Former Derry dual star Peter Stevenson takes a look back at his decorated career with the ‘big ball’, all the way back to the influence of his father Johnny. Seamus McRory takes up the story...
“MY father Johnny who played for both Drum and Banagher was the man that really inspired my interest in football,” started Stevenson. “He was a member of the Banagher committee and as small children my brother Des and I would walk with him from our house in Owenbeg to Banagher’s home matches in Mick Dubh’s holm in Carnanbane.
“My football heroes were all Banagher players, Tommy Stevenson - known as Big Tommy, John Mullan and Willie James McElhinney who all wore the Derry jersey either at junior or senior levels.”
Des played both hurling and football at Derry CBS winning a McMahon Cup medal there. In 1960 he played midfield for Derry minor footballers in a challenge match against Tyrone and was selected at left corner-back in the first round of the Ulster Championship against Antrim. He retained his place for the next round which Derry lost to Down. All over the years he would keep reminding his younger sibling that he achieved something that he did not despite the latter’s many outstanding achievements. He played Minor for Dungiven whereas Peter did not - the reasons for which we shall address presently.
“In August of 1960 Des went to work in the Civil Service in London, coming home only for Christmas and summer holidays. Like thousands of others, particularly in rural Ireland in the 1950’s and 1960’s, he emigrated to find employment and was lost to the GAA. Who knows, if he had stayed, we might have played together for Derry.”
At club level Peter does not remember playing much football for Dungiven other than being a sub on the side which lost to Littlebridge (now Ogra Colmcille) in the 1962 U16 County final at Magherafelt. He never was selected on Dungiven minor’s first fifteen. However he was playing regularly at St Columb’s College. In 1963, playing at right half forward, he won both Rannafast and McLarnon Cup medals.
In the following school year he was picked on the Colleges’ MacRory Cup team which lost to Abbey CBS Newry in the semi-final. It was obvious that the College mentors, led by the indefatigable Fr Ignatius McQuillan, rated Peter as a top class prospect. In June 1964 he was selected on the Derry minor side which played Antrim at Casement Park despite not having played minor at club level. Down the years many people have asked Peter why he played for the Ballerin club when he was born and bred in Dungiven.
BALLERIN CALLING
“It was one Sunday in late August 1964 when my father spotted the late and great Séan O’Connell and Barney ‘Andy’ McNicholl coming in the gate at home in Owenbeg. My mother brought them in and after pleasantries were exchanged Séan came to the purpose of the visit. He pointed out the fact that I had not actually played club football for two years and wondered if I would like to play for Ballerin.
I was a young lad of eighteen and all I wanted to do was to play football and not be carried around as a sub. When Séan and Barney assured me that I would get plenty of football with Ballerin I accepted their offer. Looking back on my years with Ballerin I can honestly say it was a decision I never regretted.”
A car picked Peter up the following Tuesday night and brought him to a meeting in Ballerin Hall. There was only one item on the agenda. “Do we want Peter Stevenson to be a playing member of Ballerin club?” As he was unanimously accepted Peter could not understand how this club, twelve miles from Dungiven, knew how good a player he was yet his own club could not give him a game for two years. The only person he knew at the meeting was his lifelong College friend and footballer par excellence, Malachy McAfee. As they left the hall together the new recruit asked Malachy
“When is the next match?” Stevenson asked.
“Next Sunday. It is the Senior County final against Bellaghy at Magherafelt,” came McAfee’s reply.
“And so, at eighteen years of age I found myself, for the first time, marching behind a band in the 1964 County final. Bellaghy’s very skilful forward Frankie O’Loane scored the match-winning goal from a penalty. I can recall little else except a few gasps of surprise from some Dungiven spectators who wondered why I was playing for Ballerin.”
It was back to St Columb’s in September for his last year and Fr McQuillan lost no time in getting them back into training for only their second year in the MacRory Cup. In the first game against St Patrick’s Dungannon Peter lined out at right corner forward. For the remainder of the campaign, however, he became a permanent fixture at midfield, scoring a goal in the semi-final against St MacCartan’s Monaghan. In the MacRory final St Columb’s easily accounted for St Michael’s Enniskillen to win their first title in this competition. Amongst a team of stars the Mid-Ulster Observer acknowledged his superb contribution to the victory.
“Peter Stevenson, at midfield was a real will-o-wisp, covering every blade of grass on the field.”
Later that season a brilliant St Columb’s side defeated that famed Colleges’ nursery St Jarlath’s Tuam in the All-Ireland semi-final before going on to claim the Hogan Cup when they beat Belcamp College of Dublin, after a replay, in the national decider. Along with many of his teammates Peter Stevenson had now, due to his great college displays, ingrained his name forever in the national GAA consciousness.
Years later in 1990, in Clapham in South London, Peter walked into a pub and ordered a cup of coffee which the Irish barman duly delivered: “You’re Peter Stevenson, aren’t you?”
“I am, but how would you know me?” was Stevenson’s reply.
“My name is Kevin Maguire. We marked each other in the Hogan Cup final twenty five years ago.”
The above is just another powerful example of the indelible mark of Gaelic Games and how its universality is forever formed in our minds and hearts.
Throughout 1965 Peter played regularly at midfield for Ballerin and reached another County final. Once again they faced Bellaghy and once again the South Derry side emerged victorious.
“It would be the first time I would play at right half back. I was selected there to attempt to curb the threat of Frankie O’Loane who was one of the best forwards in Derry not only then but for years to come”.
This was the year that he also made his senior debut for Derry against Down when he joined the iconic Jim McKeever at midfield at the opening of a pitch in Ballycastle. It would be two years later before Peter would again adorn the red and white of his native County.
“In May 1967 I partnered Larry Diamond at midfield in the first round of the Junior Championship against Donegal which Derry won convincingly. In the same month I played left half back in the first round of the Ulster U21 championship against Donegal and in the next round against Tyrone. Derry won both matches easily.
“I was not considered even as a sub in the subsequent rounds for either team. Even though Derry won the Provincial U21 title I never received a medal but I did receive one for the Junior side that also won that year’s Ulster Championship.”
THE RANCH
Peter was a student teacher at St Joseph’s teacher training college in Belfast from 1965 to 1968. During this time he played at midfield in the Colleges’ side which then participated in the very tough Antrim league which was no place for the faint-hearted. Here he came under the coaching expertise of Jim McKeever who was Head of the PE Department and manager of the football side.
In 1966 All-Ireland Minor medal winner Colm McAlarney came to the college with a richly deserved reputation as one of the best midfielders in the country. However he did not dislodge the established midfield of Stevenson and Antrim player Paddy Diamond. Instead Jim McKeever had the luxury of playing the Down star at centre half forward where his penetrating runs initiated by his two midfielders enabled the College side to have a very potent attack.
In 1968 Peter graduated and secured his first teaching post that September in the North Derry village of Ballykelly. He remembers standing on the bank in Ballinascreen watching Down edge out Derry by two points in the first round of the Ulster Championship. In a tempestuous encounter, dubbed by the press as the ‘Battle of Ballinascreen,’ two players were sent off from each side. To compound Peter’s misery his College team mate Colm McAlarney was at midfield for Down who went on to win that year’s All- Ireland.
That summer Peter and his college friend Kevin McGuckin from Moneymore went to work in England. They stayed with his sister in Reading. Every evening after work he went to a nearby Park where he practised nothing but his catching skills. For an hour Kevin kicked a high ball to him from all distances and angles and Peter caught them. He was determined to maximise his ability for club and County if selected.
In July the Ballerin club flew him home for the quarter-final of the Derry championship against reigning champions Newbridge. He played at midfield against Dermot Doherty and Brian Devlin who had played at centre half forward in the now infamous ‘Battle of Ballinascreen.’ Even though Ballerin lost, this was arguably one of the greatest games the tigerish Stevenson had played for either club or county at any level.
Despite numerous switches by the opposition mentors Peter simply lorded the midfield exchanges throughout the contest. After the game that loyal Ballerin stalwart Brian Mullan informed a member of the Derry management team that Peter must be called up onto the county panel.
His words must have hit a chord as Stevenson was selected at left half back for the first round of the National League against Tyrone. In the next match against Longford he held the talented Jackie Devine scoreless. He remained in the half back line for the remainder of the league. Then he was picked at midfield for the 1969 Junior County team which went on to win the Ulster Championship.
That same year he made his Derry senior championship team debut at right half back. He had replaced Tommy Diamond and Phelim McCotter had replaced Seamus Gribben at left half back from the 1968 Championship side.
Early in 1970 he formed a four-piece band after singing in a showband where future Derry senior goalkeeper John Somers played lead guitar.
“It wasn’t easy juggling gigs and playing football but I took no gigs on Saturday nights. We beat Cavan in the championship that year and a short time later I was offered the opportunity to play in a night club in Ibiza for the summer. Even though the money was good, I still would have preferred to see out the championship.
“When I told management about my dilemma they did not offer any resistance so I went off to Spain and gave up the football. When I subsequently found out that Derry had missed two penalties in that year’s All Ireland semi-final I was annoyed that I had gone.”
ON THE SPOT
During St Columb’s preparations for the MacRory Cup in 1964 Fr McQuillan had appointed Peter as penalty taker. He spent hours practising. Even after that campaign he continued to practise hitting penalties. In his first league match, as Derry captain in 1974, he scored two penalties against Sligo.
The most crucial penalty he ever scored was against Monaghan in the 1975 Ulster semi-final when Derry were a goal down in injury time. There was quite a delay as the calm, unruffled Stevenson had to insist three times to the referee that the Monaghan goalkeeper stay on his line. Eventually Peter coolly slotted home the penalty for a goal which drew the match. Like all other supporters present I found the wait unbearable and would not have thanked Peter if he had missed.
Similarly in the 1976 All–Ireland semi-final against Kerry Derry were awarded a penalty with time almost up. The Kerry goalkeeper was darting from post to post, trying to put Peter off but he repeated his heroics of the previous year and sent the ball to the net. Many fans still wonder what would have happened if he had stayed at home and played in that 1970 All-Ireland semi-final.
Derry were playing superbly and were ahead when both penalties were awarded. If he were playing, had taken and scored those penalties, Derry could have gone on to win the game and reach the All - Ireland final where they would have been capable of beating Meath and claim the Oak Leaf county’s first Senior All-Ireland. If only?”
As reality panned out Peter Stevenson played for Derry from 1969 to 1979. After Derry were defeated by Down in the 1971 final Peter retired temporarily from county football to concentrate on his musical pastime. However in 1973, thanks to his newly – found love of hurling, he returned to County football.
“My hurling mentor Liam Hinphey was instrumental in my return to the Derry team. He rang Harry Cassidy who was now manager and suggested that I should be brought back on the panel. Very soon I was wearing the number five jersey again. Frank Kearney’s arrival as manager in 1974 brought a freshness, enthusiasm and positivity which was infectious, with new young guns like Gerry McElhinney, Mickey Lynch and Gabriel Bradley replacing some of the old hands.”
Peter who was now team captain led Derry to back - to - back Ulster titles in 1975 and 1976 defeating Down and Cavan, after extra time in a replay, in the deciders. Unfortunately they lost to Dublin and Kerry in the subsequent All-Ireland semi–finals. He also played on a Derry side that were decidedly unlucky to lose by a point to Dublin in the 1976 League final in Croke Park. Now at the peak of his playing career his consistently outstanding, skilful performances and inspirational leadership were rewarded by being selected as an All-Star in 1975.
At club level 1976 was also a great year as Peter and Ballerin won the Derry Senior championship title when they defeated Dungiven in the final. Their year got better when they defeated Armagh’s Clan na Gael to claim the Ulster title. After beating Galway’s Killererin in the semi-final, they reached the 1977 All - Ireland final only to narrowly lose out to a star-studded Austin Stacks side from Kerry. In the Killererin game Peter’s expertise as an expert penalty taker was again to the fore as he scored from the spot, not once but twice in that famous victory.
At the age of 33 he played his last game for Derry in the first round of the 1979 Ulster championship. Sometime afterwards a press reporter interviewed him and wondered why he had retired.
“I did not retire, they just stopped picking me,” the ever sharp-witted Stevenson retorted.
From being a sub on a Dungiven U16 football team in 1962 until he played his last club hurling game in 1992 Peter Stevenson had given thirty years of unstinted and dedicated playing service to club and county, in hurling and football. He was a very tough, though sporting competitor who always gave his all for his team.
“Admittedly I hit hard but fairly. I am proud to say that whoever I marked was always able to go to work the next day.”
His radar vision, his non-stop speedy running had graced hundreds of occasions, big and small, including Ulster finals and All-Ireland finals, in the greatest stadia of our country. He was good in the air, could tackle without fouling, never exceeded 10st 10lb weight in his whole playing career and was always one of the fittest players to wear the red and white of Derry.
All Derry GAA aficionados everywhere are grateful to him for his immense contribution to some of our greatest sporting moments. May his playing and coaching achievements of the past set the template for future star hurlers and footballers in the Oak Leaf county. He has laid solid foundations for others to emulate.
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