‘Darren did me proud – now we can do it,’ says his father
HE WAS the standout star of the gritty match against Denmark and now Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Darren Randolph’s father said he is “quietly confident they can make it to the World Cup”.
Basketball coach Ed Randolph was simultaneously watching his two sons play gallantly on Saturday night – one in a Dublin basketball game and the other (watching on his mobile) defending the Republic of Ireland against Danish might in Copenhagen.
“I was watching my two sons represent their country at the same time, one in soccer and the other basketball, and I was the proudest dad, I was over the moon,” Ed said. “I was in the gym in Inchicore, Dublin, watching Neil play and he was having a great game, and I was looking down at Darren playing in Copenhagen on my phone at the same time and my heart was skipping a couple of beats.
“I almost went into panic when my screen froze just at the 90th minute and I didn’t know whether Darren hit the ball over the bar or if the Danes had scored. I was like ‘oh Lord please’. But when I finally got the phone back on I saw it was a corner so I knew everything was OK and I was happy. I was just sitting there saying ‘blow it up, blow it up’.
“Now I’m looking forward to Tuesday and I’m quietly confident Ireland and Darren can make it to the World Cup.
“I’ll be there with my family supporting my son and the Boys in Green. We can do it.”
Ed, who was planning to visit his son last night to catch up on family time, praised the Middlesbrough goalkeeper for his “calm” attitude – which he feels will help the side conquer Denmark at the Aviva Stadium.
“Darren’s calm temperament has been talked about over the years and there’s been some talk that maybe he’s a bit too cool and laid back, but I think it works in his favour with a big tournament,” Ed said.
“He doesn’t let the pressure get to him. He stays calm and
humble. We need to win the match on Tuesday and if we can do that by scoring a goal, great, and if not, it’s going to have to be penalties and that’s nail-biting, but we can do it. And hopefully Darren can stop penalties.
“I’m a proud father and am really happy for Darren and the whole Irish team and the management. Both my sons have done really well representing their country and this is a special place to be in as a dad, watching both boys represent Ireland as proud Irishmen. Neil was on fire on Saturday and Darren defended his country repeatedly in goal.”
Ed said he’d recently found out that his two sons have sport in their blood on both sides of the family and that “it’s not just me to thank, but their mother Anne’s (Walsh) side too”.
The family recently discovered the boys’ grandfather Alf Walsh, from Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, was a GAA goalkeeper and his long-lost medals had been discovered by the county board.
“Seventy-nine years ago the boys’ grandad was a goalkeeper for Kiltimagh and they won the junior championships and those medals have just been presented to the family,” Ed said.
“The two boys got a great kick out of that to see their grandad was a talented sportsman too, and in goal just like Darren.”
Meanwhile, football fans heading to the sold-out game against Denmark tomorrow have received their tickets. The FAI posted many to fans last Monday to ensure they arrived ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifier second leg after a 0-0 draw in Copenhagen.
“We knew a lot of fans would be travelling, so we sent the tickets early to ensure there was no issue there,” an FAI source said.
Denmark have taken up their 5pc share (around 2,600) of tickets for the showdown.
It seems a crackdown on touts selling tickets online for inflated prices has also begun to take effect, as very few were available to buy on websites last night.