Friday June 3rd 2016
On Monday night Greg Bolger is
distracted from his evening meal by Tony O’Donoghue smarming on the news. The
Republic of Ireland international squad is in Cork and training at Turner’s
Cross ahead the final pre Euro 2016 warm-up match against Belarus. Greg does
not quite drop his knife and fork, stop eating, stare down the screen and shout
“GET OFF MY TURF”, but he does pause for a brief second and, without looking
up, thinks to himself “get the f*** off my turf”. Martin O’Neill, Roy Keane and
the sixty-five players they have in the squad before the final cull are the centre
of attention for a few days, but Greg is not interested. City beat Longford 3-0
away from home yesterday and all he is thinking about is Dundalk. He just hopes
Ireland and Belarus don’t tear lumps out of the pitch.
On Tuesday night Greg Bolger is
back from training, recovery and team meetings. He turns on the TV and there it
is again. The Turner’s Cross pitch under the occupation of Ireland and Belarus.
He thinks to himself “Christ, what is McClean doing, it could take a whole week
for that divot to be repaired”. He stares at the screen for a few minutes, but
he does not quite see what everyone else watching sees. He does not see the players
of Ireland and Belarus arsing around as if there is not a major international
tournament about to take place. What he does see however is the Turner’s Cross
pitch, but not in the current circumstances. What he sees is himself, on the
pitch, not quite as if watching a normal player playing football on television,
but a player that is bigger, taller, faster, stronger, more focused, more
determined, more dominant, in charge. He sees a football pitch that belongs to
him, with 21 other players, his own and those of the opposition, almost
irrelevant in comparison, more like spectators than fellow participants. He
sees his territory, to be conquered by no-one but him.
Friday is another glorious summer’s
day on the south coast of Ireland. The summer is shaping up to be the best one
in Cork for a good few years. Some would say it could be the best summer since
2005. 2005 was a good year for Cork City FC. The Beer Garden pub on Evergreen
Road is packed an hour before kick-off. There were no more than fifteen away
fans at the last home game, but Dundalk have brought a strong number this time
and will come close to filling their section of the St Anne’s End. There are posters
up in the pub about the Euros – watch it live here on the screens – but if
Bolger was here you know he would respectfully remove the posters and put up pictures
of this 2016 Cork City FC team. Forget the Euros, Turner’s Cross is just around
the corner. Fans are in two minds about when to go to the ground. They know it’s
going to be packed but the temptation is there to have another quick one in the
pub in the sunshine before heading down. There is no beer served at the ground
- something many fans would like to see change, notwithstanding whatever
obstacles might be in place. Such a huge game on a Friday evening in June at
Turner’s Cross. This is why Friday evening summer football was invented. Greg
has played a few big games in his time, but this is this is his first season at
Cork City FC. He was there for the Derry game. He saw how the crowd responded,
how they never lost hope, how they refused to accept defeat, how when they
equalised they rejected the idea of holding for a draw, how they drove the
players on to the win and how they stood up, en masse, and stayed standing for
Cork City FC long after the final whistle. Tonight he knows could be even
better, louder, it could even be like nothing he has ever experienced before, but
in his mind, whether this happens or not depends on only one thing, on only one
person, Greg Bolger.
The ground is packed long before
kick-off and when the teams come out it is noticeable how big the Dundalk
players are. They have a few lads who are bursting out of their shoulders. They
must work very hard in the gym. But Greg Bolger is not interested in the size
of the opposition, because it does not mean they are better footballers. For
ninety minutes Greg goes on to demonstrate this point. Stronger, bigger and
better than everyone else. Running, controlling, passing, closing down, intercepting,
tackling, battling, shooting, doing all of these things with more confidence
and with more composure than everyone else because knows that he must. Dundalk
have come here to stifle Cork City’s title challenge but Bolger is saying no.
City are saying no. Cork City FC take the lead through Stephen Dooley and the
ground erupts. The Shed is on fire. City nearly score again and they smell
blood. Former City player Daryl Horgan is trying to prove something for Dundalk
but it isn’t happening and the ball hits off his knees, his teammate Chris
Shields flies in at the rebound through Steven Beattie and gets himself sent
off. At half time City are 1-0 up and one man up. They come out in the second
half and nearly score again, Bolger himself striking from distance, sensing
that the magnetic pull of the Shed towards the goal. Maguire wins a penalty and
when Dooley steps up Turner’s Cross expects to go wild. If this goes in the
points looks secure, even though there is still half an hour left. But Dooley
misses, and Dundalk regroup.
The next half hour is the
defining moment of Cork City’s season. The
closer it gets to the final whistle, the more palpable the tension in the
ground. At times it seems as if it transmits to the players, but they dig in,
Bolger leading the way, living out the scene he had imagined on TV earlier in the
week. Ownership of the Turner’s Cross football pitch. Leadership of Cork City
FC to its chosen destination. Unrelenting drive towards victory. There are a
few nervy moments but City stand up and hold on. At the final whistle the
ground is jubilant. It is not just any victory. Everyone knows it, players,
fans, opposition. Dundalk have been champions two seasons in a row, with Cork
City the runners-up both times. A loss tonight would have opened a seven point
gap. A draw tonight would have left a four point gap. With this win, Cork City
FC enter the mid-season break just ONE POINT behind the leaders Dundalk. There
are still 18 matches to go. It is a very long road ahead yet, but this is a big
win. This is a very big win.
A tough 90 minutes, but in truth
the game is won before the kick-off. The game is won by Greg Bolger deciding
for himself that this is the night and this is the year. Greg knows that it is
2005 since Cork City FC last won the league. He knows they are now in a good
position. But Greg knows, in fact he is convinced (he will not accept any argument
other than this) that whether Cork City FC win the league in 2016 or not depends
on only one thing, on one person, Greg Bolger. It is his decision. Greg Bolger has
decided that Cork City FC will win the league and that is the end of it. He
will go and do it himself. And he knows that every other player in the Cork
City FC squad is thinking the same thing. Cork City FC are going
to win the league.
