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There is an old Galway saying that you are not a real Galwegian unless your ancestors are buried in Forthill. There is absolutely no doubt that Claddagh native Ricky O'Flaherty has maroon blood pumping through his veins! You can see in his eyes the pride and passion he took in his football career and none more so than the times he spent with Galway United. Ricky became Galway United's youngest ever player at 16 years and 9 months and quickly established himself as a first team regular. In fact Paddy Mulligan, the former Chelsea and Ireland full-back thought so highly of his prodigious talent that he offered him to Chelsea for £50,000! Ricky recounts with a chuckle the thought of his manager phoning Stamford Bridge from The Lion's Tower in Eglinton Street and telling the glamorous London club that "The price is £50,000 and Kevin Cassidy will be his agent." It's rumoured that Cassidy offered his services as a centre-half also if required! As the English agents tried to negotiate a trial the cocky Mulligan said "Its £50,000, take it or leave it, my player is not going on trial!" Unfortunately for Ricky and Galway United's finances....they didn't bite the bullet. However Ricky did play in England. He went on a month's trial to Coventry City and despite impressing John Sillett, who would go on to manage the team to FA Cup victory over Spurs in 1987, felt that there was too much competition in the shape of Cyril Regis and Mickey Gynn for the role of centre-forward, so he moved to Wolves. The once mighty team of the fifties under the leadership of the great Billy Wright had fallen on harder times and were in Division 3 and apart from limited first team opportunities, no doubt due to the presence of Steve Bull, another future England centre-forward, the owners decided not to pay wages to the players for the last 3 months of the season. Unsurprisingly Ricky decided to return to Galway to work and turn out for United again. When we discussed how many League of Ireland players are now adjusting better to the English League, looking at the progress of Kevin Doyle and Shane Long at Reading, Ricky put it down to full-time training. The more League of Ireland clubs become professional the better the final product for export becomes. "Even in the time I played full-time in England I found I was much sharper, fitter and stronger on my return," he announced.                                                                                                                   

As well as League of Ireland football Ricky who joined Galway United from Galway Bohs, played hurling for Rahoon and gaelic football with St. Michaels. In senior football he won two Connacht Championships with Galway. But he always returned to Terryland. When Ricky first played he was surrounded by locals. "Funnily enough Tommy Lally was in goal for Sligo when I got my first hat-trick for Galway United. Gerry Mullan was the best player I played with as he had tremendous vision; he was streets ahead of any other midfielder in the League of Ireland. Miko Nolan took me under his wing in my early games. In one of my first matches I barged into Tom McConville a rugged Irish International who played with the all-conquering Dundalk team of the eighties. Do that again son and I'll put my boot down your throat," he shouted. "Leave the young lad alone," barked Miko. "If you touch him I'll grab the boot out of his mouth and shove it up your ****." That's what I call teamwork! Ricky felt that there was terrific pride and passion with all the local involvement. "It was like the G.A.A. mentality and don't forget we were runners up in the League to Shamrock Rovers in 1986 and beat Dundalk in the League Cup Final." The following season Ricky played in the U.E.F.A. cup match in Carraroe against Groningen. Ricky was awarded the first soccer scholarship by U.C.G. so he missed out on more league appearances as in those days you were limited in how many times you played for Galway United by your commitment to the U.C.G. team. He enjoyed playing alongside Gerry Daly, Brian Long, Cass, Chick, Jimmy Nolan and many others, too many to mention whilst agreeing that it was always good to bring in players from outside to provide experience but only if they improved the team! Brian Kerr signed Ricky for St. Pats in the mid-nineties and told the Galway centre-forward that he was the final piece of the jigsaw. Sure enough alongside fellow tribesmen : Noel Mernagh, Peter Carpenter, and Johnny Glynn he delivered 23 goals to finish top scorer in Ireland that season as Pats won the League. Never afraid to voice an opinion Ricky recalled a E.U.F.A. cup match away to Slovan Bratislava when Kerr selected Johnny Glynn as a sole striker to keep the match tight. "Brian we should go for it here, we're making chances to score if we had a second striker." But the future Ireland manager played it cautiously, Bratislava scored and when he threw Ricky on for the last 10 minutes it was a case of ‘too little, too late'. In the return leg of the tie the manager again opted for caution but this time Bratislava went 3-0 up by half-time! Ricky came on as sub and Pats turned it round to level the match at 3-3 with the Galway man scoring. "That was a great result for a League of Ireland team lads," announced the proud manager. "Yeah but imagine if we went for it from the start," chipped in the aggressive centre-forward! Ricky had a difference of opinion with Brian Kerr's successor Pat Dolan that resulted in the ‘human-battering ram' plying his trade in the Irish League with Glenavon under former Northern Ireland World Cup hero Billy Hamilton. Billy would have appreciated the strengths that Ricky, despite not being of Peter Crouch's height, brought to the role. In fact Ricky's style reminded me more of another great centre-forward ‘Big Joe Jordan' of Leeds and Scotland. In fact ‘Big Joe' also known as ‘Jaws' was only 3/4s of an inch taller than Ricky's 5ft 11 inch height. After short spell again with United under Don O'Riordan in Terryland Park, Ricky's career ended prematurely in his early thirties after a bad ankle injury. Speaking with Ricky you can tell that he still has tremendous passion for the game and tremendous pride in his old club as he still goes to matches regularly at Terryland. I suggested that he had a future in coaching and management and he already has his U.E.F.A. B Licence, fully intending to complete the Full Licence in the near future. This is great news for Galway United fans, for I believe that someone of Ricky's experience and stature would be a terrific asset to the club whether coaching the forwards or further down the line.....? "I did a bit of coaching with West United but I find it hard to give the commitment with my shifts at the Fire Station," he added. Ricky O Flaherty has the right ‘Go For It Attitude' to become more involved in the game he left when he hung up his boots and I for one would love to see him bellowing orders to his charges from the touchline!

- Mike Geraghty        http://www.mgwords.com/