Happy Birthday to former Latics player, Eamonn O’Keefe
A few years back, 2010, I contacted ex-Latic and Blackpool striker
Eamonn O’Keefe and carried out an interview with him, with today being his
birthday and our visit to the seaside to face the Tangerine’s only a couple of
weeks away, I thought it might be an ideal time to revisit:
Former Wigan Athletic striker Eamonn O’Keefe published his autobiography
‘I Only Wanted To Play Football’, back in 2010, an excellent read and a great
excuse to chat to the man himself.
Eamonn O’Keefe if I am being honest is a bit of a hero of mine, he
signed for the Latics back in 1982 when we were challenging for our first ever
promotion in the old Fourth Division, the season was half way through and you
could say that Eamonn was the last piece in that particular promotion jig-saw.
He was much more than that though, a current Republic of Ireland
international and a first team regular for Everton, his signing was a real coup
for the Latics, though it did take a club record fee of £65,000 to land him,
but still he was a top league striker and he landed straight onto Wigan
Athletic's team sheet for the next league game, away at Northampton Town, and
yes he scored on his debut.
O’Keefe was also renowned for being a real character, despite his Irish
heritage he was born and bred in Manchester, started his football career off
playing for Mossley, though he did have a previous unsuccessful spell at
Plymouth Argyle it was whilst at non-league Mossley where he made his mark and
then on to Everton, signed by Gordon Lee for the First Division giants.
So when Eamonn O’Keefe signed for Wigan Athletic I was one supporter who
was at first disbelieving and then absolutely delighted as it sank in, we had
captured a player of real quality, someone who I had marvelled at on Match of
the Day, the Latics were really going places now, so was Eamonn, he was sold a
year later to Port Vale and also had spells at Chester, Bangor, Cork City, St.
Patricks Athletic, Al-Hilal and most successfully Blackpool where Eamonn is
remembered and revered like a football God, he did after all score 23 goals in
36 games for the Seasider’s before injury cut short his stay on the North West
coast.
Eamonn agreed to do an interview with me a while back, it has been published
previously but, whilst it is his birthday a great excuse to revisit:
Barry – Coming
to Wigan from Everton in 1982 must have been a culture shock, I remember us
getting this superstar from the top flight, Eamonn O’Keefe was a massive
signing for the Latics, all the fans were excited and you didn’t disappoint,
you were the final piece in Larry Lloyd's promotion jigsaw, what do you remember
as your first impressions of the club back then?
Eamonn – First
impressions were, having come from the five-star Belfield Training ground, I
must admit that back then the Wigan changing facilities weren’t as they are now
and were a shock to my system! But, because I had already played in non-league
(with Mossley), I half-expected that. A really nice difference though was that
Wigan was very much a ‘family’ type club. It’s very difficult to keep a ‘family
feeling’ like that alive, following such tremendous success – success always
has a price…
Barry – The
£65,000 Wigan paid Everton for your services was a lot of money back in 1982
but it was never a gamble because you had class and always were going to score
goals at that level, but did you feel under any pressure to hit the ground
running so to speak especially with promotion in sight?
Eamonn – When a
club like Wigan pull out all the stops and pay, what was for them back them, a
massive amount of money for you, you’re bound to feel the pressure – and yes, I
did. It was really important to me to make an impact and fortunately I did ok.
When it happened, promotion was sweet and I knew that I had made the right
decision.
Barry – You are
a Manchester lad and at that time we had two Manchester men and real characters
at the club in Freddie Pye (chairman) and Fred Eyre (assistant manager), did
you know either before you joined and if so were they influential in your
decision to come to Wigan?
Eamonn – In my
book (plug!! ‘… ‘I Only Wanted To Play Football’ ‘) you can clearly see that
Fred Pye and Fred Eyre played major parts in my football career. Freddie Pye
tried to help me out when I was having problems with the Saudi team, Al Hilal,
so I was more than comfortable in meeting up with him. Fred Eyre, had already
left Wigan when I arrived – but over the years (including now) Fred has always
given me huge support and been a great friend – so yes, both of them helped me
to make my mind up.
Barry – Whoops I
got the Fred Eyre bit wrong, sorry about that.
The hat-trick you scored in the final home game of the 1981/82 season
against Mansfield at Springfield Park still lives strong in mine and lots of
other Latics fans memories, we gained our first ever promotion that day and it
was a fantastic occasion, I remember reading somewhere that you said it was an
incredible atmosphere but very scary with the fans running on the pitch at the
end, what do you remember of that day and how did you and the team celebrate?
Eamonn – Yes, the
atmosphere was unbelievable but when everyone ran onto the pitch we (the
players) got trapped – and when thousands of people are shoving and pushing and
trying to get to you to pat you on the head or slap you on the back, it is very
frightening. At one stage, I can remember that I was struggling to breathe but
it was all done in the excitement of gaining promotion – and the police and the
stewards quickly got us all safely to the tunnel.
The team celebrated with the fans in the supporters’ club – that’s what
I meant before about the ‘family’ feeling. One of my pet hates these days is
that the players seem to be ‘out of touch’ with the fans… It seems to be more
effort than inclination to be really close to the real supporters.
The hat-trick? Probably three of the flukiest goals you’ll ever see but
they all count! And the end result – the promotion – was fantastic.
Barry – Do you
keep in touch with any of the players from that squad?
Eamonn – No,
people’s lives and circumstances change and it’s easy to lose contact. I have
kept in touch with Graham Barrow over the years and remained friends with (the
late) Harry McNally but not really anyone else.
Barry – When you
left Wigan you went on to play for a number of clubs including Blackpool, can
you believe that both the Latics and Blackpool are set to face each other as
Premier League clubs, is it a game that you will take in live?
Eamonn – I am
determined to watch both the home and away fixtures live on that one! (Hope I
get an invite from both the clubs – I’ll be gutted if I don’t…) If I’m pushed
as to who I’d like to win… I’d like Wigan to win at Wigan and Blackpool to win
at Blackpool but, hey – if they both stay up I’ll be delighted!
Barry – Finally
if you could pick your all time XI that you have played with what would it be,
plus you can only have 10 because you are up front.
Eamonn – Nev
Southall
Gary Stevens, Mark Lawrenson, Kevin Ratcliffe, John Bailey
Ronnie Whelan, Asa Hartford, Liam Brady, Kevin Sheedy
Frank Stapleton, Eamonn O’Keefe
Sub: David Moore (Mossley) … To replace O’Keefe after 30 seconds of
play!
Barry – That
would be some team. Thanks for the interview Eamonn and thanks for the
memories, a great player and a true Latics legend.
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Eamonn O'Keefe front row 2nd right
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An excellent interview about Eamonn's time in Saudi can be found by clicking here
Grab a listen to the latest PWU Podcast featuring a reaction to the Carlisle game and a reflection on the first ten games of the season
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