Portstewart In A Storm

Portstewart  1  Ballymacash Rangers  2

Northern Ireland Premier Intermediate League

Admission / Programme - £7 / No

It had been a year, so it was time to head back to Norn Iron once again, a journey that I’ve been doing on a regular basis for almost twenty years now.

The plan rarely changes much, it typically starts with a Friday morning flight into Belfast, and sees me take in a Derry City game that night with my mates, before heading off to another game on the Saturday, followed by an overnight stay in Belfast, before returning home on the Sunday.

The only reason the plan changes is the ‘buggeration’ factor that can kick in when the League of Ireland elects to move it’s Friday night games at short notice. I’ve had that happen on a couple of occasions but all that’s done is meant I’ve had to divert to another game.

I have now learned what hazards to be careful of though, and the reasons a game can be moved are typically as follows. Involvement in European competitions that means a team has a Thursday night game which scuppers the Friday fixture, international call ups at any kind of level and I mean any kind of level, being selected for live television, and, bizarrely, it once happened because it clashed with Halloween!

I called Derry City v Shelbourne right, it didn’t get moved so more on that later, but my Saturday game is usually one in the Northern Ireland Football League at a new venue. I only have eight left to visit in what you would consider the three ‘senior’ divisions, so choices can be a bit limited, however, one that jumped out was Banbridge Town v Armagh City in the third tier Intermediate Division.

I have to also think about where I can get to via public transport, and then get back to Belfast afterwards to get checked in. Therefore, as you can imagine, some venues are easier than others, and right now, the more difficult ones are in the majority as my list gets shorter!

Banbridge was a doddle though, a 45 minute bus ride South of Belfast, but what became clear as the weekend loomed was the threat that Storm Babet posed to the UK and Ireland. The forecast for the part of the Country below Belfast on the Friday looked a shocker, but as you got further up towards the North West coast, it got significantly better. I had a re-think, Portstewart, right on the coast just to the North of Coleraine, it barely looked as though it was even going to rain!

So, change of plan, but how did it all pan out?

The storm was just arriving as I left home at a few minutes short of 4am, and by the time I was wending my way through the backstreets of Marston Green to get to the Mackadown Lane car park, the roads were starting to flood. Thankfully no issues with the flight, and less than an hour later we were landing at Belfast International and boarding the bus to the city centre.

A quick change at Europa put me onto the trusted 212 for the two hours journey up to Derry, and before long we were driving away from the storm and up into the Sperrin Mountains along the Glenshane Pass. I know when Derry is getting close, it's when the bus makes it’s way through Dungiven, and before long it’s up the hill, past the Altnagelvin Hospital and over the Craigavon Bridge to the Foyleside bus station. Derry by Noon, my second home, the best City in the World!

A pint or two in Jacks Bar gave me the chance to catch up with the owner who always remembers me from previous visits, before a walk along the walls and down into the Bogside to look at the murals and the memorials. Palestine is currently in the news, Palestine has always been in the news as far as the West Bank of the Foyle is concerned, and that was none more apparent today with flags and slogans visible as you walked down Rossville Street.

A quick pint in the Derby Bar (you have to don’t you!), and then it was time to check in and have a breather before meeting friends for a meal and then down to the Brandywell to watch City play.

The game was poor, Derry were down to ten men in the first half and after that it was kind of a nothing game. The 0-0 score line edges them closer to Europe, the league championship boat sailed a while ago, but it’s good to see the Brandywell full every week with over 3,000 regularly in attendance. Plans are afoot to build a new stand at the Lonemoor Road end of the ground and that will almost double the capacity, and it needs it, getting tickets currently isn’t that straightforward like it used to be.

More beers were taken with the lads afterwards before bedtime, and a busy day on the Saturday.

After breakfast, it was the twenty minute stroll on a beautiful morning, down to Guildhall Square and then over the Peace Bridge to the Waterside. The River Foyle was looking stunning and peaceful on a gorgeous morning, and it was alongside that I followed the footpath to the railway station.

The train journey from Derry to Coleraine is widely known as one of the most beautiful journeys in the World. Michael Palin featured it on his TV programme, and having been on that route a few times, but not for many years, I was really looking forward to it.

The journey out of Derry takes you along the Foyle, past the Port and Harbour before heading along the North West coastline. In runs right by the edges of Derry Airport and then along through Bellarena and into the most stunning part of the journey when you travel along the edge of the beach as you approach Castlerock and head through the tunnels that have been cut into the rock face.

Once out of the very picturesque village of Castlerock, you hit the mouth of the River Bann where boating teams were out practicing, and you follow the river all the way over the bridge until finally arriving into Coleraine. It is a simply stunning journey, one you can never tire of.

Coleraine fans boarded the train as I got off, they were on the way to the local derby fixture away at Ballymena United, and that perhaps explains why we had a police presence on the platform. I was going the opposite way though and jumped on a bus that took me North out of the town before heading into Portrush (where the British Open Golf tournament took place recently), and then running along the short but very expensive looking coastline that leads into the next town, Portstewart. On the way along the road, you pass the piece of land that is used every year as the pit area when the famous North West 200 motorcycle road race comes to town. A bit like the recent trip to the Isle of Man, it’s hard to imagine high powered bikes tearing round these roads at the speed they do.

Anyway, off the bus I jumped in Portstewart, and round the corner I walked to the harbour side, which again looked stunning on the beautiful day we had. I took the time to survey the scenery, before making my way to a couple of pubs that were within a short walking distance of the Mullaghacall home of Portstewart Football Club.

It seems my fears about the weather were unfounded, no games were called off in the top three divisions, in fact we only had one ground need a pitch inspection, and that was at Knockbreda. Anyway, it was while sat in the pub that I saw on social media the awful scenes back in Belper where the football ground was under water again for the third time in five years. I really do feel for my Dad and all of the volunteers who run the club, however, as I type this, over £12,000 has been raised to help repair the damage, but what the long term solution is, I really don’t know.

Mullaghacall was reached around an hour before kick off, just after the supporters bus from Ballymacash rolled into the car park. I handed over my £7 and surveyed the scene, the focal point being the clubhouse and dressing room complex that sat on the South side of the ground, with it’s unusual roof design that makes it instantly recognisable on photographs.

Opposite on the North side of the ground, is a modern seated stand that has been added fairly recently to meet ground grading requirements, while the rest of the ground is open, albeit with a grass bank behind the East goal that gives fine views of the action.

Portstewart Football Club was formed in 1968, and played in local leagues until 1979 when they joined the Northern Ireland Intermediate League. In 2003 the club was accepted into the newly formed Second Division of the Northern Ireland Football League (third tier), being relegated in 2016, but winning promotion back at the first attempt.

Over the years, the third tier of Northern Irish football has had a variety of names, but right now it is known as the Northern Ireland Football League Premier Intermediate League. Visitors Ballymacash, from Lisburn, were promoted into the league this season having won the Mid-Ulster League last time round and then defeated St James Swifts in a two legged play-off.

The game itself wasn’t the best spectacle, the hosts took a first half lead through Paul Smith but then two quick fire goals in a ten minute period in the second half from Dylan Sinnerton and ex Sheffield FC man Benny Igiehon saw the visitors take the three points and remain unbeaten in the league.

I watched the game from an elevated view alongside the clubhouse, and with the day being clear, you could see the sea peeping through the rooftops, with the Inishowen Peninsula in the Republic over in the distance to the West.

The journey back saw a bus trip to Coleraine, a train to Belfast Great Victoria Street, and then a fifteen minute walk out to the West and onto the edges of the Falls Road where I was staying for the night. Another great trip, more great memories, and next time, I won’t be leaving it a whole year!

Only I’ve still got to get to Banbridge……