It’s Christmas Time (well, almost) and I’m off to a pop concert on Saturday; Leeds indie veterans The Wedding Present are playing the O2 Academy on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the release of their groundbreaking “Bizarro” album that’s probably best known for the classic track “Kennedy” that was a student disco floor filler as the 80s morphed in to the 90s and well beyond. As it’s a Saturday, the doors open at 6.30 and the main band is on at 8.15, as the promoters want the gig over and done with by 9.45 to allow the youngsters to get in for their club night afterwards, providing it’s on of course as Paul Weller was off on Wednesday Dec 1st. Apparently it was to do with the weather, but it could just be because he’s shit. However, the Weddoes are made of sterner stuff and will be there and gone at a reasonable time. Suits me like; at my age I like to be home for “Match of the Day.” Mind there’s life in this old punk rocker yet!
I’ve been to quite a few gigs lately; there was the glorious sight of me, various members of FPX and the Percy Main chairman cutting a rug as former Orange Juice front man Edwyn Collins, still battling back from a life threatening brain aneurysm, charmed the birds from the trees at The Cluny, while I took the parts of Chas Chandler and Alan Hull (it’s a long story) in a theatrical warm-up piece to the Band of Holy Joy show at the Star and Shadow the day Ponteland beat us at home.
Perhaps the biggest gig I attended, in terms of venue, audience and, at 35 notes, ticket price, was Irish folk legend Christy Moore at The Sage on a chilly night at the very start of November. Arriving on stage he inquired if anyone present had seen the football the day before, to tumultuous applause, before announcing “a lot of people reckon sunderland’s an Irish club. Well I’m not so sure about that you know. I’m not a drinking man these days, but when I took a pint of porter I knew the importance of the black and the white,” to predictably raucous cheers. The audience was his after that and a grand crowd there was too.
In the context of EU banking bail-outs and economic meltdowns, it’s always nice to see a middle aged Irish bloke not being relentlessly barracked by his own kind, unlike incompetent pisshead and Taoiseach Brian “Biffo” Cowen, whose personal Facebook page proudly displayed this message, posted by one Cara Delaney of Westmeath; “you bastard, you sold us out! People DIED to claim Ireland’s independence and now you go and ruin it all! You think you’re so high and mighty but nobody likes you Cowen. TIOCFAIDH AR LA! SAOIRSE IN EIREANN GO BRACH! I speak for all my fellow patriotic Irish people when I say it’s because of clowns like you we should have a death penalty, you fat, ignorant ugly BASTARD!”
The popular press aren’t his best mates either; the Irish Daily Star had a picture of the Fianna Fail front bench captioned with the unequivocal phrase USELESS GOBSHITES. The Irish football team’s not doing too well either, with only just over 20,000 turning up to see Norway fluke a friendly win at the AVIVA the other week and Trappatoni looking every inch the same shape of elderly incompetent that Capello does. At least they can stay upright in public and don’t need a gallon of Guinness or a few verses of “The Lakes of Ponchartrain” to act as a smokescreen for their inadequacies, unlike Irish politicians, whose latest attempt at kickstarting the economy, apart from accepting £100 Billion in loans, involves distributing free cheese parcels as Christmas gifts to the elderly and unemployed. Yes, cheese; a kilo each. Honestly.
Frankly, it is time for the citizens of Ireland to respond to the IMF intervention by having another six month Bank Strike. Back in 66 it paralysed the economy, but even more importantly, it made Christy Moore stop being a teller in Newbridge, Co. Kildare; consequently, a withdrawal of labour by financial employees will both bring down The Two Brians & their Cheese Party and reinvigorate the traditional folk scene. "Ireland's difficulty is music's opportunity," so to speak.
One amazing source of adequacy and indeed optimism in Irish society that doesn’t go equally well in a salad or grilled on toast, is the domestic football season that came to a classic conclusion at the AVIVA on Sunday 14th November when a quite breathtaking 36,101 turned up to see Sligo Rovers defeat Shamrock Rovers 2-0 on penalties in a thrilling game to lift the FAI Cup. Watching it on line via www.rte.ie I can honestly say I’ve not enjoyed a goalless draw as much since we hosted Harraby; certainly it was preferable to the Newcastle v Fulham blank scoreline I’d seen the day before, on a freebie it has to be said.
The astonishing thing about this penalty shootout was that Sligo keeper Ciaran Kelly, who had been the villain last year when conceding a late spot kick as Fingal came from a goal down to lift the cup, saved all 4 of Shamrock Rovers’ kicks; I’ve never seen that before. I’ve seen kicks missed (the 86 European cup final between Steaua Bucharest and Barcelona comes to mind), but never have I witnessed a keeper quite so inspired. Having already lifted the EA Sports League Cup, this victory saw the Bit Of Red from WB Yeats County claim their second bit of silverware of the season and well done to them.
Shamrock Rovers, managed by former Newcastle striker Michael O’Neill, could console themselves with the thought that they had ended their 16 year wait for the top division title by claiming the Premier Division crown after a fascinating, titanic struggle with cross Dublin rivals Bohemian that went down to the last game of the season.
With 2 games to go, Bohs had been in the driving seat; if they won them, the title would be theirs for the third year in a row. Astonishingly, Galway United, who had already defeated Bohs 3 times already in the season, won their 4th game of the year against Big Club courtesy of two late goals that, allied with the Shams beating Dundalk, meant that the title now seemed destined for Tallaght not Phibsborough as the final fixture card came round. So it turned out, as Bray drew 2-2 with Shamrock Rovers, who trailed twice, to allow the Hoops to win the title on goal difference, despite Bohemian beating Dundalk 3-1, after going a goal down. However, during the course of the night, the title relentlessly swung between north and south Dublin; at one point the Gypsies were a point ahead, at another the Hoops led by 4. It was one of those nights.
Poor Bohs are now in dire economic circumstances as the proposed sale of their aged, decrepit Dalymount Park home and the construction of a mythical new ground out by Dublin Airport have both gone by the board. Rumour has it that if a sporting dig-out is not forthcoming, Bohemian could be relegated to the First Division, much like Cork and Derry were last year. As I write, their licence to play in the Premiuer division has not been granted and Galway United look like they need quite a sizeable amount to stay afloat too. Well they did make Nick Leeson their Chief Executive…..
At least Derry City, who claimed the title on a tense final evening as the top 4 played each other, have made it back up at the first time of asking, replacing Drogheda who, in 3 short years, have gone from the Champions League qualifiers to relegation. Mind in the same period of time, Guy Bate has gone from Hunky Dory Park to Benfield. Spare a thought for poor Shelbourne, who remain Dublin’s lowest ranked club; two years after missing out on the title after Limerick grabbed a 94th minute equlaiser in the final game of the season, they conceded 2 in the last 5 minutes to allow Waterford to overtake them.
Now, after the straight swap of Premier wooden spoonists with D1 champions, things get complex. Premier 8th place Galway hosted 9th place Bray in a one-off relegation play off, winning 1-0. This meant losers Bray were in to the repechage and were required to play the winners of the D1 play-off, where third place Monaghan triumphed 2-1 away at runners-up Waterford, in a two-legged affair. Bray were no strangers to this, having lost over 2 legs to Fingal last year, but were later reprieved because of financial impropriety by the banks of Foyle and Lee.
This year, The Seagulls came out on top. Having drawn 0-0 up in Gortakeegan at the Kingspan Century Carpets Stadium, it seemed as if Monaghan were on their way to the Premier Division when they took the lead after 117 minutes. Astonishingly, after 207 barren minutes, 2 goals came in 40 seconds as Bray went up the other end and scored. Their victory 7-6 on penalties over a Monaghan side, who’d also lost the League Cup final to Sligo, was inevitable. As Bray attract home crowds pushing a thousand, compared to the few dozen at Gortakeegan, the league were no doubt punching the air.
This isn’t quite the full story; at the foot of Division 1, Galway teams Mervue United with 19 points and Salthill Devon with 15, were cut adrift from the rest as if they’d played their home games on The Aran Islands rather than Terryland Park and Drom Soccer Pitch respectively. Anyway, Mervue were safe, but Salthill were required to play-off against Cobh Ramblers, who’d been kicked out the league for financial reasons in 2008. Same as they got past Kildare County in the play-off in 2009, Salthill Devon managed to squeeze through 3-1 on aggregate, which will give them another 12 months of being pummelled by the likes of Wexford, Limerick and Athlone.
And so, the League of Ireland goes in to hibernation until March 2011, at which time my gaze will again turn westward. Say Cheese & Up the Republic!!
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