Fulham fan reflects on 'unforgettable' experience of meeting Irish League manager and 'one of my childhood heroes'
A Fulham fan has reflected on a dream weekend in Northern Ireland which was topped off by meeting “one of my childhood heroes” – Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree.
McAree has a special place in the hearts of many Fulham fans after he scored an iconic winning goal against Carlisle United in April 1997 which helped seal Division Two promotion.
To this day, cult hero McAree’s name is still sung in the stands at Craven Cottage with renditions of ‘who put the ball in the Carlisle net?’ belted out at the London stadium.
McAree, who earned a move to Premier League giants Liverpool before joining Bristol City in 1994, has established himself as one of the best managers in Irish League football, guiding his beloved Swifts to Irish Cup glory last season.
When Fulham fan Paul McElvenna and friends ended up in Northern Ireland this weekend, they reached out to McAree in the hope of securing tickets to Saturday’s Premiership clash with Larne – and the Dungannon boss duly obliged.
McElvenna enjoyed an “unforgettable” experience, which was made even sweeter by watching McAree’s men win 2-0, and encouraged fellow Fulham supporters to visit Stangmore Park.
"What an absolutely superb day!” posted McElvenna. “After dropping Rodney a message, we turned up at Dungannon Swifts FC and were treated like royalty.
"We were introduced as Rodney’s friends, taken straight to the directors’ box, well fed, and even met Aaron Hughes’ dad – who not only bought us a drink but also invited us for a round of golf with him and Aaron.
“Rodney’s wife came over and greeted us with, “Are you the Fulham boys?” before having a lovely chat with us.
"We then sat through a club presentation alongside the officials, which made the whole experience even more surreal.
“And finally, we got to meet Rodney McAree himself – what an absolute gent. Meeting one of my childhood heroes in such a personal way was unforgettable. I’d urge any Fulham fan visiting Northern Ireland to come here. This is exactly what being a Fulham fan is all about.”
McElvenna had planned to watch Linfield vs Crusaders at Windsor Park on Friday evening, but it was postponed due to stadium safety concerns caused by Storm Amy.