Driving home from Derry last week, I broke down in tears three times and had to pull over to sort myself out.
I don’t mind admitting it. My head was spinning with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s had a profound impact on me.
I’ve mentioned before I’m an old war buff fascinated by all things World War II. I know it’s an odd interest but there you go.
But a fascination with history is one thing. What’s unfolding right now – the sheer terror of it – is another.
It was forefront in my mind at the Brandywell as it had all kicked off in Ukraine the day before.
At home that morning, I dug out Artem Milevskyy’s jersey. He gave it to me in Kiev after Drogheda United played Dynamo Kiev in the 2008 Champions League qualifiers.
I stuck it in my overnight bag and brought it to Derry. I wanted to wear it on air that night when I was working as a pundit for the Shamrock Rovers game. But I bottled it and have regretted it ever since.
Maybe it’s a mid-life crisis but I’m angry and I feel like shouting at Tony O’Donoghue again.
As the war escalated through Friday and Saturday, I was busy consuming the coverage on TV and online.
The unfolding refugee and humanitarian crisis, the mounting death tolls, the complete destruction of cities…it was overwhelming and I broke down in the car.
When I got home, I googled Artem. I found a news story that the former Ukrainian international is holed up in a bunker with his family.
Two years ago, I wrote a song called Are We At War and it couldn’t have been more on point as to what’s happening right now.
On one hand I’m thinking about the song, on the other I’m thinking that this can’t be happening.
The older I’ve got, the more I’ve become interested in social justice and wanting to help people. That’s fine on your own doorstep but there’s a feeling of utter helplessness being this far removed.
The people of Ukraine are putting us all to shame with the resolve they are showing in their darkest hours.
I emailed Dynamo Kiev, explaining that I had played against their great club and asked if there was anything the football community could do for them. I don’t know what. Something, anything.
Maybe they have a youth team, boys too young to stay and fight, who could come here, get put up and train.
For all I know it’s still sitting in a spam folder and will never be read but, again, I felt compelled to ask the question as that sense of helplessness washes over me.
But if the last week taught us anything it’s that Ukrainians are not afraid to stand up and make a Difference. Truly inspirational.
Pat’s Can’t Lose again
St Pat’s cannot afford to lose tonight. In fact, I don’t think they can afford to lose for the next six weeks.
I tipped them as the club best equipped to challenge Shamrock Rovers this season.
I said Derry City were in the mix too and I’m not changing my mind. St Pat’s can still have a say but they have to get their act together after back-to-back defeats.
They hit the ground running in the President’s Cup and beat Shels 3-0 on a flattering scorline, but it was a good result either way.
I thought they were up and running but then they lost at home to Sligo Rovers.
But you can live with that as you will have moments early in the season where you ebb and flow.
What concerned me was the lack of a reaction against Bohs on Monday. They weren’t up for the challenge and that’s alarming.
If St Pat’s lose another game in the next four to six weeks, their aspirations of winning the title are gone.
Maybe finishing in the European places is the height of their ambition but to be out of the title race by March could have a devastating effect on players.
Rovers are the established team, they’re the champions, they have the experience, and Jack Byrne is back doing his thing.
They’re four or five years into their development as a team and they’re not going to lose form. They will maintain a level of consistency and it’s up to others to push them.
St Pat’s need to realise that you can’t just turn it on and off when suits.
Game Needs To Fight Idiots Who Come To Box
The crowd trouble at the Brandywell during Friday’s clash between Derry City and Shamrock Rovers was disturbing.
As ever, it was a handful of idiots but I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as one
fan boxed the head off another out on the pitch (left).
That’s the fourth distressing incident I’ve personally witnessed at a game in the last year.
And it’s always a handful of lads who think they are MMA fighters like Conor McGregor or some other clown.
They don’t seem to be living in the same world as everyone else who goes to a game to watch two teams play a football match.
Instead, they want to treat it like a scrap – that pent up aggression seems to be everywhere in society at the moment.
But what are the clubs and the FAI doing about it? Sweet FA, as usual.
Join Us For A Tolka Party
There are limited tickets still available for the Save Tolka Park campaign’s night of song and chats at the Button Factory tomorrow.
Brian Kerr, Kenny Cunningham, Pearl Slattery and yours truly will be on stage, reminiscing about the old ground.
But I’ll be lucky to get a ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in with chatterboxes like Brian and Kenny on the card.
The night was planned well before the recent news on Tolka and Shels’ investment but it promises to be a great night with music from For Those I Love.
Derry City In Safe Hands
Don’t believe everything you hear about Philip O’Doherty’s billions. I asked him for £100 in Derry last week and he laughed me out of it!
But the owner-chairman has a vision for the club and we had a great chat.
He has been putting his money where his mouth is for years - not just on the back of selling his business for $2bn.
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