Derry City: The Team That Left | Gunshots and Goalposts #2 

If you guys have been enjoying this series so far help us out by leaving a like and sharing around. We're really enjoying covering these stories, all taken from Benjamin Roberts' book 'Gunshots & Goalposts'

It’s nice to see people talking about Northern Ireland’s difficult past. But for the record Tifo, it’s pronounced ‘Balla-Mee-Na’

Any chance you could do one on Dundalk's incredible run in the Europa League last year, or Shamrock Rover's in 2011? Massive achievements for very small clubs in comparison to their competition. Or even the time Bobby Charlton played for Waterford​ United, or Sam Allardyces time at Limerick FC, the first club he managed!

I'm an Irishman and I love this series thanks guys

Just seen the BBC documentary the other night about Derry City. What a fascinating story.

I love this new series! Well done lads, keep 'em coming!

My dad played for Derry in the early 60s. Ironically he can recall playing up in Belfast where the team would get lots of sectarian abuse from Linfield, which they could never understand because most of the players were protestants and so were a majority of the fans. It should be remembered that back then that there were several factors around the club that made it very different to the modern team and city. The west bank of the City was still around 35% unionist, about 25,000 people and they made up the majority of the club's support and players. Although the majority of the City board were Nationalists. Nationalists themselves had grown up knowing that even attending a Soccer match could get you banned from playing or attending GAA sports and although most of these rules had been relaxed, that ethos and an underlying feeling that Soccer was a unionist sport, still meant City only had a small following among Nationalists. Bear in mind their average home gate was still only around 2,500 people most Saturdays, not the tens of thousands often suggested by those with faded memories. The only games that drew big crowds were the visits of Linfield and Belfast Celtic. The latter had gone by the 50s when Linfield's visits drew between 5-10,000 but other games much less. As many Derry men in the ground would turn up to support the Blues rather than the home side. Even today more fans leave the Waterside to watch Linfield than watch the local team, Institute. As a kid in the 50s, my dad could recall how the sectarian divide operated at the Brandywell. On leaving a Derry game he noticed the greyhounds arriving and on finding out there would be racing, he asked his dad if they could stay. The reply was short and direct "Prods watch Football, RCs watch dogs" [the phrasing was less politically correct of course] The advent of the troubles was a disaster for the Irish League club in many ways. their own fanbase didn't feel safe going to the Brandywell and attendances plummeted. Few in the Bogside of 1970 cared about a prod team on their doorstep and few prods were willing to go to the Brandywell so Derry City were left largely friendless. At first the club sought to migrate to the Waterside, a move that a staggering 98% of the unionist population made between 1972-1984, dropping from 24,000 to just 500 in that time. Within a few years the few unionists involved in the club had given up and drifted away although by 1979 the ambition was still to rejoin the Irish League.

Brilliant video mate, only thing I'd point out is we actually won the treble in 1989. We remain the only team to do so in Ireland to date.

The Ulster banner isn't the official flag of Northern Ireland, It is a silly flag using an old Catholic Gaelic red hand symbol as some sort of British loyalist symbol. The red hand was a famous anti Englsh symbol during the Elizabethan wars in Ireland, now unionists use it to show how British they are.

I'm from Northern Ireland and I love these videos, Keep them coming!

Loving the series so far...keep 'em coming :)

Brilliant series. Keep up the good work

Enjoyed this lads, well done

This series looks good.Gives a feeling of nostalgia.

The way u pronounced ballymena😂😂😂😂 bally-meena its prounced Great vid tho

I really like this series keep it up?

Love my team with history 🔴⚪🔴⚪

Cheers from India #u-17WC

The first time I ever went to the Brandy was way back in the early '60s when I was 7 years old. My Da had to lift me over the turnstile on the instruction of the guy on the job. I was a regular in later years. Big games included the IFA Cup tie against Linfield in the mid to late 60s. DC raced into a two goal lead but two goals from Linfield levelled the match. As far as I recall Linfield had 3 'goals' disallowed that day. Also the Cup Winners cup tie with Steau Bucharest in 65. DC lost that tie 0-5 on aggregate.

It wasn't September 1972 that Damien Harkin was murdered by British soldiers it was actually July 1971..

The Red Hand is an Ancient Gaelic symbol and Emblem of Clan O'Neill. It's not a Unionist Protestant symbol. Other than that, Great video.

Can u do a video explaining co-efficientcy please .

Could you talk about the proposal of an All island league in Ireland?

Great video, what is the software your using for the animated video ? Would like to give it a try

Would love to see you guys do a video about Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers two of the most successful teams in the Republic of Ireland

Please make a video about Brazil's 2006 Magic Square, with 3 Ballon d'or awarded players, and why it failed!

Well done on the accuracy of making the Orangemen fat and bald.

The brandywell has just been done up 2 weeks ago

I hate soccer, but love you videos.

“Low Level!?” Are you mad?

It’s fucking Derry Change my mind

Your attempt to say Ballymena made me laugh...but good video bro

The best team ever proud derry man

Derry won the treble in 1989

People who live near the Foyle 💪

Is the same gonna happen to Barça?

Can you guys try to do a video on corruption in European football? Serbia is supposed to be a bad spot for it, both in the past and presently.

We haven’t had easy

Derry City did no die then??

Do hashtag united vs tekkers town tactics plz

THEY HAVE THE BEST PLAYER EVER PATRICK FERRY

Derry? You'll float too🎈

At least ye know the difference between North and South.

The red hand is not a unionist symbol

TL;DR don't play football in Ireland.

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Yaassss lads #upthera

Ballymena = Baalee-mean-a

Bogside Republican Youth effectively ended derrys chances of being a top team in the north. Oh well shit had to be done

There’s No Such Place As Derry! It’s Londonderry! Londonderry is the real name!!!

What a tragic loss to British football.......... NOT

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