S H A R P - S H O O T E R    S U P R E M E

Paddy Doherty shoots for goal

Though Paddy "Mo" had never played soccer before he received an offer from Ards of £250 signing-on fee and £8 per week (about £100 today). He turned it down.

Then came the chance of a trial with Lincoln City and Doherty took it; but he got homesick. and after playing a few games for the second team packed it in.

At this stage Ballyclare Comrades stepped in, and Paddy spent six months with them, during which he became the leading goal-scorer in the Irish League.

But "Mo" was not happy away from the Gaelic code, and on a Sunday would watch his home club playing, - they were not doing too well!

So after serving the statutory one year's suspension for breach of the Ban, Paddy Doherty was reinstated in 1958 and was now qualified to play for the County junior squad.

He captained a talent-packed combination including James McCartan, Patsy O'Hagan, Kevin O'Neill and Eamonn Lundy, with Tony Williamson in goal. They won the Ulster title and seemed certain to gain the All-Ireland crown. Paddy scored a record 34 points in three matches.

But the county senior selectors took away eight of the best players, including the captain, in order to boost the chances of an Ulster crown. Paddy agreed with this decision, even though it deprived him of the honour of leading the Mourne side to All-lreland glory.

Though beaten by Derry in the senior final the squad got down to serious collective training at Downpatrick and then Banbridge, with the late Dany Flynn as trainer, creating a real family atmosphere.

In a tribute to Maurice Hayes (recently Ombudsman) Paddy said: "He did more than any other man to bring the All-Ireland title to Down, and got very little thanks for it."

All the training, experience in games against All-Ireland champions Dublin and other southern sides, and the team-spirit produced results when Down defeated the Ulster champions Cavan to qualify for the Wembley Tournament final against Galway in 1959.

"Mo" reckons that he scored the best goal of his career that match, in which Patsy O'Hagan got a hat-trick, as the Mournemen made the sporting world sit up and take notice.

Demolishing all opposition in the Ulster Championship, Down were set for their first tilt at an All-Ireland title, facing their Wembley opponents, Galway with high hopes. But the match turned out to be a personal disaster for Paddy Doherty, who received a knee injury in the first five minutes and was in agony for the rest of the game as the selectors refused to take him off.

Did Doherty ever feel that he or Sean O'Neill were the targets for special attention, since they were such a potent menace? Not really, he replied, pointing out that James McCartan seemed to take much of the abuse, drawing the backs, leaving his wing-forwards with space and scope to move.

Nor were tactics ever worked out by the celebrated trio. "We seemed to know what was in each other's mind. We played so often together that we developed a pattern and great understanding.