FOOTBALL COLUMN: Liam Beckett talks...

Today it is the turn of a good friend, the Minister for Justice and leader of the Alliance Party David Ford, to divulge his likes and dislikes with regard to football and sport in general.

I caught up with David last week and here’s what he had to say:

LB: Did you ever play football, and if so who for and at what level?

DF: Not since I left school, though I have ‘supported’ various events as Minister. The most challenging was probably when I joined a training session at Seaview with some youth players from Crusaders and Newington. It was a great example of sport bringing people together to the credit of the two clubs.

LB: Do you have a favourite local football team, and if so do you get much spare time to go along and support them?

DF: Afraid not, it’s Ulster Rugby for me.

LB: Do you have a favourite local football player either past or present or indeed both?

df: Andy Trimble, Rory Best!

But who could forget the moment when David Healy found the English net at Windsor? We were jumping up and down at home, while my daughter’s friends were dancing in the street off the Lisburn Road.

LB: Do you have a favourite team you support in either England, Scotland or on the continent?

DF: No, unless one son-in-law is around, when it’s Man City, or the other, when it’s Man United.

LB: How do you think Northern Ireland’s qualification for the European Championship Finals for the first time ever will benefit our country and its people?

DF: I hope that it will enable us all to celebrate together, with fans of both Irish teams supporting the other as well.

Sporting events of all kinds have the capacity to bring people together, they shouldn’t divide us.

LB: Do you have a favourite international football player, past or present, or indeed both, and why?

DF: Pat Jennings did a great job in his day. If you can’t score goals, at least stop them scoring against us.

LB: Is it your intention or will you manage to get to the Euro Finals in France this June?

DF: I am happy to let the real fans get the tickets and I will watch the television when possible.

LB: In my opinion we have a great product with local football here in the province, but I feel we are badly in need of major investment to improve stadia and training facilities etc. Would you agree?

DF: I think that it is a great shame that we failed to agree on a single, shared stadium for the three key sports (football, Gaelic games and rugby) which would have provided world-class facilities, as well as cementing the good work done by the three sports together.

I know from my work as Justice Minister that a lot of good work is done by local youth teams, as well as many other sports, to equip young people for life.

This needs more investment from government and Councils.

LB: Are you a committed, feet up Match of the Day fan on a Saturday night?

DF: No. I am generally catching up with the recording of Ulster Rugby from Friday night.

LB: What other sports, if any, do you like?

DF: As a participant, I run a bit. As a spectator, you have probably guessed, rugby.

Although I haven’t got to Ravenhill so often in the last few years, I have been asked if – as Justice Minister – I could overrule a referee.

I had to explain that I was standing on the terrace and had no power on the pitch. It’s a pity, but I would be too biased to be a ref.

LB: Finally, a short summary, just summarise your feelings on football and sport in general in Northern Ireland.

DF: In Northern Ireland we have a fantastic sporting tradition, with so many world class players across so many different sports in one small region.

This weekend it was golf, at other times it can be sports as different as boxing, hockey and rowing.

Those who work so hard to achieve so much deserve credit and it is great to see the recognition that a personality like Mary Peters attracts.

But excellence at the top needs to be matched by support at the lower levels, to encourage young people to get active and build the sporting base.

The effort of volunteer coaches and other supporters is an example of all that is good about Northern Ireland.

LB’S SUMMARY: Yet again I found it really interesting to get inside the head of one of our leading politicians with regard to just how big a part sport plays in their everyday life.

It’s obvious that David loves his rugby and I must admit I found his answer to the question about whether he intends to be in France watching Northern Ireland in the Euro Finals in particular refreshingly honest.

Thanks for your input David and for taking the time to give me your views and I will still buy you that cuppa as promised.