there too.

Saturday 2nd May

The big one.

The Irish Cup final.

Coleraine v Dungannon.

Last season I was fortunate enough to be in with the Dungannon fans for their first Irish Cup win. They’ve made it back to the final this year to face Coleraine. League runners up and with substantial financial backing enabling their transition to full time football.

A Coleraine win will not only secure a trophy but also put Glentoran into a European place as Coleraine’s second place European football would filter down to the Glens in third.

Dungannon won’t make it easy though and as they rested many of their ‘bigger’ players last weekend it’s clear that the plan is for the Swifts to attempt a repeat win and head to Europe themselves.

Tickets are still available at time of writing and I might even make the trip down myself on Saturday to check it out!

Oddly though, Benfica in an act of incredible self sabotage and lack of decency attempted to cover for him. The Madrid players were too far to hear anything was the claim on social media. Disproved relatively quickly by several other angles and images less carefully selected. Attempting to take the heat out of this horrible situation only seemed to light the touch paper as videos quickly surfaced of Benfica fans making disgusting monkey motions towards players.

Say what you will about people having their phones out at the football but in this instance we need to take a moment to acknowledge the good work done here.

Then up steps Jose. We all expected (maybe foolishly)that Mourinho would condemn this behaviour outright. Put a flag in it, commit to disciplining the player at the very least and doing some work to heal the rift caused in what has become perhaps the most engrossing tie in this season’s Champions League so far given the events of the final league stage game. Call out racism for what is a blight on the game, offer comfort and understanding to Vinicius Jr.

Instead, Jose opted for a ludicrous statement around the great Eusebio, claiming that a statue outside would indicate that Benfica is not racist. The footballing equivalent of ‘some of my best friends are….’An absolutely ludicrous thing to say, even if to protect his player and deflect attention a huge, dumb mistake in claiming that there is no possibility, within the Benfica walls, of racism.

But why stop there! Why simply make this claim when you then attempt to pick at the character of the player caught up in this whole storm? Claiming that the goal celebration was excessive, a history of these ‘type’ of incidents. You mean a player enduring racist slurs and not putting up with it?

Mourinho has completely messed this up for himself. His legacy is one of being special, one of the greats but his legacy is tarnished by comments like this.

There is no excuse for this behaviour on the pitch or off it. If Madrid had refused to play on I would have nothing but respect for the decision. If Mourinho had strung Prestianni out to dry I would have respected that too!

Benfica failed to do the right thing.

Mourinho failed to do the right thing.

What about us?

Maybe you’ve heard it and ignored it. After all they may not be a regular beside you. Maybe it’s one of those revolving seats every week a different character.

Maybe though it is a regular.

Maybe someone with a bit of stroke among supporters or the club. A big character down the social club who always says it with a bit of a joke and jibe to lessen the blow.

Maybe it’s a friend someone who for some reason on a Saturday becomes someone else or perhaps reveals their true colours outside of the shirt they have on.

We’ve seen the video of the fans in the ground that very same night. If like me you watched somewhat dumbfounded, note as well no one steps up to stop it.

That’s the problem right there.

The club will say they can’t control everyone who comes in to the ground. The manager will tell you the club is ‘not like that’ and the organising bodies will do their awareness campaigns and encourage action but the real work comes through us.

While comments like Mourinho’s continue to be platformed at microphones (and not called out by journalists involved but clipped as great content) and the cowards can say anything by hiding behind their team badge, sadly our apathy as fans may be the true cancer.

We all need to do better.

When the alarm went off at 730 am, I wasn’t sure this was a great idea.

Sundays in our house are a very relaxed affair. No one really goes anywhere, does anything or exercises themselves too much. The dogs get walked, and that’s about it!

However, this Sunday was time for something a little different, the opportunity for a road trip, or more specifically, a car, bus and train trip.

The League of Ireland had returned for a new season. All the counters had been reset to zero, and Bohemian FC had once again taken over the Aviva Stadium for their season opener against St. Pats. So how could we say no to that!

We left Belfast shortly after 10 am and landed in Dublin just after 12. A few short stops on a packed DART full of mostly Bohs fans in our carriage, and we were there. Genuinely one of the most seamless journeys I’ve ever taken for a game.

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We took our seats in the neutral zone, which felt like a family area for Bohs fans with a sprinkling of St Pats fans for what felt like a very cordial derby. There wasn’t much venom in the game or in the stands. Despite the St Pats end claiming with their pre-game banner that Bohs had ‘sold their soul for a second time’. A nod to not just the Aviva hosting the game, but also their recent Oasis shirt collaboration, as many view this as a cash grab for notoriety. Bohs Notorious Boo Boys themselves offering a pre-game tifo asking ‘who you gonna call’ if a big club is needed for this type of game. Sadly, our seats didn’t offer us a good photo opportunity of this display.

The game itself was a nil-nil draw, not exactly box office for such a grand day out. However, both sides put in good shifts and were very good at cancelling each other out. Both goalkeepers, in particular, had good games, with the St. Pats stopper, Joseph Anang, scooping up the man of the match along with everything else that came his way.

A lot of fans declared the game a bit of a damp squib on the return DART to Connolly, but for a couple of Nordie neutrals, it was a decent enough watch, which may speak in itself to the levels we are used to within our own footballing product.

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All in all, a good day out, easy travel, decent ticket prices and good atmosphere made even a draw feel like a decent event. One slight negative on the day was that the area in whihc we were seated had very poor facilities for food. A margherita pizza, while tasty, and a small bar area didn’t really feel that satisfying, particularly given some of the stadium pricing. However, these are minor quibbles.

Whatever you think of Bohs being at the Aviva, it felt like a decent advertisement for the league and will have put a lot of eyes on the product. For me, it was a great day, and it leaves me planning more League of Ireland away days, but I do hope these will be at the club’s actual grounds for a true, potentially unfiltered experience. Dalymount has one season left before renovation work begins. No harm to Bohs but their own fans would probably say the same. There’s no place like home and I for one would love to visit!

I’d heard the complaints about Russia being allowed to host in 2018.

I’d heard the issues around Qatar in 2022.

It felt like football was getting grimier as time rolled on. It seemed that cash was king (when is it not these days) and we were now reaching a point were worker and human rights were being called into question for our entertainment.

I decided I was out.

I’ve always had a moral compass that pulls towards what I hope is the right direction.

It’s not always quite as strong a pull as I would like however.

I was turning ten the summer of Italia ‘90. Everyone was chatting about it in school. It was the first tournament I remember watching. At ten years of age I believed (and still hold the view) that Maradona was the greatest I have ever seen.

Roger Mila danced, Gazza cried, Pavarotti was banging out Nessun Dorm all over the place, I was engrossed by it all.

Ever since then the World Cup was must see and as I was young and naive I never considered anything to do with the political or the rights of those involved. I wnted the stars, the noise, the teams you never heard of. I wanted to lose my mind at the skill level - Bergkamp’s goal v Argentina anyone?

Time however is a cruel mistress as the cliche says and as of Qatar 2022 I was turning 44. Your sense of right and wrong is a different beast, enhanced. informed. You’re aware of the news cycle and now that we live in a social media era your are never too far from some grim viewing.

So by the time Qatar was here I was all done with news, all done with silent compliance and was beginning to plan how best to avoid this iteration of the greatest tournament in sport.

I avoided all group games. It was actually easier than I thought. Not a single minute passed my eyes. While I stayed informed with newspapers and podcasts I hadn’t watched anything so felt a sense of pride and accomplishment.

There was however something I had failed to consider.

The knock out phase.

Heavy weight clashes.

The point where the rubber truly meets the road.

I couldn’t help myself I got sucked in.

Morocco put out Spain on penalties in the last 16, the took out Portugal in the quarter finals. Was this the point an African team could go the distance?

The Netherlands and Argentina had a feisty quarter final and played some football too!

And then….that final.

The Messi Mbappe shoot out and the culmination of another Argentinian 10 being the greatest to ever do it. One of the great finals of the modern era and I felt the guilt. right after I turned off my TV.

I’d tried I really had, but football being at its seductive best was just irresistible to me! As much as I wanted to I couldn’t look away because this was, even with everything circling it, the greatest sporting tournament in the world.

There have been many articles over the last few weeks talking of boycotts again this time round. The USA isn’t exactly in it’s best chapter right now let’s be honest. The conditions are such that some fans aren’t even allowed in to the country. Even if they make it in will they be safe with violent paramilitary style immigration forces roaming the streets?

It’s dark, it’s bleak, it’s dystopian and current all at the same time and yet this tournament will go ahead. The teams will play. The biggest stars will culminate and hopefully provide some relief from it all and I hope speak some truth to power while doing so.

As for me well….. I’d love to tell you I could do it. That I could keep away. Keep my conscience clear and my spirit pure but this is the World Cup. This is the greatest tournament on Earth.

The world will be watching and for better or worse so will I.

Saturday 22nd November 2025.

After two and a half years at the helm this was the date that Tanya Oxtoby resigned as manager of the senior Northern Ireland women’s team.

That’s two months (as of today 22/01/26).

There’s no word of any replacement at time of writing. In fact if you so wished there are still 24 hours to apply for the job if you see this and have the required qualifications.

No whispers of possible appointments, no names in the press and as the application is still open an indication of no succession planning?

Under Oxtoby’s tenures there were changes. More players with clubs across the water in England and Scotland in the squad, less from our own shores. Those who brought so much seemed to disappear from the conversation without a trace. The McGuinness sisters being squad regulars absent without trace being the major casualties.

A slight raise in the rankings from 47th to 44th, along with a couple of difficult play off fixtures showed incremental, if unspectacular progress.

40 days.

That’s how long remains until World Cup qualifiers begin for our women.

Just over a month.

6 games all wrapped up by May.

Is this enough time for whoever takes up post to get a squad together, get across the details of opponents or do the IFA expect this new appointment to jump on a moving treadmill?

At one point our senior women were all the IFA could talk about, and rightly so. The work to raise the women’s game profile is vital and important.

League attendances are up, finals are well attended but this work is being done by the NI Football League and the clubs here on the ground.

Our senior women have a loyal fanbase, highly family friendly crowds and with players who appreciate everyone who comes along with a lot if time spent with fans after the game laying groundwork for future fans and hopefully stars who will never forget those interactions.

Applications close at 5pm tomorrow at which point there will be 39 days to go.

Our women’s team deserve better, the fans deserve better and the IFA need to show some sort of plan.

Best moment (TV)

Reservations about ownership aside if you cast your mind back to March you’ll remember that Newcastle won a trophy. Tears were shed as Isak hit the back of the net not least by me, over 30 years a fan with no reward, this was way more emotional than I expected.

While Isak has swapped sides, Newcastle remain in the Carabao hunt (at least at time of writing) but the thought of going back to back feels like a step too far!

Best read

Chris Lee’s ‘Shades of Green’ was my standout read of the year.

Chris journey around Ireland taking in the atmosphere, the sights and the history of some of the biggest clubs on our little island. Great insight into the growing football culture (particularly in the League of Ireland)as well some of the personal insights that only an outsiders eye can give. Also any mention of Dundela in a football books’ pages will always score highly in my eyes.

Chris you are more than welcome at Wilgar anytime and a pint at the bar is on me!

Best moment on the terrace

Dundela 3 - Warrenpoint 2

Is there anything better than a last minute winner? Particularly when your season has been tough going and you site bottom of the table?

A rollercoaster of a game that included the Duns going down to ten, going 2-1 down and then well….scenes.

Celebrations that meant the world, a release for all involved and unashamedly jumping into embrace those who I regularly stand with week by week. These are the moments that live long in the memory when leagues are settled and all is said and done.

All hail the wonders of the Wilgar terrace!

Best football shirt

So many shirts, not enough time really.

The adidas World Cup kit release was pretty special, in particular that final Germany home shirt with adidas - one to be picked up at some point particularly given its nod from the 1990 World Cup shirt, which is my all time favourite and holy grail item.

But my winner is this Cadiz 25/26 away shirt!

I have zero knowledge of Cadiz as a team but this shirt really grabbed my attention. The colour, the pattern, the trim around the sleeves. Everything about just screamed quality and I had to pick one up.

A doff of the cap as well to Macron who have outstanding this season with their outputs and designs for 25/26. While adidas remain steady and Nike appear asleep at the wheel, Macron are slowly becoming one of the best in the business.

For instance Almeria away anyone?

Right let’s get into it the bad stuff!

Worst moment

I mean a picture says a thousand words or so they say.

Has there been any lower point than this? The whole thing screamed vanity project.

I would say more but I already have in a previous post so you can check that out for why this was such a horrible moment!

Worst footballing moment

Was there anything sadder than seeing Nick Woltemade have to go clap the away contingent at the Stadium of Light after scoring an incredible own goal to hand Sunderland the derby win?

Was there a worse game of football on TV this season?

Has there ever been lower xG recorded?

We all love a derby but often they are not exactly filled with footballing wonder. More often that not they are wars of attrition. This game was more wrestling match than anything else with Dan Burn suffering the most with a broken rib and punctured lung after a tackle.

Fair play to Sunderland though. Despite the lack of football from either side in truth, a derby win is perhaps more satisfying than any other win in a season.

Worst shirt / Downright ugly

Combing the worst shirt ‘award’ and the downright ugly of the season because there only really is one contender.

It does not matter how many goals he scores. He’ll never be able to make this shirt look good doing it! A tribute to the rain in Manchester. One of the worst things about a decent city.

Presumably next season they will wear some sort of tribute to Manchester’s terrible, over zealous airport security that has everyone queue for way longer than necessary as their third shirt should this trend continue.

If you are a Man City fan who bought one of these please do let me know and send me some explanation as to why you would do this to yourself!

Check back in though in a few years time though when some content creator / Youtuber tries to tell us that this is an underrated classic.

And finally….

Just a thank you. There’s more of you reading, subscribing and interacting with all the 3pm Somewhere content across Substack and Instagram and it really is appreciated.

Onwards to 2026 and beyond!

The game’s gone. You see it all the time on your social media platform of choice. Decrying the loss of the game to things like half n half scarves, mash up kits on North London derby day, players wearing ludicrously small shin pads, the list goes on.

Watching the World Cup draw last week one thing was clear. The game is officially gone. There’s no tongue in my cheek as I say this, no sarcastic grin but a sad realisation.

FIFA’s cosying up and ego fluffing to the orange buffoon currently in charge of America reached it’s zenith at the draw as he was Trump was awarded a peace prize. The first ever to receive this. The first award, the most important award, some say the greatest award (you read that in his voice come on admit it)the award to further ingratiate the footballing organisation to their landlord. They’ve courted him for so long and finally all of the goo goo eyes they’ve made have found their prize.

World Cup 2026 coming to you live from the United States of America as football continues it’s effort to grow in the US the greatest party on Earth is headed their way. Before we know it the opening ceremony will be here and you can already feel the next announcement will be Trump taking an opening ceremony penalty. Finger crossed for a Diana Ross style miss!

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I tried my best to not engage with the last tournament.

The issues around Qatar were well documented and I’m not going to repeat them here, but football has a way of sucking us in. My moral compass was initially strong but as the tournament progressed I couldn’t help but sneak a look. Once the knock out phase started the vortex took me under.

I have so much respect for those who were stronger willed than I and resisted however I also feel sad that those who love the game so much may have missed out of one of the greatest finals in the modern era.

This incoming tournament is already throwing up issues, astronomical ticket pricing or perhaps more accurately the blight or dynamic pricing. Stadiums in host cities that are actually miles from the city itself. 87 minutes of ego fluffing and dad dancing before a single ball was pulled in the draw. Gianni being called Jonnie (or that’s how it sounded), that blooming ‘peace prize’. FIFA cosying up to another questionable regime.

Just yesterday it was revealed that the 2026 World Cup ‘Pride Match’ to feature Egypt and Iran in Seattle, a progressive city contested by two teams whose nations consider homosexuality illegal! It’s hard to determine at this point if the narrative for this World Cup is being put together by comedy writers or the team behind Black Mirror.

The ticket prices encourage elitism within the attendees or financial ruin for real fans. The stadiums are being built with blood under the finger nails. They are making up awards to satisfy egos. The draws are over long and feel like glimpsing into an office party you could not get away from quick enough more than a celebration of football. You have to wonder at times if anyone in FIFA even watches football!

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, maybe I’m just more aware of the issues involved but it feels like the game is gone and now more than ever we need to find a way to take it back!

It’s getting darker as the clock heads towards 90 minutes.

It’s getting colder as the game goes on.

You regret not throwing on that extra pair of socks.

There are not enough cups of tea provided by the home sides squad of volunteers to keep your hands warm.

As the referee puts the whistle to their lips you begin to clap.

The cold makes it harder to feel the impact as one hand embraces the other and yet you raise them above your head.

Applause for the effort, regardless of result.

Applause for giving you ninety minutes of escape from whatever brings stress or worry to your door.

As you do so they respond in kind.

Some wish they had the opportunity to double up their socks.

The long sleeves and even gloves are not quite the required barrier for the rain, wind or maybe snow.

As the referee puts the whistle to their lips they begin to clap you.

The cold makes it harder to feel the impact as one hand embraces the other and yet they raise them above their heads.

They know that it’s dark, cold and easier than ever to maybe stay at home but they appreciate it. Maybe more than you know.

Applause for your effort to be there, regardless of result.

Applause for being there to encourage, get alongside, celebrate a win or empathise a loss.

Applause because you’ve given them support for ninety minutes and they’ve escaped whatever brings stress or worry to their doors.

It’s easier in the cold, wet and dark to not go out but we did it together.

Great celebrations in Northern Ireland recently as the media fawned and delighted in the news that Euro 2028 was coming to our shores.

No you didn’t see Belfast in the announcements of host cities but Euro 2028 is coming to us.

While the Northern Ireland team Instagram account put out a celebratory video telling us how much football means to us as a people and how deserving we are of this opportunity you could be forgiven for thinking you’d missed something.

But, Euro 2028 is coming to us.

When the announcement for tournament hosts was initially made, our name was mentioned.

England, Scotland Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were all to be hosts. How does that work with hosts automatically qualifying well…that was someone else’s problem. We were on our way to steal from the popular chant.

This was huge, there was real excitement and then……. talk turned to venues.

Windsor Park wasn’t big enough. There’s a minimum seating requirement to be tackled. We didn’t have a ground big enough to host a group game. So what now?

The solution…..Casement Park. A GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) ground left derelict over the years, that could be repurposed for the GAA, become their standout ground in the North allowing games to be return to those fans and provide appropriate facilities for the Euro 2008 games.

Think of the vibes, think of the economic boost, think of the pageantry of being a host city. We were back in the chat!

Nothing is ever that straight forward here though.

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Some sections of fans didn’t a Northern Ireland game in a GAA ground in traditionally Republican West Belfast. Things have to pass a certain type of litmus test here. Despite the benefits it’s never really simple to get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet.

The GAA however welcomed the opportunity and as an organisation once proponents of ‘no foreign game’ this in itself was welcome news and showed where resistance was coming from.

While the politicians stated their cases for and against and the press ramped things up with excitement for what might be, there was still funding to be discussed.

Funding for the project was supposed to come from different channels, the GAA, as well as the Irish and British governments. Enquiries continued on TV and radio as to what the cost would be. What would inflation mean to the costs that were once talked about for this redevelopment? How would the Glider (our not so bendy bus that travels East to West of Belfast) cope with streams of fans coming for this festival of football?

However Britain declared they were out and no pennies remained in their pockets that could help fund this project and so the ground remains derelict, the tools are down and no games for any of the relevant fanbases will be played in casement for the foreseeable.

After all that though, lets not forget, Euro 2028 is coming to Northern Ireland.

There’s history, there’s politics, there’s identity, even economics all in the mix of this debacle.

This is not the forum for any of that.

This is a place for football fans. So I’m going to keep myself as close to that perspective as I can.

You see the celebrations this week are not for group games, we are not hosting any fixtures.

Our pubs will not be filled with football fans from across Europe. Our hotels will have no football tourists over the tournament dates.

We are celebrating…hosting the draw!!

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That’s right our media, our official team Instagram account is excited about…the draw. The part of a tournament, that while setting the ball rolling, is never talked about once it’s over.

We are your official hosts of the draw. Where two people (possibly more) will do the tournament admin for everyone else hosting. Everyone else whose pubs and hotels will see booking shoot up.

Northern Ireland won’t qualify as hosts. We may not even qualify for the tournament. If we do games will more than likely be in…Dublin. Where other group games will be played. Where a quarter final will be played.

Euro 2028 is coming, down the road two hours away.

A car journey.

A train or bus ride away.

I hope to be there even if my team is not because I’m a football fan.

Just don’t ask (or expect) me to get excited about doing other people’s admin. I get enough of that at work.

The season so far

Not great would be the easy thing to say. My beloved Dundela sit bottom of the NIFL Championship at time of writing.

A winless start to the season saw us sink to the bottom and getting our heads above water has not proven easy so far. However a managerial change is already showing green shoots of hope with the arrival of the familiar Clifford Adams and his team arriving from being Niall Currie’s (once of our parish) number two at Portadown. The familiarity with our setup will no doubt aid the transition and as a regular terrace dweller I can see on the pitch and off it that there is already a change in energy around the place.

There’s still a lot of football to be played though and numerous other cliches to be rolled out yet. Fear not I’ll keep you advised on how we are getting on as the season progresses.

Onwards we go but to what no one really know, which leads me to my next point…..

What change will come

It was announced at the ahead of the 25/26 season that the NIFL Championship would not have any relegation this time round. A league restructuring was to take place removing our existing third tier (the Premier Intermediate League) and the development of two further leagues below that would encompass the amateur leagues in Northern Ireland.

This meant no Championship team would be relegated in 25/26 and four teams would come up from from the PIL to form a brand new shiny 16 team Championship heading into 26/27.

However, news broke over the last couple of weeks to the shock of many via the Northern Amateur Football League announced that the Irish FA has paused engagement on the new National Conference League, which is due to be introduced in August.

So what does this mean for this season?

In truth no one is quite sure. However, it would be highly unrealistic at this point just over a third of the way through the season, to reintroduce a relegation/promotion spot as normal given the fact that all clubs were advised of the new arrangements.

That sound you can hear in the distance by the way is the rubbing of solicitors palms in the event of a reversal of the plan and potential legal challenges from clubs.

Further to this, and being that my team is in the bottom half of the table the end of the season is already looking like a series of glorified friendlies with nothing at stake and no peril post split as we operate on a Scottish league style arrangement here. To suddenly reintroduce the potential for relegation, while providing at least some peril would equally cause ripples of discontent in the league below should four promotion spots suddenly revert to one!

All will be revealed in time I’m sure but as this is Northern Ireland I remain unconvinced it won’t be anything other than last minute!

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Salute to a legend

An icon of local and international football has officially hung up their boots at the end of this season.

Marissa Callaghan, 27 seasons in Cliftonville red with too many trophies to list. One club wonders pay attention there’s a new contender entering the chat.

Callaghan won 91 caps for Northern Ireland and captained her country at their first major tournament at the 2022 Women’s Euros.

A wonderful ambassador for the game locally and internationally there really isn’t enough space in this quick post to fully give enough platitudes.

Suspension kept her off the pitch for Cliftonville’s retention of the Challenge Cup so sadly there was no fairy tale ending with one last trophy lift her Instagram account showing the trophy won, the shirt she adored and the boots hung up would have made the hardest of souls applaud.

I’ve seen Marissa play numerous times and always been impressed by her. She was always been a top player, an on pitch leader, the definition of giving it 100% loved a tackle and she has no doubt inspired a generation to take up and take the game on to the next level on these shores.

The NI Football League recognised her contributions with a Special Recognition Award at their end of season awards and rightly so!

Salute to a legend and best wishes for whatever comes next.

Do better

Speaking of Cliftonville’s victory and retention of the Challenge Cup there was some controversy following the game as it was revealed that top IFA officials were not present at this showpiece event for the women’s game.

The only way to view this is a snub which is disrespectful to the clubs involved their players, officials and fans deserve much better from the overlords of this competition.

It is clear that women’s football here is on the rise and across the league season total attendance across all matches reached 11,000. This shows a 58 % increase in overall matchday attendance since the 2021 season.

Two standout fixtures in particular brought fans out setting new attendance records:

• The VBET Women’s League Cup Final between Cliftonville Ladies and Glentoran Women attracted a record‑breaking 1,189 supporters to Blanchflower Stadium. This is the highest attendance ever recorded for a women’s match in NIFL history.

• The league title decider between Glentoran Women and Cliftonville Ladies drew 911 spectators. That set a new all‑time record for a Women’s Premiership fixture and was the largest league crowd of the season.

While these are NI Football League (NIFL) figures and it was an IFA competition it would still be incumbent on top executives to be present for their own cup final surely?

I can’t imaging the top brass not being there for the men’s final!

The appetite is there from the fans it is an absolute shame that this is not being reflected by the competition organisers.

PSG lifted the Champions League trophy and that should be that. Except it’s not the newly crowned and thoroughly sports washed kings of Europe are already looking at their next target. The Club World Cup, the tournament no on asked for and yet we can’t escape.

The overlords have created a super league of sorts and not one protest is in sight. Apathy maybe, but outrage is nowhere to be seen.

Your favourite players are off to try and win another trophy. Meaning that there will be extra miles in their legs by the time they kick off their new domestic seasons which are only 8-9 weeks aways.

This new ego trip cold have greater costs. Injuries, title challenges, early European exits. Sadly however, cash is the true desire for many executives over and above titles and cups so time will tell the impact.

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Elsewhere there will be the Women’s European Championships, while here in Northern Ireland the women’s domestic season is in full swing and the League of Ireland season continues. Even in this ‘off season’ Futbology still provides options.

Let’s not forget your team will be on pre season tour / home friendlies. There will be pre season games across the globe (again adding miles and travel into players legs). There are already new shirts, the transfer window is open and your current manager may not even still be in post by the time you’ve got to the end of this sentence!

As for me well, like many fans of the game I’m a hypocrite.

I’m off to a Northern Ireland game next week.

I’m making plans to be at some women’s games here and maybe a trip to catch some League of Ireland action.

Yesterday, Newcastle announced a friendly against Athletico Madrid to be held on my birthday and I instantly checked flights and hotel prices.

I’ve looked at tickets for Leeds United v AC Milan in Dublin on the same date.

I’m refreshing my timeline to see new shirts and await season ticket info for my own local club.

Football never ends and sometimes I wonder if in fact the executives aren’t the ones to blame at all.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s me.

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I was vaguely watching Match of the Day 2 this weekend. It was on in the background more than anything. I lifted my head for goals and ‘moments’ that such shows thrive and listened to the monotone of Danny Murphy explain tactics to me. If Calm do need a new voice for helping us get to sleep by the way….just a thought but they could do worse than give Murphy a call.

One moment did make me sit up and pay attention. The introduction of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Sunday’s game against Arsenal. It was the chorus of boos that made me pay attention. I think because I didn’t expect Anfield to provide such a vociferous response.

Having announced his planned departure from Liverpool earlier in the week, on one of these videos that players must now feel either obliged to do or encouraged to by their ‘people’, it appeared that all this served to do was divide a fan base. Appreciation vs venom, thanks met with disgust. So Sundays boos vs cheers should not have been that surprising.

In fact none of this should have been surprising. Two out of three winding down contracts renewed in Salah and Van Dijk and arguably two stars more vital to the cause, keeping all three was never that likely and in truth if the query arose as to which was more replaceable all fans regardless of allegiance probably had the same answer.

Excuse my local biases, but Conor Bradley seems more than ready for the role and is a better out and out defender than perhaps Alexander-Arnold. Where he lacks may be in the passing range of Alexander-Arnold which at times while sublime but often left a large gap at the back that required others to cover.

Regardless of all this, the real issue I take with all of this is the short term memory of football fans and their ease at crying ‘Judas’ when these circumstances arrive.

Trent was indeed ‘one of their own’ and to be so central to a team having come through the ranks is a feat all of its own in today’s modern football world. The percentage chance of this for young players is so small that the fact that he made it should be impressive enough. And yet they still cry ‘Judas’.

The corner against Barcelona, possibly his most iconic moment? And yet they still cry Judas.

The winning of leagues, cups, European trophies. And still they cry ‘Judas’.

The desire to expand his horizons beyond the English borders and the acknowledgement that it leaves really only one destination to head towards in the ‘top of the game’ category. Being still young in footballing terms and having a desire for more. And still they cry ‘Judas’.

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Judas, Judas, Judas!

A term applied to any person performing an act of treachery.

So what exactly is the crime? Leaving for a team of stars that has always been viewed as at the top of the footballing mega structure? Ask any Arsenal fan how it felt to knock them out of Champions League contention and their response will tell you it’s almost like winning a trophy itself.

What player wouldn’t want to wear that iconic white shirt?

Is the crime wanting fresh competition? Widening their football experience to outside of English shores?

Or is the crime simply becoming part of a team that Liverpool may not be able to conquer themselves should the time come.

What of Judas by the way, the betrayer from the old biblical tale.

A kiss on the cheek that seen by many as an act of betrayal was in fact the catalysing event for something greater. There is no resurrection in that story without the betrayal in the garden. Nothing new comes without that action taking place.

I've called players many things over the years. In recent times I’ve even referred to one locally as a snake (not without its own biblical interpretation) for abandoning my team for his old one when the cash came to call.

I’ve never called anyone a Judas though.

Without Judas there is nothing new to experience and whether it is in Madrid or at Anfield something new may develop and it might just be something greater for all parties involved.

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Ok, so first things first.

We made it.

To the 2025 Irish Cup Final. That said, I didn’t exactly get it right.

There was a missed second-round game, and sometimes life dictated a switch in plans for which game I could attend, but we made it. Nearly every round. Almost in the spirit of winner stays on.

If you’ve been following the journey here or on Instagram, thank you so much for hanging in there and enjoying the ride.

For the final, I opted for public transport to get me to the ground and found myself on the ‘wrong side’ of the ground on arrival. The Red Army had arrived on Belfast’s Boucher Road and was in great spirits. I wandered among them and took in the atmosphere. Redirected by stewards and a quick pivot through the streets around the stadium, I wandered into Windsor Park and took my place among the Dungannon contingent in the shaded East Stand.

A few pre-game chats about the team with those around me and a growing sense of what a win would mean, it soon became clear that this was a big deal for the town, and it felt like the whole place had decamped to Belfast to see if they could lift the trophy. Dungannon had the better league season, ending up in the top six, whereas Cliftonville found themselves in the bottom half of the table.

But this was a cup final, and those things rarely matter. Cliftonville were looking back to back Irish Cup wins and knew how to get the job done. Dungannon, on the other hand, were seeking a first-time win, so the stakes were high.

Both sets of fans were in fine voice. Dungannon outmatched in number with a smaller contingent than the banks of Cliftonville’s Red Army, who had sold out their allocation in no time, but these Swifties had no interest in playing second fiddle to anyone. From minute one until the end, they cheered their team on, and I couldn’t help but be impressed by their passion and love for their side.

Flares at both ends for the teams walking on set the tone. The blue haze of Dungannon and a red cloud that enveloped the Kop end of Windsor Park. Some find flares a nuisance and a danger, but if things are handled in the right way and with a level of responsibility, then for me, it only adds to the atmosphere. No one wants soulless football, and on a cup final day anything that adds to the atmosphere should be encouraged!

The game itself was a great watch for a neutral. A little bit of everything. Good football, defensive resilience - Dungannon even more resilient and resolute than at the semi-final stage - a red card (albeit unjust) for Dungannon, which put them under significant pressure, a belter of a strike at the death from Cliftonville. Extra time, penalties and when all was said and done that rarest of footballing events…..the best team on the day lifting the cup.

Dungannon more than deserved their win, and Cliftonville, despite the last-minute heroics, never really got going. Dungannon being so strong at the back and pressing in midfield meant that Cliftonville could never really go through the gears to put themselves in any type of position to retain the trophy. By the end of the game, being down to ten men, I can only imagine how the Swifts players must have felt. It was one of the most impressive games I’ve seen in a while from a team determined to overcome every obstacle placed in front of them to get that victory.

Refereeing is never easy, regardless of level and especially there must be a significant and different pressure on an occasion like this, but the sending off for a non foul/dive could have really impacted things. Throughout this season be it league or cup, or even across the different league levels the standard of officiating has been called into question numerous times.

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If football in Northern Ireland is to fully professionalise, the level of refereeing has to do the same. There is no point in teams being full-time if referees are left behind. If we can play football professionally, it must be refereed professionally. While I appreciate there will always be an element of human error and fallibility, surely standards can be raised to match the level of the game we are trying to get to locally?

You can catch highlights of the game from the great RobbysFootyFocus, who was at the game as well.

Some thoughts on the journey before ending.

The earlier rounds of the cup were probably my favourite part of the venture. Pound coins in a pint glass and a real community feel to proceedings, as well as a personable welcome at games, really made a difference.

At the later stages of any cup, the standards are raised in terms of logistics, etc, but this comes at a cost. Football thrives in community and those early rounds sent me to spots that I otherwise would never have been to, but I received the warmest of welcome for my efforts. By the time I made my way into Seaview for the third consecutive fixture at that ground i was barely even acknowledged at the gate.

Three games at Seaview nearly broke me. No harm to Crusaders, who I watched in two consecutive rounds, but watching them twice and being among their sleep-inducing fan base has left me with no desire to go back there for the foreseeable future.

Best game of the Cup? Probably the quarter final with Ards upsetting Loughgall. Given the form of both, it may not have been the great upset some thought, but an upset and a good cup run from a second-tier side is hard to beat. Special mention as well to Bangor for their efforts and the sheer volume of fans for the semi-final game. Is this my Championship bias shining through….maybe!

Favourite fans of the journey? I received a warm welcome at Banbridge Town on my trip to Crystal Park and had some great craic with the fans there, so it deserves a mention. However, it has to be the Dungannon fans at the final for me. Outnumbered but never out-sung. They played as much of a part in their teams cup win as those on the pitch.

Already, I’ve been asked if I would do this ‘challenge’ again.

I don’t feel that it’s something I want to do straight away. While I remain a little dissatisfied with missing a game in the second round and not quite being able to keep the winner stays on element on the tracks for the whole journey, it is still quite the undertaking to do the journey from start to finish.

It has been fun and it has been worth it. Not just from a content point of view, but as an experience, especially as someone who is still a relative newcomer to Irish League football despite my years.

I would encourage anyone to give it a go. You never know where you’ll end up, which is half the fun. Get Futbology (if you don’t have it already) check for a first round fixture close to you and that’s all you need, your journey is under way.

Maybe I will do it again at some point, and maybe I’ll see you out there at a game 3pm somewhere.

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