Baby boom for O’brien
KEEPER’S FAIRYTALE RUN
IT has not been a case of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ for Stratford Town keeper Liam O’brien in the FA Cup this season – but more like ‘Love’s Labour’s Won.’
The former QPR and Portsmouth trainee created history with the small Warwickshire club when they reached the first round proper for the first time.
But not only that, he did so on the day that his partner gave birth to their third child, making it a whirlwind – or should that be a tempest – of a 24 hours that he will never forget.
O’brien was thrown a lifeline by ‘The Bards’ after his career stalled during Covid, and a victory over Boston United meant all was well that ends well after he welcomed Mila into the world.
He said: “It was a day like no other. It started about 5am – originally my partner Michaela was booked in for a C-section because there were complications with our first two.
“When it was scheduled, I did say to her: ‘You do know that’s the day of the Boston game, don’t you’? But the medics said: ‘Don’t worry, we can work around it’.
“So it was just a question for me of keeping the manager informed as best I could.
“I had a cut-off time in my head and I’d set the alarm for 7am but two hours before that, I was given a nudge and she said: ‘It’s time’.
“So, we set off for hospital and by 9.40am, she’s had Mila.
“Then we went back up into the room and the pair of them were doing well at 11am.
“I kept looking at my watch thinking: ‘I need to go’. But my partner understood.
“When the final whistle went, it was madness. Everyone was cheering, going mad.
“After the celebrations died down a bit, I just thought to myself: ‘I need my bed’.
“I’d had two massive highs and I almost crashed.
“We sat in the bar, I had a pint and it took about an hour to finish it. It was just a whirlwind of a day.”
O’brien played his part in a 3-2 triumph that has set up the visit of Shrewsbury Town to William Shakespeare’s manor this afternoon.
The former team-mate of murdered QPR schoolboy Kiyan Prince – the 29-year-old has his late friend’s name tattooed on his arm – has suffered his fair share of bad luck with injuries.
He was without a club until a call out of the blue brought him into the semi-professional game.
O’brien said: “If we win, it will be fantastic, a draw will be the same.
“And even if we lose, it’s been a roller-coaster that’s been brilliant for the club.
“Creating history, wherever you are, is just fantastic.”