Fatima footballer: Andy Reid gives sporting display for his old community

REPUBLIC OF Ireland midfielder Andy Reid, who was in Dublin yesterday, says while he would love to be recalled to the Ireland squad by Giovanni Trapattoni, he can see no basis for making the apology to the Italian that his club manager, Steve Bruce, recently suggested might pave the way for his return.

“I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong,” he said. “I just want to get on with playing football. If I get into the squad I want to get in for football reasons. That’s what I do. I’m not a politician or anything else.”

Reid, though, had the look of one at times yesterday as he mixed with and signed autographs for locals at the regenerated site of Fatima Mansions, now known as Fatima/Herberton, where his father Bill grew up and where he spent time with his grandparents.

Bill Reid, who was also officially launching “Reidy’s cabs,” a taxi firm based in the complex yesterday, was a semi-professional footballer for a time with St Patrick’s Athletic. The bulk of his playing days were spent with Fatima, a now-defunct club which he is hoping the provision of a new pitch might help to revive. He, some locals and family members – although not Andy himself – took part in the game against a team of gardaí from Kilmainham. The new pitch was named in honour of Finbarr Flood, who chaired the regeneration project. “In years to come when I’m gone,” Mr Flood said with a laugh, “people will be cycling past wondering: ‘Who the hell was he?’”