10th
October 2015
Carrick Rangers 1 Coleraine 2 (Northern
Ireland Premiership)
Being something of a nerd when it comes to
competing things, I finally cracked the Northern Ireland Premiership when I got
to Warrenpoint Town in March last season (my last 0-0 draw incidentally). But
within a month I had got a new name on my list courtesy of Carrick Rangers late
surge in the promotion race from the First Division. I had hoped Bangor would
do it due my connection with Trevor Best, the club chairman, but it was not to
be, so one of the more traditional Irish clubs had made it to the top flight.
They were in the top flight a few years ago but due to inadequacies with their
Taylor’s Avenue ground, they played for a solitary season at Crusaders before
being relegated again.
I managed to plan the trip to coincide with
Derry City v Bray Wanderers the previous evening, and that in itself meant I
could catch up with John Coyle and his family once again. It finished 3-1 and
after the game we had a bit of a session at the Derry Oktoberfest!
I was relatively bright and breezy on the
Saturday morning and managed to make my way to the Foyle Bus Station for the
9.30am bus back to Belfast, and courtesy of that I was well in time for the
11.45am train from Great Victoria Street to Carrickfergus. The forty minute journey
was a pleasant one, travelling via Whiteabbey and Jordanstown, along the coast
until the Whitehead bound train pulled into the old fashioned station at
Carrickfergus.
As you walk out of the station you take a
straight route in the direction of the sea front, passing the shopping areas
and then finally appearing with the impressive sight of Carrickfergus Castle
directly in front of you. The castle is set on the harbour and the marina is
adjacent to it, it did strike me as a popular tourist destination, and after a
brief walk round I decided to decamp in the nearby Wetherspoons for some
pre-match refreshments.
Some Coleraine fans were already in the pub,
and over the course of a couple of Heineken’s I was able to reflect on my
visits to Northern Ireland over the past ten years. It all started at
Cliftonville, and has since then take in some memorable games, such as the
problematic Linfield v Derry City
Setanta Cup tie, the Coleraine v Ballymena United derby fixture, and of course
the contentious Crusaders v Donegal Celtic game on St Patricks Day! Happy
memories, I am never happier than when I am in Ireland, yet the feeling between
being in the North and South is very different, albeit very hard to explain.
I tried another couple of pubs en route to the
ground and then as I ventured along Taylor’s Avenue I spied the murals that
bedeck the wall on the approach. Amongst team photo’s and shots of silverware
being raised, I noticed programme covers from games against Aris Bonnevoie of
Luxembourg and Southampton in the European Cup Winners Cup of 1976. This was
perhaps Rangers proudest moment, the culmination of a victory over the mighty
Linfield in the Irish Cup Final. Indeed the club refers to the ‘Spirit of 76’
in its history and a wall inside the ground is painted with the same slogan.
Taylor’s Avenue is a proper old football
ground, and still retains traces of the seventies and eighties, notably with
the perimeter security fencing that remains behind where the dug outs once
where. Northern Ireland was no different to England in the aforementioned era,
pitch invasions and crowd disorder were commonplace so segregation and security
were paramount, however, add into that the backdrop of the Troubles in the
North and what that bought to the equation, then we were dealing with a bit of
a powderkeg!
The old stand is a fantastic structure, but
it’s seen better days. The seats are old style school plastic efforts that have
been bolted to the wooden frame, while foliage is growing in through the
corrugated iron rear wall and also through the roof. Behind the far goal is
come covered terracing that also doubles up as an away end when required, while
the remaining two sides are just hard standing.
A small clubhouse exists just outside the
turnstiles but it only sold cans, whereas if you wanted food it was the burger
van that provided it. The welcome was friendly, it was a tenner to get in, and
they did a pretty decent programme as well. As for the form guide, Coleraine
were on a decent run and sat fourth, while Carrick after an indifferent spell
were fourth from bottom.
The game went pretty much true to form on a glorious
Autumn afternoon. Coleraine scored with a headed goal after just 30 seconds,
but Carrick did equalise with a screaming effort from the edge of the box.
Coleraine got a deserved second goal from a
rebound in the second half, and despite the visitors going a man down in the
closing stages, Carrick had plenty of possession but couldn’t find a way through.
I would have estimated the crowd at around 400, with getting on for half of
those having travelled from the North West.
At the final whistle it was back into town for
a pint, before the train back into Belfast and ultimately to check into the
B&B just off of the Lisburn Road. I went to a couple of pubs on Lisburn
Road and also grabbed something to eat, it wasn’t overly busy but then after
Northern Ireland’s stunning victory over Greece a couple of nights earlier that
meant they qualified for Euro 2016, I should imagine many are somewhat partied
out!
So, Limerick completed the top two divisions in
the Republic back in August, and now Carrick has completed the top flight in
the North, so I guess that begs the question what next? Well I will come back to
the North in March / April and take in a game along with another match at Derry
on the Friday. I’ve got seven of the fourteen grounds in the First Division to
have a crack at now, and the one that appeals to me most is Inver Park at
Larne, or possibly Ballyclare Comrades or Loughall? I will have to see what the
fixtures bring. Then of course what might change in the League of Ireland?
Rumours
suggest St Kevin’s Boys from North Dublin may join, but all will be revealed
over the coming months.
That said, another great weekend, and as I
settled with a final pint in the Bushmills Bar at City Airport on Sunday
afternoon, I can reflect on the fact that it’s another great one for the memory
banks, I’m sure there is a book in me somewhere!
No comments:
Post a Comment