Alan McDonald – Come and See Me, Make me Smile. . .
Talking Balls Comments
Speaking after Fermanagh qualified for the Northern Ireland ‘Gaelic’ Final, Macca, himself famous for his exploits with Queen’s Park Rangers and the Norn Ireland soccer team, gave McCabe his blessing.
Big Al said: “I was always quite happy for Shane to fulfil his commitments with Fermanagh,” said manager McDonald, adding in fluent soccer-manager-ese: “We are aware of the importance of the Championship final to Fermanagh and Shane, whose commitment to Glentoran is 110 per cent.”
McDonald subsequently stated that “The Ulster championship final will be his last match of the season,” although he seems likely to green light him for the replay.
McCabe helped the East Belfast team to a one-all draw against SK Liepajas Metalurgs on Thursday night and will be equired to travel to Latvia with Glentoran this week.
Big Al is a folk hero to soccer fans in the Wee Six since his post match comments in 1986. After playing in a 0-0 bore draw against England that saw both sides qualify for the World Cup in Mexico, McDonald, winning just his second cap, angrily brushed aside suggestions that the match may have been a fix and, finger-jabbing, invited anyone that questioned the result ‘to come and see me.’ Needless to say there was little demand for his offer.
In his day he was a tough tackling no-nonsense centre-half who could have done a quare job as an old fashioned ‘gaelic’ No 3 if given the chance up in East Belfast.
He and Mark Hughes regularly kicked the shit out of one another on the field. He was famous among teammates for his no-nonsense approach with balls hoofed unceremoniously upfield and out of danger, accompanied by shouts of ‘fore’.
Remains to be seen whether McCabe will, ‘come and see’ him to keep his season alive.
