{"id":2829,"date":"2014-11-04T17:35:09","date_gmt":"2014-11-04T17:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=2829"},"modified":"2014-11-05T19:00:14","modified_gmt":"2014-11-05T19:00:14","slug":"football-in-the-compounds-reminisces-of-a-hankie-ball-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=2829","title":{"rendered":"Football in the Compounds: Reminisces of a Hankie Ball Player"},"content":{"rendered":"

Football in the Compounds-Reminisces of a Hankie Ball Player<\/strong><\/p>\n

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There was no Queens Park Strangers.\u00a0 Certainly no Borrussia Munching Barnbrack.\u00a0 And definitely no Real Madrid Street.\u00a0 What we did have was Compound 21…or 16..or 18B…and the immortals—at least in their own minds– 19A.\u00a0 In Magilligan, because compounds were given letters instead of numerals we had, on occasions AA playing against CB..or HB up against FA .\u00a0 The Crumlin Road set-up was different again-less formalised football meant no leagues against other wings.\u00a0 So it may have been landing against landing or just 2 teams made up from within whatever particular Wing being occupied at any one time.\u00a0 In the early days football was a very haphazard affair.
\nYou got it infrequently and there was little or no organisation involved.\u00a0 Basically two teams were picked to play and it was more about getting out of the compound..sometimes in order to visit someone else at the wire.\u00a0 There were always good players of course.\u00a0 Some would have been known from outside before their incarceration.\u00a0 As time moved on and football did become an important factor in jail life then of course it became more serious.\u00a0 Too serious at times.
\nIf someone was in remand who had a reputation of being a good footballer there was an effort from the different camps within the Kesh-or Magilligan-to get him in to a certain compound.\u00a0 Now and again a mix would have been put in though and someone who was rumoured to be the next Charlie George and eagerly waited on turned out to be more like Charlie Drake when it came to football.\u00a0 It was around 1976 that the soccer became a big thing in Long Kesh.\u00a0 This was the year of the first inter-compound football tournament.
\nIn Magilligan a similar venture had been in place from late 75.\u00a0 Four Loyalist compounds-2 UDA and 2 UVF-formed 8 teams and played a league.\u00a0 It was ultra competitive and had a record number of sending-offs.\u00a0 The four elected sports reps-1 from each compound, myself included-took up the refereeing duties and this was a job in itself.\u00a0 A bookie-in fact a number of them was in place in Magilligan-and this too made for some very combative and spirited encounters.\u00a0 If I\u2019m not mistaken the A team from Compound A-UVF-won that first tournament, finishing ahead of E compounds first team-UDA-and they had a number of good players in the team.
\nSome of those who spring to mind from the victorious A team were Bobby Rodgers-Victor Thompson-Rab McIntyre who had been for trials at Old Trafford and Davy Barr..who had been with a number of Irish League clubs including Portadown.\u00a0 The other cages held other good players..Shane Hamilton (Chico ) and Guffer Liggett out of E–Danny Black and a couple of Rathcoole guys from Compound C and Jim Rossborough –a rumbustious and marauding centre forward out of H.\u00a0 If this inaugural tournament was a success the initial one in the confines of Long Kesh was less so.
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After many months of wrangling between the jail authorities and the representatives from the compounds the go ahead was given to commence.\u00a0 Barely minutes into the first game in which the pre tournament favourites were playing each other-19 against 16\u2014UVF against UDA\u2014a deliberate tackle broke a players leg and the game was hastily abandoned\u2014as was the league.\u00a0 Although inter compound football continue in Magilligan until it\u2019s closure in October 1977 it would be a long time before the idea was resurrected in Long Kesh.\u00a0 In Magillgan in particular\u2014perhaps because many of the matches were being bet on\u2014there was a great interest from outsiders.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t unusual to see the pitch ringed with a large number of screws\u2014who of course would have had their own bets running\u2014or indeed the IRA prisoners\u2014lined along either D compound wire or along the fence of the other pitch-F.
\nEventually it did kick off again and although there was the usual problems it never got out of control and by and large it was quite successful. \u00a0Spectator numbers were limited in an attempt to quell potential trouble and the notion that the next major incident could stop the mixed soccer for good seemed to work.
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The truth is there was only a few inter compound leagues or cups in total and dwindling numbers\u2014people getting out and the advent of the H Blocks which stopped others coming to the cages-meant that no longer could compounds field 2 teams.\u00a0 By the time the mid eighties came around each compound was dependent on recruiting other players from different compounds to make the numbers up, otherwise the football would have ceased completely.
\nI played football behind many walls and wires in a \u201ccareer\u201d that stretched from 1973 until early 1990.\u00a0 Many a professional would have been proud of that or the fact that conservatively those of us who served a heavy sentence and played an average of 2 games a week\u2014EVERY week-would have racked up around 1500 appearances!!\u00a0 Some going on all weather pitches\u2014and many of us still have the scars and bumps-bruises and limps to show for it.\u00a0 There was many hankie ball players but very few prima donnas in those days.\u00a0 The stick would have been too much to take.\u00a0 Magilligan led in many ways by supplying us with good quality kits and on occasions the proper balls.\u00a0 For a long while Long Kesh trailed behind in this department and many of the kits were threadbare..hand me downs and distinctly second rate.\u00a0 Boots were almost nonexistent for many years and unless you had your own sent in you were reduced to playing in trainers\u2014old fashioned gutties\u2014or at the start of proceedings just whatever you had.\u00a0 Eventually, after many years the jail started supplying cheap Mitre boots and these became like gold dust. \u00a0They also went missing quite a bit so became much sought and looked after items. They also at one time supplied a brand of \u201ctrainer\u201d that I believe were manufactured in D Wing in the Crum, and these were deadly.\u00a0 They were the nearest thing you could get to a steel toe capped trainer and a hefty boot on the shin with one was sure to put you out of action for the next few matches.
\nDespite all these obvious drawbacks-manufactured or otherwise-many\u2019s a good player graced the\u2014well not turf\u2014but the hard core of Long Kesh.\u00a0 It is impossible to remember let alone mention them all but there are quite a few stick out in my mind.\u00a0 Everyone will have a particular favourite and always with good reason.\u00a0 There was the stylish players\u2014the ball players\u2014the Hardmen\u2014the psycho\u2019s who thought nothing of slide tackling on the gravel\u2014or the goalkeepers who had to be mad to dive full length on basically concrete.\u00a0 Then there was the dribblers\u2014the selfish players\u2014one\u2019s it was rumoured you would need a Board paper to receive a pass from\u2014the dry weather players\u2014the ones who were legends\u2014in their own mind.\u00a0 There was huffers-and puffers and slabbers and wasters.\u00a0 There was strokers and jokers and big girls blouses.\u00a0 There was dead eye dicks and those who couldn\u2019t hit a cow on the arse with a banjo.\u00a0 But to all those who crossed the line thanks for all the memories.\u00a0 I recently conducted a wee straw poll.\u00a0 Contacted between thirty and forty ex prisoners\u2014those fortunate enough to still be alive\u2014and asked a simple question-\u201c Who was the best player you seen in prison\u201d\u00a0 To me the result wasn\u2019t surprising.\u00a0 I knew a lot of different names would crop up-and they did.\u00a0 I knew a couple of names would appear near the top\u2014and they did. Not surprisingly.\u00a0 In the end only a vote or two separated two great footballers.\u00a0 I was lucky enough to play with-and against-both.\u00a0 One for far longer than I would have liked.. But-that\u2019s Life.
\nThe person who finished top of the pile in this particular poll was Geordie McKimm.\u00a0 Geordie was only there for a couple of years but whilst he was he stood out-head and shoulders.\u00a0 In modern day football he would be called a box to box man\u2014he was a fantastic passer of the ball..great vision and could basically do what he wanted with the ball.\u00a0 He was only a young man-20\/21 and extremely fit.\u00a0 A worthy winner I feel.\u00a0 Only a vote or two behind was Jimbo Tipping.\u00a0 Jim was a Shankill Road man and had passed through Magilligan before arriving in Compound 19.\u00a0 It\u2019s no exaggeration to say that Jimbo was one of the best strikers of the ball I have ever seen.\u00a0 When he hit them they stayed hit. \u00a0In the end it was hard to get goalkeepers for the other team when Jimbo was playing!! \u00a0Jim was strong\u2014six foot plus\u2014and a great header of the ball.\u00a0 He had a superb all round game and for want of a better word was extremely \u201ccompetitive\u201d.\u00a0 These two were comfortably clear of the rest of the field in the poll.\u00a0 There were many other mentions but I would prefer to do is pick the eleven players who I think would make up the best team..going by the many hundreds of players I played with or against during my time behind the wire.\u00a0 It is a personal opinion and is not definitive–neither right or wrong.\u00a0 I stand to be challenged and would welcome some debate on it.\u00a0 So here goes.\u00a0 11 men..no subs.<\/p>\n

Eddie Martin<\/strong>. Former goalkeeping apprentice at Notts County and went on to play for 5 Irish League clubs…as a striker.<\/p>\n

Rab. McCreery<\/strong>.\u00a0 Glentoran legend.\u00a0 His brother Paul was also a smashing player..but no room for him in this team.<\/p>\n

Clifford Healey.<\/strong>\u00a0 Powerful centre half..very aggressive and unbeatable in the air.<\/p>\n

Victor Thompson<\/strong>.\u00a0 Assured and steady..could play as stopper or sweeper.<\/p>\n

Cliff Whiteside<\/strong>.\u00a0 Classy full back-great left foot and impossible to get past.<\/p>\n

Bobby Rodgers<\/strong>.\u00a0 Two footed\u2014Good in the air for a small man-and great goalcorer.<\/p>\n

Jimbo Tipping.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Geordie McKimm.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shane Hamilton.<\/strong>\u00a0 Hard to get the ball of..good passer and fantastic ball skills.<\/p>\n

Colin McCurdy.<\/strong>\u00a0 Colin went on to play for Linfield-Fulham and Northern Ireland.\u00a0 Great athlete and super finisher.<\/p>\n

Sammy Frickleton. <\/strong>\u00a0Sammy was a Scotsman I remember from the Crum.. He had played for Ballymena before imprisonment and went on to play for East Fife and Sligo Rovers\u2014despite having a large King Billy tattoo on his chest!!<\/p>\n

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*** The poll also included some ex Block men and the names put forward there included Noel Large and the aforementioned Guffer Liggett.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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“Beano”<\/p>\n

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