soccer – Page 3 – Paddy Duffy Collection

The Man Who Saved Barcelona

2024-07-302025-06-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Don Patricio/Patrick O’Connell mural at the bottom of the Whiterock Road has been refreshed for this year’s Féıle. The major change is in the middle of the mural, where Lionel Messi – who went to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and then to Inter Miami in 2023 – has been replaced by current stars Aitana Bonmatí and Lamine Yamal. (A modern soccer-ball replaces the leather ball of the original mural, patches have been added to O’Connell’s jacket, and the FAI trophy and the large Cup Winner’s medal has been removed to make room for Bonmatí.) The new mural was relaunched on August 2nd with an address by the director of the FC Barcelona museum at Camp Nou (Belfast Media).

For more – on O’Connell’s career as a player and manager, the emblems in the stands, and the headlines on the newspaper – see Don Patricio.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Pat Jennings

2024-06-212025-01-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A statue to native son Pat Jennings was unveiled in Newry in November 2023 (Launch images from Belfast Media). The statue was commissioned by the Friends Of Big Pat committee (Newry.ie) and sculpted by Andy Edwards (Visit Mourne Mountains).

“Pat Jennings. Born in Newry 12th June 1945; Newry Town FC 1962; Watford FC 1963; Tottenham Hotspur FC 1954; Arsenal FC 1977; Tottenham Hotspur FC 1985. 2 FA Cup wins, 2 League Cup wins & 1 UEFA Cup win. Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year 1976. First player to play 1000 top flight games 1983. 110 international appearances for Northern Ireland 1964-1989. Played in Spain 1982 & Mexico 1986 FIFA World Cups. Captained ‘The Rest Of The World’ team against ‘The Americas’ 1986. Inducted into The English Football Hall of Fame 2003. Chosen by the Irish Football Association as Northern Ireland’s UEFA ‘Golden Player’ of the past 50 years 2003. An inspirational career and legacy.”

Kildare Street, Newry.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Kai Johansen’s Bar

2024-06-022024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Kai Johansen was a Danish international who played for Rangers from 1965-1970, most famously scoring the only goal in the 1966 Scottish Cup final against Celtic (WP). He retired in 1970 and went on to manage two teams in South Africa, as well as owning businesses, including pubs and tanning salons, in Denmark and Scotland (Herald). The pub mentioned in the board above is perhaps “Kai Johansen’s Bar” at 564 Govan Road, Glasgow (images at Follow Follow).

“Every week in Glasgow, to watch the boys in blue/We wanted to form a band, of us there was just a few./We sat in Johansen’s bar, sometimes, he joined us too./He treated us like his sons, and nobody understood why/But through this hospitality, we become adopted sons of Kai./Now we have our name, we will now make it stand./Known as Rathecoole’s finest, the Sons Of Kai flute band.”

See previously: The Famous | Welcome To Our Homeland | We’re From The Coole.

Derrycoole Way, Rathcoole, Newtownabbey

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Red Fanatics

2024-02-182024-11-03Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“The Reds” are Belfast soccer team Cliftonville FC. Although the team and their fans are “The Pride Of North Belfast”, this poster is on an electrical box on the Springfield Road, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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A True Red

2024-01-022024-10-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a 2014 mural in the Markets area of south Belfast celebrating the achievements of local boy George McMullen, who played youth football for St. Malachy’s and St. Matthew’s before joining Cliftonville in 2011 age 20.

On the left is the familiar Cliftonville huddle (see previously: The Red Army). The two poses in the centre and on the left are reproductions of Belfast Telegraph images. The first is from Cliftonville’s 2013 Dankse Bank Irish League-clinching win over Linfield, which the Reds won with a McMullen penalty in the dying seconds; the second in from the same moment in the 2014 campaign: Chris Curran has just scored to put the Reds two-nil up in a game against Portadown that would win them the League for the second year in succession.

Other Cliftonville players have been featured in murals: Joe The Goal in Ardyone and Rory Donnelly in the Bone.

Lower Stanfield St, Markets, south Belfast

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Defending Our Traditions

2023-11-242024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is the new Vanguard Bears (web) board at the Ulster Rangers Supporters’ Club on the Shankill Road. It replaces the board that celebrated the 55th championships of Rangers and Linfield. In the close-up above of the left-hand side, below King Charles III and formed into the numeral 66, are the names of the fans who were crushed to death as they left Ibrox after the Old Firm derby on January 2nd, 1971 (WP).

There used to be a Vanguard Bears board in Sugarfield Street, on the other side of the Shankill Road – see The Boys In Blue – and another is still in place in Barrington Street (Sandy Row) – see Follow, Follow.

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Wall Of Champions

2023-11-092024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“You earn your trophies at practice – you just pick them up at competitions.” The largest number among the honours on the left is 56, for the number of times Linfield has won the league.

“Monkstown true blues Linfield supporters club,” (Fb) “Follow your dreams – if you can dream it, you can become it.”

Cloyne Crescent, Monkstown, Newtownabbey.

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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We Welcome The Chase

2023-10-152024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Let others come after us – we welcome the chase.” The exterior wall of the Carrickfergus Rangers Supporters Club presents a gallery of the club’s managers from 1899 to 2018. In order they are William Wilton, Bill Struth, Scot Symon, David White, William Waddell, Jock Wallace, John Greig, Graeme Souness, Walter Smith, Dick Advocaat, Alex McLeish, Paul Le Guen, Ally McCoist, Stuart McCall, Mark Warburton, Pedro Caixinha, Graeme Murty, Steve Gerrard (and since then, there have been Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, and (currently) Philippe Clement).

Also from the Club: Club: commemorative murals to the 36th Division in A Name That Equals Any In History | to the UDR in Some Gave All | to the Highland Fusiliers.

Like A Pack Of Cards

2023-09-212024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Carrickfergus congratulates Rangers FC on their 55th title” on “Champions Row” (that is, Irish Quarter West) Carrickfergus.

As Chairman Dave King appointed Steven Gerrard as the new manager of Rangers in 2018, he predicted that a single league win for Rangers would cause Celtic to “fold like a pack of cards” (Sky Sport). Under Gerrard, Rangers clinched their 55th Scottish championship in spring of 2021. Celtic, however, won in 2022 and 2023 (WP).

With Voice, Pen, Or Hand

2023-09-032024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“With voice, pen or hand we will defend our land.” David (Davy) Patterson (12-10-1955 – 03-01-2019) was a member of the 1st East Belfast Rangers Supporters Club (Fb) and Albertbridge Glentoran Supporters Club (Funeral Times). This memorial board is the side-wall to the Somme Society mural (see Their Name Liveth Forevermore) and the Red Hand Commando memorial garden in Hunt Street, east Belfast.