Thought it was an incredibly moving story at times. Shows how much football can mean at the heart of a community, especially in the most difficult of times.
Just watched it earlier today myself, definitely a fascinating story about the rebirth of the club amid the troubles. Plenty of footage from the 80s that will definitely strike a nostalgic chord for those around at the time.
I’m not sure but I got the impression that the guy (?Tony) who did most of the talking towards the end of the documentary (in a black T shirt with a blue/mauve emblem in the middle) was the iconic priest who was seen (in newsreel footage) running away from the army, waving a bloodstained white cloth, at the height of the Troubles in 1972.
The whole programme was fascinating and very timely, this week in particular, insofar as it highlighted what a unique unifying force football can be within the community even in as divided a community as Derry City.
I’d forgotten about Derry being drawn against Benfica in the European Cup. It was remarkable to see the Portuguese champions (managed by a very young Sven Erickson) playing in a ground on a par with the Meadow and on a pitch which, looking at the early footage, had a tendency to become like a ploughed field.
It looked fine for the Benfica game which ended in a creditable 1-2 defeat.
One of the most intriguing aspects was the relationship between the young manager (? Colin) and an established and very successful League of Ireland manager (Jim McLoughlin) when they joined forces, briefly it seems, to try to take the club forward at a time when they weren’t doing very well. Let’s just say they weren’t a GA/Dobbo partnership!
Comments
Just watched it - as you say a fantastic programme
yep I echo that statement. Having lived through those troubled times & being of Irish heritage I found it particularly interesting.
Just watched it, thanks @LX1. Soul cleansing stuff.
I’ve downloaded for later viewing. It’s from BBC1 (not 2). Light wrist slap for @LX1.
Kinky! I'm sure i saw it on 2 as it followed Mastermind and wouldn't have been aware otherwise. Grand final next week which could see fireworks.
Thought it was an incredibly moving story at times. Shows how much football can mean at the heart of a community, especially in the most difficult of times.
Double wrist slaps for @micra, @LX1, it was on BBC2 yesterday at 9pm. Although TBF it was shown on BBC1 in Northern Ireland.
Mea culpa. I downloaded it from BBC 1 without noticing that it was BBC1 NI.
Bed now. Review tomorrow! (It was very good.)
Just watched it earlier today myself, definitely a fascinating story about the rebirth of the club amid the troubles. Plenty of footage from the 80s that will definitely strike a nostalgic chord for those around at the time.
I’m not sure but I got the impression that the guy (?Tony) who did most of the talking towards the end of the documentary (in a black T shirt with a blue/mauve emblem in the middle) was the iconic priest who was seen (in newsreel footage) running away from the army, waving a bloodstained white cloth, at the height of the Troubles in 1972.
The whole programme was fascinating and very timely, this week in particular, insofar as it highlighted what a unique unifying force football can be within the community even in as divided a community as Derry City.
I’d forgotten about Derry being drawn against Benfica in the European Cup. It was remarkable to see the Portuguese champions (managed by a very young Sven Erickson) playing in a ground on a par with the Meadow and on a pitch which, looking at the early footage, had a tendency to become like a ploughed field.
It looked fine for the Benfica game which ended in a creditable 1-2 defeat.
One of the most intriguing aspects was the relationship between the young manager (? Colin) and an established and very successful League of Ireland manager (Jim McLoughlin) when they joined forces, briefly it seems, to try to take the club forward at a time when they weren’t doing very well. Let’s just say they weren’t a GA/Dobbo partnership!
Gotta go. Nearly kick off time.
Not looked at the programs yet but I will
Interestingly though they have just parted company with their manager due to being in a relegation battle following a poor start to the season.