WE asked former Bellaghy and Derry star Joe Cassidy about some of the most memorable monents from his career.

Teams played for: Wolfe Tones, Bellaghy, Derry, St Mary’s Magherafelt, UUJ and McQuillans Ballycastle.

Current involvement – Coaching officer for Naomh Padraig Juvenile Hurling Club, coach with u-11s, senior manager of Glenravel football team and PE teacher at Cross & Passion College.

There were a good few, but I’ll go for my last Derry Senior Championship final, in 2005. We beat Loup to win my sixth senior medal. We hadn’t won it in five years, but I suppose to prove to ourselves we were good enough to get back to the top table was very satisfying. The celebrations were magic.

Which club game, that you watched, will you never forget and why?

The 1986 county final is my stand out memory from my early days. I was nine and Bellaghy beat Ballinderry in county final with Damian (Cassidy) starring along with men like Peter, Tommy and Kevin Doherty. The Banana Gang was in full force in the crowd complete with air horns, the atmosphere was electric.

Which county game, that you played in, will you never forget and why?

It was the 1997 Ulster semi-final against Tyrone. They were going for three in-a-row and we beat them well in a packed Clones on a warm day in June, it was real old school Ulster Championship football. I kicked four points and ended up Man of the Match. I was living a dream – playing on same pitch as some of my heroes like Henry Downey, Anthony Tohill and Peter Canavan.

Which county game, that you watched, will you never forget and why?

It has to be 1993 All-Ireland final as Derry won their first and so far only All-Ireland. My great friend Ronan Rocks and I were down for weekend with my parents and watched game in Hill 16 and then gate crashed the victory banquet in the Burlington. It was an unforgettable day and night.

What was the funniest thing you ever saw in a game?

I played a Division Six league match one day for Ballycastle against All Saints Reserves. I was fouled for a penalty and as I was about to hit it, the ‘keeper shouts ‘wait a minute’ – he walks over to umpire and took a puff of his cigarette, then shouts ‘go ahead.’ All I could do was laugh. In fact, Division Six in Antrim provided a few of those moments.

What was the strangest thing you ever saw in a game?

That’s easy. John Mulholland, Bellaghy’s midfielder in the nineties, actually scored a point one night with his left foot against Slaughtneil. It never happened before and certainly never happened again afterwards despite numerous attempts.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game that you watched?

The 1997 All-Ireland final, Kerry v Mayo. I always loved Maurice Fitzgerald, and he gave a Man of the Match performance that day as well as picking up the Player of the Year gong. It was great to watch him live; he had everything a forward could dream of.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game that you played?

I could pick a number of games that David O’Neill played in – he was some player. I genuinely can’t remember him ever having an average game for Bellaghy. ‘Neilly’ at full back was best club full-back we ever had. His 1996 county final performance on Geoffrey McGonigle and 2000 Ulster Club final on Peter Canavan were out of this world, he was Man of the Match on both occasions. What a player.

DEFENSIVE ACE…David O’Neill was Bellaghy’s Mr Dependable at the back

What did you love about the games you played in?

I loved the camaraderie we had amongst the teams I played in and great friendships built up over the years. Also I suppose I was lucky in that almost every team I was part of, were always competitive at business end of every season, so I got the opportunity to play in lots of the big games.

What did you hate about the games you played in?

Very little. I enjoyed my career and thankfully I got out before all the defensive stuff came in. Most games were 15v15 and it allowed forwards opportunity to play more than today’s football. I wouldn’t touch a ball now.