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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
An occasional series looking at former Glenwood greats, and how they have found the will to go
on after leaving the Theatre of Dreams.
Tony Bergin
Ask any Glenwood fan to name their favourite player
of recent times, and many names would spring to mind. However it is very likely that Tony Bergin would not be among them.
A relatively unheralded signing from AIL League giants Spartans, this courageous Billy Bremner lookalike plied his
trade on the right wing for a couple of seasons, before the boss broke it to him in the dressing room in front of the rest
of the squad and on live television that he was never
going to make it.
While this would have broken the spirit
of lesser men, for Bergin, it became the catalyst for a voyage of self-discovery, which has taken him on a Monkey-like pilgrimage
to the foothills of Buddha, accompanes by his very
own Tripitaka, the delightful Miriam.
I caught up with Tony
after an 18 hour rhythmic chanting session sitting on a pole in the close season in Tibet, wher he currently plays for Division
3 team, Everest Base Camp Albion.
Kevin: Well Tony, it's good to see you again.
Tony: Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
K; Ah, just let me know when your finished then.
T: No, that was it, 'til next week anyway.
K;
So how have you been since leaving Loreto Park?
T: Well, I think that's it's been the making of me. I know that I
lost it somehwat at the time and I'd like to take this opportunity again to apologise to Donal Foley for wiping out his collection
of rabbits with a machete, but after my release I realised that I needed to take stock and
find a new direction.
K: And that has brought you to Tibet.
T: Yes.
K: What has been the biggest change.
T: Obviously
they don't have the facilities here that I would be used to, for example we don't have a trailer with a lock on it to put
the lime in. We have to tie it to a pole. Also, the weather here is a lot more variable. For
example, at the end of last
season Albion were in a relegation six-pointer against Heart of Kathmandu, and we needed a win. Suddenly Buddha, sent a great
wind and blew their entire team over a cliff edge that had mysteriously appeared at one side of the pitch. We went on to claim
the win, and despite an appeal we kept the points, and that was the difference between staying up and going down. That sort
of thing just doesn't happen in Nutgrove.
K; Does that sort of thing happen a lot?
T: You'd be surprised.
Buddha is a great influence on everyone here, though the Hindus claim that Vishnu gives them more creative wingplay. However
I think the proof of that pudding was in the episode I've just described.
K: What do you miss most about Glenwood?
T: Well, it has to be the dressing room spirit, the cameraderie. No-one here gets wasted on a Friday night and turns
up knackered on the Saturday. Most of them just get off their poles shortly before kick-up to do a few
stretching exercises.
I've tried to get the lads to socialise a bit more, but the demon alcohol is strictly prohibited, and as an Irishman I'm
pretty
much out of social suggestions after that.
K: Do you still follow the team's results?
T: Yes
I do. The Star is one of the biggest selling dailies around here, though mostly for the racing pages. Still I can follow the
exploits of the lads as it really has a comprehensive review on Tuesdays.
K: Any regrets about leaving:
T:
Honestly, I'd have to say no. At the time I had probably gone as far as I was going to under the somewhat limited management
techniques of Donal. I'm glad to see that Niall has taken over. He's got football smarts and I'm sure
he can take Glenwood
a long way. They're lucky to have him.
K: And any plans for the future?
T: Well, Albion have some great
plans for stadium development. We're going to put lamps at the top of the squad chanting poles and play night time
matches
next season. I think we could go up this year, and a good Cup run would be a bonus. I've also got a hankering to move into
coaching, and the boss here has said that if I put in a good off-season of spiritual searching
and sitting on top of a
pole, they're could be a part time spot in the bootroom next season. I'll still keep playing though.
K: So you could
come back to Glenwood in the future.
T: Watch out Wardy! I'm after your job!
K; Many thanks Tony.
T:
May Buddha grant you sprirtual enlightenment on your pilgrimage through life, and help you see the wicked evil you perpetrate
by your current heathenish beliefs.
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