Autumn,1975 - The tension in the ground was absolutely unbearable. As the pandemonium of the penalty decision died down, a  kind of stunned shock drew over the crowd. Athlone Town winger John Minnock stood at the penalty spot facing Enrico Albertosi, regarded as Italy’s greatest ever goalkeeper. As their eyes locked, Minnock realised the weight of history was on his shoulders. It wasn’t just for the town… it was for the country, it was for Europe, it was for the world. This kick was for every one of the ‘little people’ watching this game. It was for every supporter who has ever dreamed of toppling one of the giants. As Minnock began his run up, he knew this kick would change history… 

A year earlier in Manchester, former Manchester United Legend Denis Law back-heeled the winner for Manchester City in the Manchester derby to relegate his old club from the top division for the first time ever. As he slotted the ball home, his body language read –“I don’t want to do this but I have to.” Law’s refusal to celebrate the goal is etched in the memory of most football fans, especially the heartbroken United fans. It’s part of the folklore and mythology of the clubs’ history. But the truth is United were already doomed to relegation as Birmingham City had beaten Norwich City 2-1. Dennis Law’s goal had no effect whatsoever on United’s relegation. The Birmingham-Norwich result doesn’t matter anymore, nobody lets this truth get in the way of this particular story. The story of a Manchester United legend relegating Manchester United is the kind of story that people love to retell. As the Maxwell Scott, editor of the Shinbone Star in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance said: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend”. 

One year later, as the River Shannon meandered through the town of Athlone, the local soccer team - Athlone Town, were pulled out of a hat for their first ever UEFA cup tie. The town held its breath, expecting to hear the name of a European superpower such as Barcelona, Liverpool or Roma that would have catapulted them into the bigtime. There was collective confusion and disappointment when the name of Valerengen was pulled out. The Norwegian team were not a European superpower. Athlone Town, who were a decent team, had little problems in dispatching the plucky Vikings over two legs, and were welcomed home as all conquering heroes when they returned from Oslo with the scalps of their opponents held high. The local paper, The Westmeath Independent remarked of the occasion; “ Bonfires blazed and townspeople turned out in huge numbers, in the early hours of Friday morning to give a tumultuous welcome to the team”. (Lynch 1991, p.306). A night in Europe that would be hard to beat. 

In Irish culture, the Seanachai (Shan-a-key) meaning bearer of old lore, has always held a special and important position in society. Irish myth dates back to pre-Christian times. Stories of myth and legend were passed on orally for generations. Seanachai travelled from town to town like a modern day touring rock band, but without the bus, the groupies or the money. His (because it generally was a ‘his’) rider may have consisted of a floor to sleep on and whisky to fuel the fire so to speak. But what he did have was an attentive audience who were hungry for stories...stories generally retold with more legs than a nest of spiders. There is something about storytelling that connects us and brings us together. We gladly enter fantasy worlds, enthralled by the adventure, the excitement, the danger and the unending possibilities that may be missing from the reality of our groundhog existence. Stories have the power to heal, to inspire, and to motivate. Obviously they can also be dangerous, manipulative and deceitful, but that’s for another day. The storyteller delivers the gift which the audience receive gladly. There is an unspoken transaction that creates a bond that enhances our spirit and our lives. The tradition of storytelling holds today in Ireland, If there is a story to be told there will be an audience, and none more attentive than in Athlone when this story is being told. 

With the bonfires barely extinguished, the people of Athlone strapped themselves back into the catapult, and their attention was on the draw for round two of the UEFA Cup. The hat seemed smaller this time as huge name after huge name was drawn - Barcelona, Liverpool, Roma all slinked by within touching distance, flaunting their wares at a salivating ‘Town’. Surely it can’t be another Valerengen? Then it happened….AC MILAN! The catapult took off, its contents not to be seen until the second leg had finished. In a podcast documentary about the game, local fan Anthony Keane remembers the excitement after Milan were drawn -“I’d say we were the envy of every club in Ireland. It was absolutely huge news. Athlone Town had never been associated with anything like it before. The excitement around the place that AC Milan were coming to small little Athlone was fantastic. Everyone knew it was the real deal” (The Italian Connection, 2012). Former ‘Town’ player Turlough O’Connor recounts: “I thought there must have been a mistake, Athlone Town v AC Milan, Hold on! Did I hear it right? It was just fantastic you know?”. (The Italian Connection, 2012). 

AC Milan were Italian football legends. Their list of honours was as long as the Shannon itself, so the gulf that existed between the two teams was almost farcical. There were a couple of things in Athlones’ favour though. Milan were going through a period of transition. After a few glorious years, they had gone three years consecutively finishing second in Serie A prior to the game, and their ‘Golden Boy’ Gianni Rivera wouldn’t be starting the game. 

When this story is being retold, one can look no further than journalist, author and lifelong Athlone Town fan Declan Lynch. Lynch, has become the go-to man for people that are looking for information on the match. He would say himself “simply because I was at it”, but there is no doubt there is something of the Seanachai in Lynch and how he weaves a tale. He recalls the news of the draw and the surreal reality of playing such a giant of European soccer, “It was a big deal, but the funny thing was, which kind of makes it more complicated, Athlone were very good at the time. They were a really good side, maybe the best team they ever had. It wasn’t the most successful one, but a really talented team, so we didn’t think we were totally hopeless you know what I mean? We thought we’d put up some sort of a show and then get slaughtered. But we weren’t terrified, because we knew we had quite a good team.” (Lynch 2020) I asked Declan if there was a sense that it was almost ridiculous that the match was happening; “I think there was an inherent absurdity about it, just the shear gulf between the two teams. At the same time, there wasn’t a sense of total terror. I mean, it wasn’t like, say today like sort of a poor team playing Barcelona or something”. 

As this story is being retold through the eyes of various characters, I am reminded of “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell. This book explores the world of mythology, particularly through the much-used template of the Hero’s Journey – The Monomyth. The typical journey involves three stages – 1. The hero receives and answers the call, 2. He/she then enters a world of “supernatural wonder”, where “fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won”(Campbell, 1968), 3. The Hero returns from “this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man” (Campbell, 1968). Like mythology, football games like this teach us lessons about life and the human experience. When a team like Athlone take on a football giant like Milan, we often find ourselves rooting for them even if we are not supporters of the club. We can see ourselves in the underdog. We can relate to the hero’s journey as we route for them in their perilous quest. The hero is the underdog, the hero is David slaying Goliath, the hero is you or me. 

When Milan arrived in Athlone, the myth was already writing itself. Stories abound of chefs being flown in to cook their meals and a massive entourage of mafia-like security. Declan Lynch recalls – “And then the famous legend that they brought their own chef, and they got changed in the hotel. I think they stayed in the Hudson Bay Hotel. They did their best to separate themselves from the horrors of reality. I mean, the dressing rooms in St Mel’s, God knows what the showers were like…. not up to Italian standards.” (Lynch 2020). Indeed, in an article written about the match for Hot Press magazine, Lynch himself takes a guess at the standard of said showers – “The idea of million dollar Italian superstars having to sluice their expensive torsos beneath ‘showers’ which squirted an unpredictable blackish fluid”. (Lynch 1991, p310). 

When the day of the big game arrived, the town of Athlone was beside itself with quivering excitement and expectation. The worlds media descended on the town, with the Italian media particularly dismissive of their own heroes opponents, labelling them as ‘Shepherds’ due to their rural location. But the spunky sheep herders had no intention of making it easy for the imperious Italians. In an interview for this article, Paddy McCaul, former FAI (Football Association of Ireland) president explains: “There was an element of surprise in it. Nowadays if you draw a team in Europe, you have to allow the visitors to train on the ground where the match will be played the night before, so we didn’t allow that. The first time Ac Milan saw the ground was at 3.30 the day of the match. Because of this UEFA actually changed the rules!”. (McCaul 2020). It’s hard to underestimate the ‘element of surprise’ this would have been for the Italians. The Rossoneri (Milans nickname) would have been used to playing on the lush Mediterranean carpet-like surfaces at home. There is a famous photo from the time of Milan players stepping off the bus at the ground. With their Italian leather loafers engulfed in muck, if they didn’t know it already, the Milanese were sure that this was not going to be a stroll in the Villa Borghese. 

Declan Lynch recalls the teams entrance to the cauldron that was Athlone’s’ home ground St Mel’s; “It was the visual aspects of it. You know the thing that was burned on my brain was just a physical sort of difference. They were just like Greek Gods, you know? These Italian guys, aristocrats, you know? They were beautifully conditioned top of the range athletes and Italians to boot. I remember looking across and there was the famous player Gianni Rivera. He was an absolutely world class player. We had probably last seen him in the World Cup in Mexico in 1970, which was the first great football TV event. I mean, the Brazil team that came to light then. Albert Hozey was playing in that, literally the last time we saw Albert Hozey, Pele was playing against him. So Gianni Rivera was a top Italian player, and I don’t know why he wasn’t playing, maybe he didn’t fancy it. But he was there, and I saw him walking across the muck of St Mel’s right into the dugout, and he was wearing this beautiful coat, that was beautifully designed, so even in their street clothes they looked great you know?”. (Lynch 2020). 

As the teams lined up in the ‘tunnel’, the Italians were greeted by a sight that surely would have had them wondering if they were part of an Opera Buffa. As legend has it, the teams were led out on to the pitch by a pipe band which was being led by a goat. Lynch: “It was kind of intimidating for AC Milan in the sense that, you know, the funny thing about it is that some people remember it as a pipe band led by a goat. I don’t know whether this is just in the mind’s eye or not, but some people don’t remember the goat” (Lynch 2020).  McCaul: “We had a goat as a mascot. I remember we brought him on the train to a match in Dublin. A fella by the name of Bug Judge is alleged to have said to the ticket attendant “Give us two adults and one for the kid. But no, I don’t think it happened on the day”. 
(McCaul 2020). Despite the muck and farm animals (the goat not the players), The Rossoneri looked the part to the home crowd and Declan lynch in the warm-up – “Those Italian aristos put on a good front alright, preening extravagantly in the pre-match kick-about, flaunting their bronzed beautifully honed physiques all rippling thighs and balletic elegance as they strove to freak-out the cadaverous natives with their class”. (Lynch 1991, p.310). 

While the validity of the goat band leader may be in doubt, there is no doubting the validity of the Italians fierce reputation in the tackle. Italian teams in general were tough, very physical and very defensive. Despite the obvious gulf in class, given the conditions and how far out of their comfort zone Milan would have felt, a 0-0 would suit them down to the ground. Italian teams were always masters of the nil-all draw, the result is almost a religion in Italy. The Athlone players would have been well for-warned, indeed, the Milan manager Nereo Rocco had apparently sent his team out with the order to “kick everything that moves, if it is the ball, all the better”. (O’Neill, 2012). With the Milan players intent on kicking everything but the ball, the homeside settled into a groove, as Declan Lynch wrote, “Around the half-hour mark the Pizza Men suddenly discovered the rancid taste of workhouse gruel”. (Lynch 1991, p.310). As a substitute on the day, former player Pauric Nicholson had a good view of the game. He remembers an encouraging start for his team, “They dropped off and let us have the ball, and we had players like John Duffy, who, given the time and space could do damage. We could have scored a couple of goals in the game, we were the better side”. (The Italian Connection, 2012). The omens were good for the Shepherds, the Greek Gods were in a celestial battle, the scene was set. 

Everybody remembers where they were during enormous moments in their lives. People always talk about where they were during great landmark moments like the JFK assassination, the Moon Landings or 9/11. These moments may have the power to change the course of history. But there are other moments of such enormous emotion and connection that they become embedded in the life experience of those who shared it. I remember when Ole Gunner Solskaer scored the winner in injury time for Manchester United against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. It was a moment of such unbridled delirium that it’s actually hard to put into words. But what is most memorable is the shared delirium with everybody else in the bar we watched it. It’s these moments of human connection that create memories and stories that last a lifetime. Why else would fans of the underdog turn up when everyone tells them they have no hope? For the football fan, there is always hope even the promise of that moment of unbridled delirium that they’ll never forget. 

Minnock continued his run… Albertosi went to his right….MISSED!! The Gods had arrived to stage their very own Greek tragedy. Minnock, renowned for a powerful left foot that could send a keeper into orbit if he got in front of it, for some reason elected to shelve this superpower for the task in hand. Instead he chose to place it in the bottom left. As he says himself, “Albertini had to come out to collect it”. (The Italian Connection, 2012). Penalty saved. Unbridled delirium turned to traumatic tragedy. The silence in the ground was palpable. Disbelief. Time appeared to collapse in on itself, nobody knew what to do. The collective trauma is described by Declan Lynch himself, “it’s almost like a traumatic event. Because it was just unbelievable first of all to get a penalty right? There was complete pandemonium in the ground, complete madness. The disbelief to get a penalty against AC Milan, and that was kind of a trauma, and then the trauma of missing it right? It was too much, kind of an overload, you never get over it, this visceral kind of trauma”. (Lynch 2020). After the penalty the bottom kind of fell out of the game. The moment shook everybody, and although the ‘Town’ had a couple of chances, it felt like all involved were happy enough to leave things as they were, although the game was seen as a 0-0 victory for the homeside. A few days later Athlone put up another valiant effort in the San Siro but were hit with a sucker punch of three quick goals. The Gods were finished toying with the peasants. 

“I’ve come around over the years to the feeling that, penalty is so important, because, it is actually better for the legend and for the myth that it was missed, right? Because if it had been scored. There was every chance, that Maybe AC Milan would have gotten riled up and beaten us 4-1 and the whole thing would have been forgotten about, 15 mins after it finished”. (Lynch 2020). The moment and the myth. Like Denis Laws reluctant finish and relegation of United, it doesn’t matter if a goat really led the pipe band or not. It doesn’t matter if Milan really brought their own chefs. What matters is the retelling and the aura surrounding this game. Every person I spoke to about it lit up when they talked about it. The occasion itself has a personality that is irresistible. A personality that is created by the personalities that retell it. The Sheanacai that is Declan Lynch. Fintan the barman , who I wasn’t even interviewing and almost jumped across the bar to talk about it. Paddy’s nostalgic retelling of Bug Judge and the goat. It’s one of those rare and special occasions that invites lore and longing. Longing for a time that in todays’ money-driven football environment is almost impossible, as Declan Lynch reflects - “But then it’s an amazing event really because there are loads of football matches that take place between very small clubs and very big clubs, I mean that happens all the time. But there’s something unique about this one. It literally couldn’t happen. Ac Milan would never be allowed to play out in such terrible ground. Do you know what I mean? That there’s a far greater side of separation between the aristocracy and the peasantry in football”. (Lynch 2020). 

This game had everything, gods, shepherds, goats, violence, penalties, muck, trauma, tragedy, delirium…a heady mix of life experiences. Occasions like this teach us about who we are, what we do and why we do it. Occasions like this teach us about life, how to live, why we live and remind us of our place in the world. Athlone, like many other towns in Ireland, has suffered over the last decade. Nothing overly exciting happens that captures the imagination. But there is imagination to be captured. There is spirit, community and characters that keep this story alive and kicking. This town has never forgotten the day Gods were led by Goats, and we’re all the richer for it.