SOCCER STARS SCORE GOAL FOR OMAGH BOMB FUND
SOCCER STARS SCORE GOAL FOR OMAGH BOMB FUND
'You'll never walk alone,' victims told
By Peter Hutcheon
FRENCH soccer star David Ginola captured the hearts of Londonderry as the city paid its respects to the victims of the Omagh bombing last night.
Around 10,000 packed into the Brandywell to help Derry City raise �75,000 for the Omagh Disaster Fund as the club played a team chosen by Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.
Although the flying Frenchman was the night's, star turn, the loudest and most prolonged round of applause was for the emergency services from Omagh that day, specially invited by the club to the game.
Ginola himself said he had was 'hugely honoured' to be asked to take part in the game and had not hesitated to say yes when invited by Derry manager Felix Healy.
"I am a father and I came here to play as a father, for the families of the disaster," he said.
"Sometimes it is difficult to explain what you are feeling so it is good for me to be able to come here and play and do something to help the people who suffered that day".
Belfast singing star Brian Kennedy set the tone for the evening with an emotional rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone', following club president Phil Coulter's introduction of 'The Town I Love So Well'.
Fittingly, it fell to Omagh Town's Michael Donnelly to finish off the scoring in a 5-2 win for Healy's Derry City Select.
The score scarcely mattered to the crowd packed into the ground to see Republic of Ireland stars Shay Gibbon, John Aldridge and Packie Bon-ner.
Derry City chairman Kevin Friel said after the game that they had known from the start the game was going to be a sellout but hadn't expected quite such an overwhelming response.
"We are very proud of the way people from Derry have come out to night to support the victims of Omagh, ' he said.
We knew when we first arranged the game that there would be a great deal of interest but tonight exceeded our expectations.
'You'll never walk alone,' victims told
By Peter Hutcheon
FRENCH soccer star David Ginola captured the hearts of Londonderry as the city paid its respects to the victims of the Omagh bombing last night.
Around 10,000 packed into the Brandywell to help Derry City raise �75,000 for the Omagh Disaster Fund as the club played a team chosen by Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.
Although the flying Frenchman was the night's, star turn, the loudest and most prolonged round of applause was for the emergency services from Omagh that day, specially invited by the club to the game.
Ginola himself said he had was 'hugely honoured' to be asked to take part in the game and had not hesitated to say yes when invited by Derry manager Felix Healy.
"I am a father and I came here to play as a father, for the families of the disaster," he said.
"Sometimes it is difficult to explain what you are feeling so it is good for me to be able to come here and play and do something to help the people who suffered that day".
Belfast singing star Brian Kennedy set the tone for the evening with an emotional rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone', following club president Phil Coulter's introduction of 'The Town I Love So Well'.
Fittingly, it fell to Omagh Town's Michael Donnelly to finish off the scoring in a 5-2 win for Healy's Derry City Select.
The score scarcely mattered to the crowd packed into the ground to see Republic of Ireland stars Shay Gibbon, John Aldridge and Packie Bon-ner.
Derry City chairman Kevin Friel said after the game that they had known from the start the game was going to be a sellout but hadn't expected quite such an overwhelming response.
"We are very proud of the way people from Derry have come out to night to support the victims of Omagh, ' he said.
We knew when we first arranged the game that there would be a great deal of interest but tonight exceeded our expectations.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0451
Published Date: 07-Oct-98
Related Images
