Twin track approach serves Gormley well

A SHRILL blast from the referee is the cue. About 30 yards out from the shed end, he's awarded a free kick to St Patrick's Athletic. As the defensive wall is constructed, the main man addresses the ball like a predator eyeing his, kill. The chant goes up: "Edd-ie, Edd-ie." Cue the cult hero.

Down Inchicore way, there's little doubt who that is, though, the gloved Ricky O'Flaherty, commands his own following. The revitalisation of St Patrick's is due to many things - the new pitch and stand, the leadership of Brian Kerr, Pat Dolan and Tim O'Flaherty - but it wouldn't be complete without a terrace hero. The Saints have theirs in Eddie Gormley.

Richmond Park has its own special ambience and Gormley is inspired by it. With his range of skills - an inswinging corner from the right with his left foot, a penalty with his right, a long range free kick with his left, a deft flick or back heel, a mazy dribble or a shot on goal - Gormley has the capacity to entertain.

For as long as he can remember he played the game comfortably with either foot. It's a special skill. He may be lacking in other departments - Daley Thompson like devotion to fitness and conditioning springs to mind - but Gormley is one of those National League players who is worth paying the admission money to see.

If the truth be told, 27 year old Gormley, who picked up an over due Opel/Soccer Writers' Player of the Month award yesterday, Si almost certainly a better player now than the 18 year old version! Terry Venables paid Bray Wanderers £40,000 for in November 1987.

A product of St Joseph's Boys, at heart Gormley was and is a home bird. Kenny Dalglish had invited him over for a week's trial at Liverpool and was a rival for his signature. The Bray manager, Pat Devlin, offered him either Tottenham or Liverpool and needed smelling salts when Gormley said "neither".

"Devo nearly had a heart attack. I ended up signing for Spurs, just for the hell of it," says Gormley. In hindsight, he probably should have trusted his instincts. "I enjoyed the football, but I didn't enjoy London," he says reflecting on his three years at White Hart Lane.

Odd testimonial apart Gormley never progressed beyond Tottenham's reserves. He still regards Venables as "an excellent coach" though. "He just, never picked me. At Spurs, it was almost a form of total football. In pre season, we slogged our guts "out running for one day but everything was done with a ball."

Given a free transfer to the friendlier environs of Doncaster (then under Billy Bremner) Gormley enjoyed three years up north. He won Player of the Year two seasons running before a contractual dispute prompted a return home to Drogheda.

"That was a nightmare," he says, of his six months at United Park. "I was surprised by the standard here. The pitches and the football had improved out of sight. But I was over weight and, unfit and the team wasn't playing well. I was on the verge of quitting.

Thankfully, Brian Kerr "took a chance with me and the move to St Pat's gave me a lease of life." Kerr cracked the whip and Gormley trimmed down, though his initial impact was nothing special.

The turning point was a friendly, away to Wayside Celtic prior to last season. "I'd told him I was a central midfielder, not a wide left midfielder. My pace wouldn't be my strongest point. So that day he said: `right, I'm going to play you in the centre'. We won 3-0 and afterwards he said: `right, I'll keep you there'."

His confidence soared. Pretty soon, his team mates couldn't get the ball off him at set pieces "I prefer my left," he says, though he takes penalties with his right. "Penalties, I place, so I use my right. Free kicks, I `blem' them, so I take them with my left."

Gormly bristles at the accusation that he's a home ground player, but admits that Richmond Park inspires him. "There's something about it. I look forward to every Friday, especially when we're at home. There's a great buzz there at the moment. We're 11 blokes who work very hard for each other.

"I'm enjoying it there. We're everybody's underdogs. Brian (Kerr) does his homework. We know the ins and outs of every team, every corner and free; the players to watch and the tactics. I think we've a great chance of winning something this year.