Peter Reid was talking Republicanism in Coppers last night.
The Off the Ball roadshow dug into some Reid family history early doors last night. His grandfather Paddy Reid and his granduncle John Joe Reid were stationed in Boland's Mills during Easter week. Paddy was 15 and had smuggled guns in the run-in to the Rising.
According to the Irishmedals.org website, John Joe was originally sentenced to death by court martial but this was commuted to 10 years of penal servitude.
The two brothers took opposing sides in the Civil War. Paddy sided with the Republicans. He fled to Merseyside after the Civil War.
Reid talked his family background in the hallowed walls of Coppers last night.
Me grandfather was involved in the uprising many years ago. Any chance I got when I was a manager of a football club or playing for a football club I always came over.
Me granddad, I was always digging him out, trying to ask him about it, but he wouldn't say anything. I think he'd gone out of Ireland because the British, or we were after him. Is that the way I should say it? (laughter) And met me Grandma in Liverpool and stayed.
I tried to find out the family history through Bertie Ahern who I got to know (rumble in the crowd) He's a Man United fan, isn't he? But I couldn't find anything about it.
I know a few Irish songs... Put it that way. When we have a few bevvies, they come out. Don't get me to sing. My ould fella's song was the Wild Colonial Boy. I know a few Kevin Barry's as well.
During the hoopla over the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising in 1966, Paddy returned to Dublin to be presented with a medal by fellow veteran of the Boland's Mill garrison, Eamon De Valera.
Elsewhere, he talked about his famously lax efforts to prevent Diego Maradona scoring the 2nd goal in Mexico 1986 and Everton's Cup Winners Cup title in 1984-85.
Interestingly, and this wasn't referenced, Everton's Cup Winners Cup run that year began with a 1-0 aggregate win over UCD. Very far from a pasting. They played Bayern Munich in the semi-final. He prefaced his story by saying it was 'politically incorrect'.
This geyser. I've just nicked one and he's smashed me. And he's gone over me, this German, I think it was Dremmler, and he goes 'Have that you English pig!' And I've looked up at him. And I've gone flip. I'm gonna remember you. I'm having you.
About 15 minutes from the end, he miscontrols one and I smash him. And I'm not sure I should say this but I look over him and go, 'Have that you Nazi bastard!' (laugh) So, he looks up at me and goes 'I'm Danish' (laughs) I got the wrong geyser. It was Soren Lerby
He pronounced Nazi without the normal 't' sound in it.
