I’D been trying to get an interview with Martin O’Neill for three or four years.
I’d sent emails, tried to get a hold of him through his family and some old friends and even through some English journalists but all to no avail. Then, last Thursday evening at about half-seven, my phone rang.
A WhatsApp call from the man himself.
I could hardly believe it.
“Hello,” I said.
“Andy?” asked the two-time European Cup winner, MacRory Cup winner, Ulster Minor Football Championship winner, Celtic manager, Republic of Ireland manager…
“Yes! How’s things Martin?” I answered.
“Are you alright?” he replied.
No, I wasn’t alright.
I had to take the call but it couldn’t have come at a worse time because – right there and then - our U16 team was about 15 minutes into a championship quarter-final.
It wasn’t going well. For starters I had broken the golden rule by not ‘controlling the controllables’. I was late getting to the venue, I was late getting the lads out for a warm-up… And then we had the usual injuries, suspensions and lads on holiday… Two of them (we only had 15) arrived five minutes before the throw-in and our goalie went to the wrong Lurgan ground and arrived about five minutes after it meaning we had to start with another lad into nets.
Yes, a tale of woe but enough with the excuses! The ship was sinking before my eyes, I hadn’t a clue what to do and Martin O’Neill was on the phone - a total distraction!
“Sorry Andy, I couldn’t get back to you earlier,” said the Kilrea native who will be guest of honour at The Irish News Allstars next month.
“I was in London doing, funny enough, a piece for 60 Years of Match of the Day, and it ran on a bit longer than I expected but I’m in the car now…”
The opposition scored their second goal.
“Are you still there Andy?” asked Martin.
“Oh yes, yes,” I replied.
Our kickout went straight to their number 10 who was creating havoc.
“I can talk to you now if it suits?” says Martin.
“I can’t talk at the minute Martin, I’m on the line at an U16 match here…”
“Oh… Listen that’s fine, that’s absolutely no problem at all, I’ll leave you to it,” says Martin.
“I’ll be going to Scotland tomorrow actually…”
Another point for their number 10 and I could feel the eyes of the parents burning into the back of my skull.
“… And I should have some time free about 3 o’clock so I’ll be in touch then.”
“Yeah, that’s brilliant Martin, talk to you then,” I says.
I should have asked him for some advice on what I could say to the lads at half-time to get them going. I turned back to watch the action in front of me which wasn’t pretty although the lads battled away to the finish.
That was the end of our championship and the following day came and went with no call from Martin O’Neill. I feared two precious birds had been killed with one stone but, happily, he rang on Monday and we had a great chat about his GAA days with Kilrea and Derry who lost a generational talent when he went to England.
His enduring passion for GAA was our topic but there are countless others you could explore with Martin O’Neill: Nottingham Forest, Brian Clough, Henrik Larsson, Neil Lennon, George Best, the 1982 World Cup, Roy Keane, Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, Leicester City, Villa, Celtic, Sunderland… He is a remarkable man.
It’s six years since he was sacked by Nottingham Forest and there were rumours a few months ago that he might be joining Romania’s Rapid Bucharest. Neil Lennon was appointed instead and he’s since got the sack.
Couldn’t Martin get a job closer to home? It seems not.
“I think ageism plays a part,” he said.
“Owners are looking for coaches as much as managers. I used to run football clubs – Dermot Desmond gave me ownership of Celtic when I was there. He said: ‘I want you to run this club’ and that’s what I tried to do.
“Most managers now are essentially coaches and you have directors of football, CEOs and a lot of things that have sprung up over the last decade and have changed the face of the game. “There are a lot of data things which I have no problem with but if you sign players purely based on data then you’re going to find yourself in a hole at some stage or another.
“Ultimately, the management game is about getting players to play for you.”
It would be a crying shame if all his experience and know-how was allowed to rust away. We’re too quick to do that and to sneer and scoff at a person who wants to stay in the game as some pundits have done since it emerged that Mickey Harte, who is a couple of years younger than 72-year-old O’Neill, was joining the Offaly management.
The last Championship season obviously didn’t go well for Harte and it became clear that, to borrow Martin O’Neill’s phrase, he wasn’t getting the Derry players to play for him.
His decision to resign seemed like the right call, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and don’t forget that just two months ago he took Derry to Castlebar and beat Mayo and he’s won trophies at all three counties he has managed.
Don’t write the man off because of his age - Down manager Conor Laverty spotted the value of experience when he brought Meath legend Sean Boylan into his successful U20 management panel.
The exit of Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan this week was reminder of how good Tyrone had it under Harte. 2017 (Ulster title and All-Ireland semi-final), 2018 (All-Ireland final), 2019 (All-Ireland semi-final). The next year was the Covid Championship and Harte went after that.
Taking nothing away from Dooher and Logan’s brilliant 2021 All-Ireland, Tyrone’s form since then has been below what was delivered under their predecessor.
I’m not a spokesman for Mickey Harte but it doesn’t take a genius to see that Offaly (All-Ireland U20 champions in 2021) have lots of talented young players coming through who are bound to benefit from his experience.
I wish I’d had him beside me last Thursday night.
