Descibe your early career?
I left school when I was 16. I became an apprentice professional with Bristol City in about 1968 or so. I spent a year there and went to Walsall for three months. I nearly gave the game up at that point but Birmingham City came in for me. I signed a two year professional deal with them.
At this point you also played for New York Cosmos…
Yes I went over to Cosmos in 1972. We won the league championship. Two years later Pele joined them. The league at the time was on the up. Warner Brothers were the owners of the Cosmos. We played in the University Grounds at Hofstra. We were flown everywhere first class between games so it was very professional. It was good and very enjoyable.
Why did Birmingham not work out?
I was due to go back to Birmingham but then I broke my ankle. It was a pretty serious injury. I dislocated the bone and tore ligaments in a training accident. I had to have an operation. When I got fit again I think the Birmingham manager thought the injury was too bad for me to recover from.
How did the move to Dundalk happen?
The Dundalk manager at the time was John Smith. I played with John at Walsall and he asked me to come over. Jimmy Dainty is my cousin and he was over here for about a year before me. I
What was your first impression of the club?
I came over for two weeks to see what I thought of the club. I liked the look of it. I signed for a year and then met my future wife! I then settled down in the town.
A lot of fans have fond memories of the style of play under John Smith. What are your memories of that era?
John was under pressure. I came into the club in his second year. Dundalk had not won anything for a few years. I remember when we got knocked out of the cup John left the club. Peter Watson took over on a temporary basis until finally Jim McLaughlin was appointed. It was all upwards from there.
Can you remember how Jim McLaughlin introduced himself to the squad?
Oh yes! I remember how he introduced himself to me! He said he knew nothing about goalkeeping and that he would help me in anyway I could! That was basically it with Jim. He trusted you to get it on with it yourself.
Many players said that about Jim – that they often sorted problems out between themselves.
On occasions that would be the case. I wouldn’t say that was the problem all the time. Sometimes he would just say nothing. He wasn’t throwing cups around.
After winning the league in 1976 – we played PSV. What are your memories?
The PSV team had a great squad with many Dutch internationals. We didn’t come under much pressure at Oriel Park. We had a great game with them and drew 1-1. The 2nd leg was a different story. We got hammered 6-0. I ended up on crutches. At this point we were not the seasoned European campaigners. We paid them far too much respect and just watch them play the game. They played a different type of game to us and we couldn’t compete with it. So although we lost badly that night it helped us in the long-run. We learned how to compete and get results.
For you personally, you picked up a bad injury…
That wasn’t a good memory of Europe! Being carried off and being in Amsterdam with my leg in plaster!
What was Jim’s instructions in those big European nights?
The first thing he would tell us when we were playing away from home was to slow the game down. Once you hear the home crowd booing you know you are doing your job right! Holding possession was the key. It may not have been very entertaining but it did work!
You were in a vulnerable position during the Linfield game. Were you worried for your safety?
Of course, it was something I didn’t experience before and hope I never experience again. I got called all sorts of names! It wasn’t a nice match to play in at all. The atmosphere was terrible. I’m surprised the game was able to be completed. I remember the ball went across the wall into the shed and people were afraid to retrieve it. The game over in Holland in the 2nd leg was totally different. We were a bit lucky when Warren Feeney smacked a penalty put over the bar. It was great to win it as Linfield were so confident that they had the planes and hotels booked for the next round.
Liam Devine scored in the Oriel Park game. What are your memories of him?
He was a very good lad. He was always full of energy and a very good footballer. A left-footed player. Very good personality.
Cathal Muckian scored in the Holland game – how good was he?
Cathal wasn’t with us very long. He was Drogheda’s top player and came to us for a few seasons and worked very well with Hilary Carlyle.
Hilary Carlyle
Hilary was as strong as an ox. He would go through three or four players with them trying to hold him back. He was another left-footed player and a great goalscorer.
The Blackmore-McConville-Dunning-Keely-Lawlor defence is possibly the best the club ever had. When anybody made a mistake did you give each other an earful or was it a more supportive situation?
Well you would just give each other a volley and then you would have to get on with it! We could all take it and give it.
What were your expectations ahead of the Celtic game?
We were confident in our own ability. Unlike the Liverpool game in 1982 we didn’t pay Celtic too much respect. We went 2-0 down but we came back and scored a few goals. They were very worried.
Was the atmosphere intimidating?
The Celtic game was a surreal atmosphere. There was a high pitched scream the entire match. It was very different from anything else I experienced. It was the pinnacle of our time with the club. I played with the League of Ireland over in Brazil and even that didn’t match the atmosphere of Parkhead. It was really special.
It could have been very different if Tommy had scored in the return leg!
Yes – I saw that chance again recently. It was clear that he didn’t miss the chance at all. The ball just bounced over his foot. It was very unlucky – don’t tell him I said that!
The FC Porto game is not remembered as much?
They were a top European team at that stage. There must have been 50 or 60,000 people over there at the game. I think I saved a penalty that night? (He did). The atmosphere was great. But at that point we were seasoned European campaigners. We played very well over both matches and just lost narrowly.
What are your memories of the Fram match?
Iceland wasn’t a very nice place to go. It was very isolated to say the least. I didn’t enjoy the trip. The pitch wasn’t great. We didn’t play well. We lost a lead to lose that game 2-1. We didn’t play well at all. We had a team meeting after that and sorted our differences. It seemed to work and we won the return leg 4-0.
Then came the Tottenham Hotspur game…
I can remember that the Spurs side wouldn’t get changed at Oriel Park. They got changed in the hotel and got the bus up to the ground and went straight out on the pitch. It didn’t rile me but I think others were motivated by it. They were probably were scared of coming to Dundalk. I was too when I came over first!
Barry Kehoe was a regular by then. What’s your memories of him?
He was a whippersnapper! It was very unfortunate. He undoubtedly would have made it in England if we had not been sick.
Mick Fairclough scored the goal against Spurs that night. How good was he?
He didn’t need too many chances to score a goal. We had a lot of good strikers at this period. Mick had experience from playing in England which helped a lot.
What type of player was Sean Byrne?
A lovely player. You could wind him up and he’d run for ninety minutes. He was a workhorse. He also had a lot of skill.
And “Pop” Flanagan?
He was a very cultured player but was in the engine room also. He could pass the ball around very well. Jim McLaughlin knew a player when he saw him. He knew when somebody could fit in to the team.
What do you remember about the game in Anfield?
We only got out of our half twice in the first half! It was backs to the wall for that game. I remember Ronnie Whelan or Greame Souness saying to Pop Flanagan “Are you not going to come out and play us?” and Pop saying back “your getting paid 20 grand a week – you do it!”. Even now you see it in the World Cup – whether you are a full time or a part time team if you put bodies behind the ball it makes it awkward.
What was it like when Jim McLaughlin left?
It was a big shock. He initially told us he wasn’t leaving and then the next day we found out he was going after all. But he was moving on and so was the club. It was an end of an era. It was a frustrating final few years for me after that. The club suffered from a lack of quality on and off the pitch. John Dempsey came in and even though he was a nice chap he didn’t have the skills that Jim had. Jim would see who he needed well in advance of a new season. Instead of Dundalk getting the benefit of that knowledge it all went to Shamrock Rovers.
And what of Dundalk now?
It was hard to maintain those years. Hopefully, this current European campaign will be the start of new good times for the club.
