The goal that brought a tear to my eye

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column

Michael Commane

I know little or nothing about most sports. In school I enjoyed athletics and table tennis. I ran on the school senior relay team and I won the odd game of table tennis. Over the years I have dabbled in other sports, did it for the fun of it and enjoyed it all.

I tuned in to the Cork Kilkenny hurling semi final and found myself shouting for Cork. Was that because Kilkenny has been at the top for such a long time? Probably. But I spent five years living in Cork. That may have had something to do with my shouting for Cork. And then there was the Dublin Mayo game.

Again I was cheering on the underdog.

Obviously that sort of support is total anathema to the experts, the fanatics, the purists, who sleep, eat and drink the sport.

But after the Mayo victory over Dublin I have been thinking about the world of sport and how people follow different teams. I found myself reading every word the Sunday Independent  printed on the Mayo Dublin game. At this stage I even know enough to read Joe Brolly first as he might well give me a bit of a laugh.

 

There is an aside to the Mayo game. Last month I found a wallet, which contained a betting slip. It was a bet on Mayo to win the All-Ireland at 12/1 and the person had waged €50. I tracked down the owner and gave him his wallet, with all the contents, including the betting slip.

A work colleague is a supporter of Leeds. He’s a man I like and gradually I find myself keeping an eye out to see how Leeds are doing in the English Premiership. 

Anytime I stop him on the corridor I’ll ask him how Leeds are doing. At this stage I even know the names of one or two of the players.

Some weeks ago I arrived home from a swim in the sea. The RTE One 6.01 News was almost over and just as I tuned in they were showing a clip of the Kerry Derry minor All-Ireland final. I was half watching until I heard the name Maurice O’Connell being mentioned. He was scoring a goal in the dying minutes of the game before they lost by a point. I was stuck to the floor and found myself shedding a tear. 

Maurice O’Connell is from Castlegregory in West Kerry. I know him from the day he was born, I baptised him, I am great friends with his family. I have kicked ball with him in his garden. I have watched him over the years and seen first hand his love, dedication and enthusiasm in playing football. I just found watching him on the tele scoring a goal so emotional.

Some days later talking to his mother she was enthralled with what fun and the pure joy he and his teammates get out of kicking a simple ball and she also added how it keeps them out of all sorts of trouble. ‘All they need is a simple ball that costs a few bob. It really is amazing,’ she laughed. 

Kerry meet Tyrone on Saturday. Maurice O’Connell has not yet made it to the senior team. But if he does, then I’ll be screaming like a lifelong supporter for Kerry to win.

I often hear people telling me I’m far too subjective. So much to do with our lives is subjective. And so much to do with sport certainly is.