Neil Murphy Legends

1 | England Legends vs Ireland legends

DATE:

Saturday 9th April 2011TIME:

12.00pm - 7.30pmVENUE:

The AvenueSunbury-on-ThamesMiddlesex TW16 5EQ ALSO ON THE DAY: Buffet & DrinksRaffl eAuctionIrish Folk Singer

£20 - Entry, Programme & Meal IncludedFree entry for children 11 and under

London Irish Wild Geese vs BeckenhamKick off 2.30pm

England Legends vs Ireland LegendsKick off 4.15pm

John O’Driscoll in full charge it’s

his fi rst game at London Irish

since 1985


03England Legends vs Ireland legends |

Neil Murphy Legends ORDER

OF PLAY

12 noon Gates open

2.30pm London Irish wild geese vs Beckenham

4.15pm England Legends vs Ireland Legends Before the game there will be a minutes silence in memory of Andy

miller a former team mate of Neil’s who died last year of a heart attack leaving a wife Helen and two boys

5.30pm Final whistles

5.45pm Speeches Neil Murphy Charles Murphy Susan Marshfield (BRACE Alzheimer’s) Stephen Macleod

6.10pm Auction in 4 provinces bar auctioneer Chris mills

6.30pm Food and Irish folk singer Sean Brady in 4 provinces bar

7.30pm Depart

NB no access will be allowed into the 4 provinces bar until 2.30pm a past presidents lunch will be taking place.

Please do not park vehicles in the virgin active car park and only where you are directed to.


Mat

ch o

ffici

al Referee

Mike Deasy

Represented the First XV (1977) at Nudgee College, Brisbane, Queensland, playing against Mark Loane and Paul McLean (Wallabies) in that year’s Old Boys Match.

Studied Dentistry and played club rugby at the University of Queensland.

Travelled to London in 1983. While waiting for a tube at Earls Court Station on a cold February morning we were surrounded by drunken men wearing skirts and speaking in funny accents. They insisted that we come with them; resolutely we insisted that we could not as we were flat hunting. Forty minutes later we arrived at the flat we were booked to view, The cabbage patch. great flat, very spacious, crowed, noisy, served beer and best of all had the 1984 version of a big screen HD 3D with full surround sound in the back garden, Twickenham Stadium, Eng. V Scot. Never did see that flat!

My mates and I did eventually find some were to live. Happened upon London Irish RFC, played a bit until the left shoulder was separated (not good for a dentist) one too many times. Got roped into coaching/refereeing Mini than Youth Rugby. Despite many players, coaches and spectators kindly advising that my eyesight is failing I enjoy referring for the London Society, LSRFUR.

Mike Deasy B.D.Sc. (Qld)DENTIST

25 High Street Hampton HillTW12 1NB

Tel: 020 8941 9090


Physio

Nicola MacLean

For the past seven years until recently I have had great fun running the Physio Team at London Irish Amateur, treating players aged 6 to 66.

I retrained in Sports Massage and Management of Injuries at St Mary’s University as a second career with a view to treating my son’s injuries sustained playing first XV rugby at Wellington College. Since then I’ve worked for Barnes Vets, Reading Rugby Club and LIA as well as Shepperton Ladies Cricket Club, Henley Rowing Regatta, the Oxford crews at the Boat Race and at the London Marathon.

A native of Cornwall now living in Teddington I divide my working life between three physiotherapy clinics in Richmond and Roehampton as well as private patients.

Having been brought up in a rugby household - my father played for Falmouth, Cornwall, the Royal Navy and was once selected, but sadly remained on the bench, for England - I do enjoy being involved in all aspects of the game.

Having my own personalized wine glass behind the bar in the Four Provinces says it all!

“ “

Sup

port

staf

f


This afternoon is a tribute to the ‘Spirit of Rugby’. Who would ever have believed that you could get a side together with an average age of 49 years old who have amassed in excess of any number if not hundreds International caps in their day, to put their bodies and reputations on the line one more time in aid of a fellow player who is less fortunate than them… But here we are on a Saturday afternoon ready to take onthe London Irish!

and would have been playing today if he had been more fortunate. We were a ‘balanced’ centre partnership at London Irish in the early 1980’s. I did all the tackling (and invariably got injured) Neil did all the running and

try-scoring and caught the eye of the selectors! He was also a great tourist and can recount endless tales of trips to far away places such as Canada, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Bermuda where he toured with London Irish and surrey. On Neil’s behalf we are most grateful for all the enthusiasm and support for today’s match. We are extremely grateful to London Irish amateur club for hosting the event.

Terry Long, David Fitzgerald, Kieran McCarthy and all their staff at London Irish have been magnificent throughout and it is only fitting that as Neil’s first captain at London that John O’Driscoll is returning the play at Sunbury for the first time since 1985 when he left for Manchester to take up a consultant’s post at a Manchester hospital.

We cannot thank the players

Simon Cooke as the originator of the two benefits has been gives his thoughts by way of an introduction

It is astonishing how committed rugby players are.

Neil Murphy, apart from being a great mate, Was a talented player

“ “


Foreword

enough for committing their time and bodies to making this match possible. Great player’s reputations are on the line today and I am sure the London Irish vets will be looking to remind us all why we ‘retired’ many years ago! In the bar afterwards I am sure there will be plenty of

stories but really today is about having fun, reuniting many old friends and team mates from a bygone era and raising money for Neil.

Many thanks go out to all the sponsors, advertisers and supporters who have made

this day possible for Neil and his family. In a world where rugby is increasingly professional and manufactured it is heart warming to know that the ‘Corinthian’ spirit of rugby prevails and let’s hope that the pain of old joints creaking is eased with plenty of

‘anaesthetic’ late into the night as we celebrate a fantastic achievement and pay tribute to Neil, his family and London Irish. Enjoy your afternoon, please give generously and please be sympathetic and rememberWe are on average 49 years old!

Simon Cooke

The older I get the faster I was“ “


EnglandLegends

Line-up

1 Mark Green Harlequins and Surrey

3 David AlbertoOld Isleworth and Middlesex

5 Malcolm WallHarlequins and Surrey

7 Damian Cronin Bath, Wasps and Scotland

9 Harley MansonCanterbury and Junior All Blacks

2 Jerry HalseBarnes RFC

4 Paul SidiHarlequins, Yorkshire and England A

6 Tony EdgleyDorking RFC

8 Geraint ThomasonEsher RFC and Hungary

10 Mike Peskin Harlequins and Middlesex


11 Tim BellHarlequins and Surrey

13 Gary HolmesWasps

15 Richard Moon Harlequins, Surrey and England A, England 7’s

17 Nick ChesworthHarlequins, London, England Students and England 7’s

19 Keith HoskinBath, Eastern Counties

12 Peter WinterbottomHarlequins, England and British Lions

14 Adam FoxHarlequins

16 Rob GlenisterHarlequins, London, England A, England 7’s

18 Huw DaviesWasps and England

20 Audley LumsdenBath and England


21 Rob LozowskiWasps and England

23 Darren O’Leary Harlequins and England A

25 Simon CookeLondon Irish, Cambridge university blue Harlequins and Surrey

27 Alex WoodhouseHarlequins, Surrey, England A, Barbarians

29 Everton DavisHarlequins, Surrey, London, England A

22 David TrickBath and England

24 Ian Marcus Saracens and Gt Britain (Maccabiah Games 1988)

26 Andy BeaverBarnes RFC

28 Simon Hunter Harlequins, Surrey, England 7’s

30 Nick Leslie - Miller-London Scottish, Leicester and Surrey


IrelandLegends

Line-up

1 John O’driscoll London Irish, Ireland,British Lions

3 Paul Snoddy London Irish

5 Mike Gibson Lansdowne London Irish,Ireland and Barbarians

7 Des O’Hara London Irish

9 Dean Guide London Irish

2 Graham Birkett Harlequins, London Scottish and Scotland

4 Paul Kennedy London Irish, Ulster and Ireland

6 Rob Henderson Young Munster, Garryowen and Munster, London Irish, Ireland and British lions

8 Andy Hallam London Irish

10 Scott Robinson London Irish


11 Kevin Flynn London Irish

13 Mickey Leonard London Irish

15 Vince GillespieLondon Irish

17 Ciaran Gannon London Irish

19 Dave Heisler London Irish

12 Brian Harris London Irish

14 Frank Walsh London Irish

16 Tony CorishLondon Irish

18 Simon Browne London Irish

20 John AdamsLondon Irish


21 Conor O’NeilLondon Irish

23 Paul BridgeLondon Irish

25 Andrew Bagley London Irish

22 Guy Shackleton London Irish

24 Tony White London Irish

26 Phil GonzoLondon Irish


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24-02-11England Legends

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LEGENDS

England Legendsvs

Irish Legends

Catlin is proud to support the charity match between the England Legends

and the Irish Legends.

We hope you have an enjoyable game and may the best team win...



Neil Murphy & BRACEWhat can I say? Neil is possibly the most remarkable volunteer BRACE has had in the near quarter century of its history. He is surely the most determined and downright bloody-minded!

Neil contacted us last summer when he lost

his mother to Alzheimer’s. He was deeply upset, but also fiercely determined to fight back against the disease that had taken his mum. And how better to do it than by raising money for research into diagnosis and treatment?

I understand that, after his illness, Neil had to battle simply to able to walkagain, and he is still restricted to walking with a stick and in pain.

Most people faced with that sort of challenge might have decided to help their chosen charity by stuffing envelopes or making phone calls.

Not Neil. He decided that he was going to ‘hobble’ (his word) the Bristol Half Marathon and then attempt a 10 kilometre race in Brighton. He managed four miles in Bristol and 8km in Brighton before being forced to stop because of the sheer pain.

He has already raised at least £2,300 for BRACE and that figure might be higher by the time you read this.

I want to thank Neil for a magnificent effort, not just in raising funds but also in being an inspiration to others.

Mark PoarchChief Executive of BRACE

BRACE is a registered charity (297965) which raises funds for research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.



Playing for London Irish was a fantastic experience for Irish players who came over from Ireland. It was immediately a home away from home with a completely distinctive atmosphere. I also soon realised how proud the ‘London Irish’ born in England of Irish roots were of their heritage. I learned how important the England game at Twickenham was to them in a way I never appreciated when living at home. I remember the scenes on the way from the dressing room to the bus in 1982 when Ginger McLoughlins try and Ollie Campbells kicking put us on the brink of a first triple crown and championship for decades in 1982. I remember the look of speechless disbelief on the face of an Irish supporter on the Sunday night in a pub in Belgravia after we were hammered in the Chris Oti hat trick game of 1988. He stood open mouthed in front of me, his eyes asking for some kind of explanation.

Neil Francis spoke of a supporter bending down and kissing the ground in front of him coming out of their victory in 1994 when Simon Geoghegan blazed down the wing (Something that never happened to Franno before or since!). These things really mattered to those of London Irish stock.

Neil was and is stoutly of that stock. I met him first in 1985 when I came down from Oxford to work and play rugby in London. He was a very talented player, comfortable in most positions across the backline but playing most of his career at centre. I have always thought that centre was the hardest position in the backline to play really well. That is due to the fact that you have so little space and are so dependent on the way that the people inside use you and present you with the ball. It is not difficult to be competent, taking the ball into contact and tackling

Playing for London Irish was a fantastic experience for Irish players who came over from Ireland.


your own man. The really good centres were those who played with intelligence, setting the direction of the line with an ability to glide and drift into spaces that they helped to create. Neil was definitely in this class, an elegant runner with very good distribution skills and solid in defence. He was very good to play full back outside as he always kept the line straight, fixing the opposition and not allowing them to drift off him onto you. This ability of his would be even more precious in the professional game as more defenders are strewn across the field. An awareness of space and the ability to use that space with intelligence are key. Sadly there has been an overemphasis on power and collisions. There are many ‘competent’ centres -not many exceptional ones. Conrad Smith, Brian O’Driscoll and formerly Will Greenwood are the exceptions not the rule. That was the game Neil loved.

I got to know Neil well as he usually gave me a lift to training. I worked near Green Park and would take the tube to Earls Court, meeting him at the Exhibition centre side before heading off to Sunbury.

Neil always loved his Irish roots and was so proud to play for London Irish. He loved the music, the humour and banter and probably savoured the whole concept of the ‘Craic’ as much as anyone I knew. We had many great nights at Sunbury and back in town. He always had a great love of family and a huge appreciation for his friends.

It is therefore entirely appropriate that the ‘family’ of Rugby should align itself with him as he meets the new challenges that the great game of life throws at him. He was always a natural team player. It still remains one of the greatest aspects of the game of rugby football that it rallies to those in the ‘family’ when they are in need. Neil did that for others. Now others are doing that for him. Sometimes he gave the scoring pass. Other times he took it and scored the try. It is a tribute to him that there have been so many today who are happy to make that pass to him.

Hugo MacNeill

Have a great day. Its for a special cause.


Bidding Time!Below are some of the amazing prizes

going under the hammer at today’s auction.

All proceeds go to today’s cause.

H 4 night stay, 2 people at the Table Bay Cape Town with BA club class return flights

H 3 x Chelsea tickets

H 2010/11 signed England cricket shirt ashes winning side

H 2 x London Irish tickets

H 1 day, 4 persons sailing on Durfour 5251 52ft luxury yacht from eastborne marina stephen macleod photo

H 2 x tickets for Lords

H 1 signed Neil Murphy London Irish shirt

H 1 signed Neil Murphy Surrey shirt

H 1 signed Neil Murphy junior Barbarian shirt

H 1 signed Chelsea shirt

H 3 x Neil Murphy rugby benefit t shirts signed by all the players

H For four persons for one hundred birds each. A clay shooting session at Northall Clay Pigeon Club (www.northallcpc.co.uk )


And the lucky winner is?Below are some of the amazing prizes going under the hammer at

today’s auction. All proceeds go to today’s cause.

H House of Commons whiskey Roger Gale MP

H A hair cut Tim O’Sullivan

H Sack and crack wax Tim O’Sullivan

H Bottle of Merlot wine Jackie Drake



T h a n k Yo u !The past 3 years have not been my finest but as I have learnt to say it is what it is just get on with it.

For years I looked back at my time playing rugby with immense fondness and vivid memories happy days dining out on stories for over 20 years never once did I believe nor think I would be the recipient of 2 benefit matches that so many great players would pull on the boots for me.

My immense thanks to Simon Cooke whose idea this and the last benefit is to all of London Irish for hosting the event (I trust I am forgiven for leaving in a petulant fit in 1987). I have always treasured my Irish roots (mum-who we sadly lost last year loved my time here, but always after I had sent someone backwards 3 yards in a tackle disapproved of me being too rough with the other boys, and frequency of spitting during a game)To have John O’Driscoll lead out the Irish today gives me

immense pleasure john was a man mountain to play with entering a maul one just prayed the hands nearest you were john’s. Des O’Hara our hooker in the u21’s has been an exceptional ink to the Irish inviting me to two past players lunches and at 50 pulls on his boots today and I know is looking forward to hitting john over the top at the back of a lineout.

To my many old school friends from Douai enjoy yourself and please don’t boast about the part I played in starting swing low sweet chariot at Twickenham which eventually led to England overturn a 16 point deficit to beat Ireland 31-16 in 1981 in fairness I hadn’t joined the Irish then

There are many more I should thank but I will leave that to my speech. In the meantime please enjoy today a celebration of rugby friendship and my life being preserved

Neil Murphy

Dearest friends how I can begin to thank you all words fail me


A u t o g r a p h s


A u t o g r a p h s


Documents

Neil Murphy Legends