Derry City's Irish League exit and the tale of the lost Candy Stripe

And that unprecedented decision, prompted by the IFA’s refusal to allow Derry to play its home games at Brandywell Stadium amid heightened political unrest, also served to deny one man his dream transfer to the Candy Stripes.

Buncrana native, Junior Armour was, at the time, on the verge of joining Willie Ross’ outfit and imminently poised to sign his first senior forms as a talented 25 year-old defender. However, before he got the chance to don the Candy Striped jersey, the opportunity was cruelly taken from his grasp as Derry City were cast into the football wilderness.

It signalled the end of Derry’s 44 year-old affiliation with the IFA but also terminated the hopes of a young, promising full-back.

Broken-hearted and with his senior football ambitions in tatters, the no-nonsense full-back, decided to pack up his bags and emigrate to London where he could provide financially for his family, working as a labourer on a building site.

And while his senior career never got going after that disappointment despite being on the radar of Glasgow Celtic at the time, Junior can look back on what was a glorious career in the local junior ranks.

The Inishowen man, now back living in his Castle Park home in Buncrana just yards from the pitch of his beloved Buncrana Hearts, still holds a fondness for the club he never got to represent.

He was a regular attendee at the Derry City matches when the Foylesiders were forced to play their home matches at Maginn Park in Buncrana during the 2017 season and often makes the trip to Brandywell Stadium on match nights.

And 50 years on from his collapsed move to the Lone Moor Road outfit, the club’s Technical Director, Paddy McCourt, and his brother, Leroy, paid Junior a visit at his Buncrana home to present him with his own Derry City training jersey with his name printed on the back in a kind gesture which was well received as he finally got to wear the City colours.

“Paddy presented him with a shirt last week and told him it was the shirt he should’ve got in 1972,” explained Leroy, a scout with English Premiership outfit, Brighton. “It was a complete surprise for him and he was absolutely over the moon.”

Former Celtic star, ‘the Derry Pele’, who struck up a relationship with Junior when living in Fahan, also visited him in hospital last year when he was seriously ill. The Shantallow man has kept in touch ever since, describing the highly respected Buncrana native as a ‘living legend’ and an ‘unsung hero’.

“If Junior was still playing I would sign him immediately for Derry City,” said McCourt matter-of-factly. “He is a living legend. Junior is one of the old generation who rolled up his sleeve and got stuck in. He was a hard player who gave 100 per cent.”

That description is certainly something Derry City legend and former Northern Ireland international defender, Tony O’Doherty can testify to having played against Junior who represented Buncrana Hearts and Derry side, Rosemount Celtic in the summer cups during the late 60s and early 70s.

He described Junior as one of the toughest players he’s ever played against and is in no doubt the hard-hitting defender would’ve been a shoe-in for a D&D select team during his playing days.

“He was tough,” recalled O’Doherty. “In fact, he was one of the hardest players I’ve ever played against in my life. He was incredibly strong.

“Funny enough, I met up with him after about 50 odd years when we were down in Buncrana at Maginn Park that season. After all the games I would go up and have a pint with him. He was a very good footballer.

“At that time Buncrana Hearts had a very, very good team. My understanding was that everything was agreed (to join Derry City). I’m fairly sure he actually signed the forms. I was with Coleraine at that time.

“He was some player. The two Nicholls, Jamesey and Joe, Junior Armour - if there was a D&D select at that time those boys would all have been on it.

“Every good player in the city was in the D&D then and Junior would’ve been in any representative team for the D&D. That was a very, very good Buncrana Hearts team at that time. He was of the same calibre as Jamesy Nicholl and Joe Nicholl and people like that.

“He wasn’t particularly tall but he was superb in the air. English and Scottish teams were definitely looking at him, He was definitely on a few club’s radars at that time. But he’s an incredibly modest man. A typical Buncrana man in the nicest way. The best compliment I can give him is that I hated playing against him,” he laughed.” He wasn’t a consummate footballer like Jobby (Crossan) but he could’ve stopped a boy like Jobby from playing. He was incredibly strong.”

Former Manchester City star, Jobby himself recalls Junior as a tough opponent.

“They don’t make them like Junior anymore,” said the former Standard Liege forward who crossed swords with Junior in the Derry & District summer cups. “A sheer dedicated football man from a footballing family. He had great guidance under his coach, Frankie Fletcher. He was a very, very good player.”

Junior is the proud owner of an impressive collection of junior football medals, including a specially cherished winners’ medal belonging to Derry City legend, Fay Coyle who represented junior club, Shelbourne during the early 60s and had come up against the young Buncrana man who was making a big impression as a promising teenager on the local scene.

“In 1963 he played the summer cup against Brandywell Harps and they beat Buncrana,” adds Leroy McCourt who has spent hours with Junior regaling colourful anecdotes from his playing days.

“Fay Coyle scored two but he was so impressed by Junior, who was 16 years of age, that he gave him his medal. Junior still has his medal. He said, ‘You were man of the match son, the best player on the pitch’.”

A lorry driver during his playing days in the North West, Junior was instrumental in the construction of the Buncrana Boys’ Club which officially opened in 1969. He was part of a hugely successful Buncrana Hearts team in the late 60s and early 70s, most notably the team which won both the blue ribbon Derry & District FA. trophy, the McAlinden Cup when beating Brandywell Harps 1-0 and the Doyle Memorial Cup when dispatching of AOH 2-1.

His late mother Dolly is also a legend of the Buncrana club having served 30 years as the club’s kit woman, proudly washing the jerseys and so the small Inishowen club is fully ingrained in the Armour household.

Junior also won the famous Kennedy Cup which was played in Moville in 1971 with Rosemount Celtic alongside fellow Hearts players, Jim Caldwell - known locally as the ‘Buncrana Beckenbauer’ and Peter Murphy. Prior to landing the Derry City contract that never was, Junior did represent the Candy Stripes during a brief spell with the club’s reserves but when his dream move failed to materialise, he decided to move to England in search of much needed work, sending part of his wages back to his family.

During his time in London alongside his good friend, Frankie Fletcher, Junior represented Buncrana Hearts London and more success followed as he captained the team to the Invicta Sunday Football League in 1974 when beating Ashanti FC 2-0.

He returned home briefly in 1976 and added more silverware to his personal collection when helping Hearts to the Sean Graham Cup, defeating Brandywell Harps 1-0. He also holds the honour of representing the first Buncrana Hearts team to lift the Bishop’s Cup when defeating Clifton Villa 2-0 in the final.

Junior, who never married, made a permanent return to his hometown in 2010 and maintains his close links with the Buncrana Hearts club which he can see from his front room at his Castle Park residence.

And while the most extraordinary circumstances determined he would never get to represent Derry City Football Club, almost half a century later, proud Buncrana man, Junior Armour has been welcomed into the fold at the Brandywell club.