The Final

It was only a few hours before the match that I decided to go. I didn’t want to but I knew it was important to Joey. And after what happened with him hugging me and all I felt I owed it to him. Joey needed me. It was just the thing to do. There was a look of shock on Dad’s face when I asked him to drop me to meet the team bus to travel to the game. Might as well have told him I’d got someone pregnant. He stuttered and shuffled and headed for the car like he was going to play himself.  Mam didn’t say a word. Didn’t wish me good luck. Didn’t even look up from painting her toe nails sitting at the kitchen table. When I arrived at the bus the last few lads were putting their gear bags in. Suddenly I regretted coming but it was too late now, everyone had seen me. I walked onto the bus and it was packed. Joey must have told the manager I might come as he didn’t look too surprised. Just winked at me. I started back through the bus and the lads just stared. Few whispers as I past. Joey was sitting in the back row talking animatedly to the lad beside him. When he noticed me his face lit up like a Christmas tree. He gestured that there was a seat in front of him. I squeezed in as he grabbed me on the shoulder and shook it. With that we were off to the county grounds.

When we arrived the first thing I noticed was the crowd.  The biggest I’d ever seen at any of our matches . Kilsoley flags waving in the summer sun. Families streamed into the ground. You had to hand it to the people of our tiny village – they loved their team, loved where they came from. The manager gave his usual speech in the dressing room before the game about how we were the little fella. How all the big clubs thought they could shit down on top of us but we’d show them. Today was Kilsoley’s day. I had heard this pep talk in various forms for years to the point that it almost made me laugh. All the other lads were gathered around him with fire in their eyes. No one more than Joey. He always said the last words before the team headed out on the field.

 ‘Lads everywhere else in our lives we have to play nice…school…exams…at home…we have everyone telling us what to do and how to do it…but here, we're in charge. No one tells us what to do or who we have to be. We are free to cut loose, to tear into these fuckers and leave it all out there’

The lads gathered around Joey went berserk roaring, kicking the concrete ground with their studs, banging their hurleys off the gear bags strewn around.

Joey must have sensed it. 

‘Put your arms around each other, come in here tight’ he said and everyone did as they were told. We were so close our faces were almost pressed against one another’s and the guy beside me was holding onto me so tightly it hurt. 

 ‘I love this team’ Joey went on his eyes wide ‘and I know not all of you love Hurling but you are one of us and when we go out here lads lets go for it, put everything that fucks you off in your life, every time you’ve been hurt by it, put all of that pain and all the anger you’ve ever felt into how you play today, alright?

 A guttural roar went up and we burst out through the door that the coach held open and sprinted onto the field. I usually don’t even take part in the warm up but this day I threw myself into it and it felt good. My months of cycling in and out of school had me fitter than I had been in a long time. I was not as self-conscious of my size or worried what anyone thought of me. I was there for Joey, that’s all I cared about. The rest of them could think what they want.

When the game started the other team looked good, much better than us. They had their best man on Joey but it didn’t matter. He ran him into the ground and kept us in the game. At half time we were three points down. Us substitutes would usually go and puck around to stay warm while the first fifteen would head into the dressing rooms to hear the instructions for the second half. But this time the coach called us in and told us to get ready that a few of us would be coming on. He told us this game was there for us but we’d need fresh legs. Mid way through the second half he turned to the subs bench and shouted for me to warm up. I nearly choked. But then I remembered Joey’s speech and felt a shoot of adrenaline and felt braver. I told myself I would do exactly as he said - pour my anger into how I played when I got on. 

I was put in full forward. Joey even looked shocked when he saw me running on. He ran over to me, eager to share something;

‘Rod the guy you’re on is weak in the air so I am going to feed it in high to you all right?’

‘Right’

 ‘And all you gotta do is get it in your hand and get it back to me ok?’

‘Got it Joe, I’ll do my best’ I said, as I took a breath in and started running towards the goal to get ready. 

All the play was up the other end as our backs defended with their lives. Joey’s talk had spread through the team like a brushfire. Our lads were refusing to be beaten. We were a point down though and time was running out. We had to score. The next ball that came down my man was out in front of me like a freight train and had it cleared down the field before I could do anything about it. I cursed myself but Joey shouted across to keep the head and that it was all about the next ball. That made me feel better and I was determined that if another one came I’d get it. With seconds left and the wind whipping up our midfielder caught the puckout. He turned to his right and took a shot at goal hoping the wind would carry it over for a point to level the game. It floated through the air towards the goals. Something told me it was going to drop short so I barged my way through the crowd of defenders protecting the goal.  I made a jump above my marker and astoundingly felt the sliothar land in my left hand. I held on with everything I had and wrestled my way free from the bunch of lads trying to stop me. I looked for Joey. 

Where was he? If I held it for too long the referee would give a free out. Just then out of the side of my eye I spotted him. He was roaring at me that he was free. I passed it as hard as I could out to him. His next movement was beautiful to watch. He caught it and swung all in one motion and blasted the ball to the roof of the net. 

GOAL!!

It was pandemonium. We were two points up. Time was up too, or at least it must be. The referee allowed them to take the puckout but as soon as it landed he blew the final whistle. Joey ran straight over to me and grabbed me. 

‘Yes Rod, yes, you fucking did it, that was your goal man, tears were streaming down his face. Thank you Rod, thank you..' All at once I realised how much this meant to him. I was glad I had listened to him and showed up to help him on his biggest day. 

‘No you did it Joey, you did it. You were unreal’. 

‘We were unreal, WE were Rod’. 

Next thing we were swarmed with the other players and our supporters. The coach came up and hugged me and told me I had done myself and my family proud. It felt good. Like I did something for everyone that made me valuable. That I belonged. Even just for today. We lifted Joey off the field on our shoulders and up to receive the county championship cup. His speech was unreal. The county selectors taking it all in. They had seen Joey do it on the biggest day of all and he’d led like a gladiator. I was happy for him. Even happy for Kilsoley. A place I had hated for so long.

That night everyone drank pints at the local pub. The cup was passed around full with beer and we all took a sup. I felt a bit awkward trying to fit in. Watched Joey move easily around the place. Joking with everyone, back slapping, his Dad with his arm around him. These were the lads I had started school with. Christmas concerts together. Their parents were the people of my childhood memories. These were my people. But they’d never felt like my people. I had to try and fit in. Felt like I had to be someone else to do so. Not like with Seanie or Mel and even Fitz where I just felt at home. When everyone headed off to the nightclub in town I slipped away on my own as the dawn light broke over the fields for a new day. Except on this new day Kilsoley were champions. And Joey’s star was about to fly.