ENGLISH Premiership football teams may be the preferred choice for soccer supporters in these parts but for Limerick man Fergus O’Shaughnessy and his daughter Libby, the Wimbledon Dons are the ‘bee’s knees.’
So dedicated are the dad and daughter from Clareview to the Kingsmeadow club that they arranged to see the Wombles take on Scunthorpe in League 1 on September 15.
It turned out to be a memorable occasion for Fergus but it was six-year-old Libby who stole the limelight.
Availing of the club’s ‘Mascot Package,’ Fergus ensured that this was going to be an occasion to remember. Togged out in the full home kit, Libby came prepared and had drawn a special good luck card for her favourite Wimbledon player, midfielder Liam Trotter, which she presented to him in the home dressing room before the game.
Then it was warm-up time on the pitch with the players and club mascot Womble before leading the team out before kick-off.
If Libby thought that was about as good as it would get, she was pleasantly surprised. The super fan was escorted to the President’s Lounge to view the game, treated to half-time refreshments, had a chat with team manager Neal Ardley (on tactics no doubt), was introduced on stage to the fans and, at the end of the game, was presented with the match ball.
Coincidently, the Wombles’ boss shares the same birthday as the Limerick six-year-old and also has a daughter of the same name.
Her football hero Liam Trotter will certainly treasure Libby’s good luck card. The midfielder had not found the net this season, but with the Limerick trio cheering him on, he regained his form. According to reports, ‘Trots’ had the proverbial ‘blinder,’ scoring one of the Wimbledon goals in a 2-3 defeat and being awarded man of the match.
Fergus was thrilled with the experience: “We also met former Wimbledon manager Dave Basset, who took the Londoners from the fourth division in ’82 to the top division in ’86,” dad Fergus told us.
“Seeing how well the club treated Libby was a happy and emotional experience for us. She summed it up herself on the way home when she said, ‘that was the best day ever daddy.”
by Aidan Corr
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