Derry City vs Riga: Former Derry City striker Tam McManus recalls a tempestuous season sprinkled with some European magic

The Scotsman, who scored five goals in his 31 appearances for the Candy Stripes, opened his City goalscoring account in the Europa League tie against Skonto Riga and McManus says his goal, as well as both games of the two legged tie, will always live long in his memory.

It was during the tempestuous 2009 campaign that news began to filter out concerning the irregular contractual situation of a number of the Brandywell club’s players.

Amid revelations of dual contracts, news emerged of players not being paid as turmoil gripped the club meaning the ex-Hibernian man and every member of the squad knew how important that tie against the Latvia side was for the club’s future.

It was amidst this chaotic background that McManus, who has been working in Scotland since retiring, recalls then Candy Stripe boss and current Ireland manager, Stephen Kenny’s passionate pre-match team-talk which he has never forgotten.

“I remember the time Stephen was trying to do a team-talk to try and fire boys up,” explains McManus, “It was the Skonto Riga home game when we weren’t getting paid at this point. We had heard before the game that if we got through this tie the club was in line to get £100,000 or something like that and we were going to get our wages.

“Stephen stood up and started pacing about, which he always did, but then he started to shout, ‘Do yous want your money? Do yous want your money?, Well go our there and f****** win tonight and you’ll get your money?’ It was like ‘Any Given Sunday’ with us all charging out the changing room!

“Obviously Kevin Deery scored the goal which won the tie. ‘Deerso’ said it was a rocket but I think the keeper threw it in, as ‘Deerso’ hit it from about 30 yards! (laughs).

“We came in after the game and the atmosphere was one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever experienced after a game. When we won all the boys were buzzing because we had got through the tie and we also thought we were all going to get paid. However, over the next couple of days we found out that we weren’t getting paid which put a real damper on it but to be honest that dressing room was different class.”

McManus, who made his Brandywell debut against Galway United, still recalls his header which drew Derry level in the first leg encounter like it was yesterday.

“To be honest that was my best memory of my time at Derry,” he admits, “I have had great memories of both the game and the goal. It was a great ball in from Ruaidhrí Higgins and I managed to head it by the goalie but I can remember a small but loyal band of Derry City fans who were at the game going mental.

“In fact it was a great build up to the goal. Mark Farren knocked it back to Higgins, he put in a lovely in-swinging cross and I managed to get in between the two giant Latvian central defenders and nodded the ball past the goalie. That’s a great memory.

“Obviously the big games that season were the European matches. We had a decent run and obviously we got a positive result in Skonto Riga.

“I think they were top of the Latvia league at the time and we were probably the underdogs but we went over there and got a great 1-1 draw and I managed to get my first goal for Derry.”

The 41-year-old also remembers the first leg encounter in Riga which at one stage looked like it was going to be postponed after a torrential downpour flooded Skonto’s stadium.

“I had never seen rain like it,” recalls McManus, “I remember us getting up and usually we went for a walk with Stephen before a game but you couldn’t because it was bucketing it down.

“Then we got to the dressing room and they were flooded. They had a machine in the dressing room pumping the water out. The pitch was sodden and it was just barely playable to be honest.

“But I think with us coming all that way and having all that expense, we wanted the game to go ahead. The club was struggling for money during the time so we needed the game to go ahead.

“We were just delighted to get out of there with a 1-1 draw and finished the job back at home.”

McManus, who worked under Stephen Kenny and Declan Devine at Dunfermline Athletic, says that despite all the off-field problems during his period on Foyleside, he still enjoyed his time with the Candy Stripes. So much so in fact that he and his family returned to the Maiden City a number of years back to celebrate his father’s 60th birthday.

“Stephen is a great guy and I loved all the boys at Derry, the likes of Barry Molloy. Deerso, big Clive Delaney, Peter Hutton and wee Eddie (McCallion). Apart from not getting paid and all the off the field stuff which meant it was a terrible year for Derry, I still have got nothing but good things to say about the people of Derry and the supporters,” he insisted.

“I went back over for my Dad’s 60th a few years ago. We went to a game and met all the fans and I met all the boys again. I really loved my time at Derry and I wish it had ended better in terms of the club, but overall it was a good time and I enjoyed it.”

Tam also jokes about the players’ card school that seemed to be eternally ‘fixed’ so the current City boss and former No. 1, Gerard Doherty, always seemed to win despite the fact that he was confident he had the better hand.

“We had a card school and I’m going to be honest here, I think the Derry boys were cheating because every time I got a good hand I was still losing. I’m sure they were passing each other cards and stuff like that which meant I was getting more and more angry. Those Derry boys fleeced me,” he laughs.

“Gerard Doherty, Higgins and all those boys definitely fleeced me but look, jokes aside, that was part of the dressing room and I would like to think I went into that dressing room and was a big part of the craic.

"I took to them and the boys took to me and as I said it was just unfortunate what happened off the park, but it never dulled any of my feelings for the club or the city. It was just one of those things.”