A Pebble on the Beach

There are two Old Trafford’s in Greater Manchester; One where Lancashire County Cricket is played, and the other; home of Manchester United. A cricket thread stitches ‘A Scapeshifter’ together (the poetry this site is about), and though still relevant to the theme; this blog is about an apprentice footballer who suffered a career ending injury when on the cusp of the soccer sides first team.

Born on the 10th June 1973; Adrian Doherty died on the eve of his 27th birthday in the year 2000, yesterday being the twenty third anniversary of his passing, and today the fiftieth anniversary of his birth, on a day when Manchester City play Inter Milan in the European cup final in what is now the city of Istanbul. As this blog proceeds; building and shaping as a work in progress in the timeless moments of sporting connection, we take a look at the life of a young man from Strabane in Northern Ireland, whilst at the same time reading a book about him; ‘Forever Young’ The story of Adrian Doherty; Footballs Lost Genius’ by Oliver Kay. Described as someone that was not readily identifiable as stereotypical young premier league player: my attention was drawn to this footballer by synchronicity, on the morning of the day of the champions league final. Reading a description of Adrian Doherty as a fast tricky winger of genius, which appeared before me as if by magic (or mystic), my mind was in the moment of the first Manchester City match played after the 1976 league cup final at Maine Road in Moss Side where Manchester City played a home game against Sheffield United, with me in the crowd as a twelve year old and the league cup brought out onto the field, prompting a pitch invasion from the Kippax, when this cleared, and the whistle blew to commence play; there was Peter Barnes on the left wing. Since then I’ve had an appreciation for these creative flank magicians, who it seems on certain days; mesmerize defenders, then disappear before them, only to mysteriously reappear on the goal side moving effortlessly away towards their target. Peter Barnes looked to me like he’d been touched by genius, but did not win a plethora of trophies, or perhaps even fulfill the potential of his early promise . When in 1993 Manchester United started to win things after acquiring Eric Cantona; I was told that another teenage Manchester City winger, who had been talked into changing teams by Sir Alex Ferguson, and continued his career at Old Trafford; was now making waves in the premier league, after making his full match start debut against Manchester City on the 4th May 1991, scoring a goal off Collin Hendry, and taking Manchester United to victory in the derby at a similar age to when I first watched Peter Barnes. As the 1993 season progressed, I took note of the flying Ryan Giggs in action; he did look to me like the most exiting winger since Peter Barnes: the rest as they say, is history; Giggs went on to win many trophies in his time at Old Trafford, and became one of Manchester United’s longest serving and most successful players. So when I read on; that the book about Adrian Doherty contained an interview with Ryan Giggs saying “Doherty was incredible, and possibly at the time better than me (Giggs),” playing on the opposite flank, I decided to buy the kindle version of the book and start reading right a way, dismissing in the present, the champions league final later on that day, for this subject of Adrian Doherty seemed felicitous and in the moment, where the real part of us should be, the subject being more interesting than the pointless day dream of something that had not yet happened, but at the same time was being metaphorically drowned before it had been given birth to, by the build up of a burgeoning money spinning European football circus, rolling along, and taking its place in the moments of the long history of Constantinople, and the tugs of war that have gone along with it. Twenty percent into the book, and the character of Adrian Doherty becomes more interesting, as the author writes about him busking in Manchester singing Bob Dylan songs. Bob Dylan took his name from the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (born 1914), who appears in line fourteen of A Scapeshifter; “Boy in the breaker birthed in its storm” also contrasting the line 14 of T S Elliot’s The Wasteland; “My cousin’s, he took me out on a sled.” A Scapeshifter looks to connect the presence of the past with a look back at, and view forward from T S Elliot’s The Wasteland. The book by Oliver Kay also drew my attention to some you tube footage of Adrian Doherty scoring two goals in a junior match in Northern Ireland, against a team that had not lost for two years, but on that day they did; losing to a winger playing like a busker, which is how it appears he loved to play; making it up as he went a long to the music of the match, as the quick dancing feet of Adrian Doherty swept the opposition away on the crest of a wave (Dylan in old Celtic meaning son of the wave). Chapter 11 and 31% in to the book and the top of page 115 of 387 says “Manchester was in the grip of a reawakening” further down the page the Happy Mondays are mentioned who I can remember being in Cavalier studios in Stockport, the day before, or after I was in there with bands I played in at the time; Cairo and SPMC. At the top of the next page there’s talk about Joy Division, and I can recall playing in Cargo studios Rochdale, where Joy division had recorded, and playing live with the late Harry Demac, from Peak Sound and Lighting, as a sound engineer on the P A, who it was said had some missing live tapes of Joy Division, and which tapes will remain missing, but the music in the book is taking me off the point. Further down page 115 the writer describes energy and cavalier spirit. This book certainly has an energy but now it’s time to make ready for the arrival of the founder of Cavalier studios, Lol Cooper; due to arrive at my place at 7.30pm to watch the match. Lol Cooper is the man who put the video together for A Scapeshifter, he arrives on time, we get a beer and go into the garden to enjoy the warm weather, avoiding the platitudes of the pundits. We go in to watch and come out again at half time to again avoid any needless trite talk, then in for the second half. I think City will win, they won against United last week, and can do it again; and sure enough 68 minutes in Rodri surges through midfield and scores the winner, and Manchester City have won the treble, a great achievement, but never the less, I’m also still thinking about the Adrian Doherty goals on you tube and the rest of the Oliver Kay book, which also says that Adrian Doherty had shown interest in music and poetry, which go together rather well. Line 73 in part 1 of A Scapeshifter says; “For the Fili on Erin; saw sickness in shore leave,” contrasting the line 73 in T S Elliot’s The Wasteland; “Or has the sudden frost disturbed its bed.” So 32% into the book and to me there seems to be as much of theodicy as there is of tragedy, in the life of a young man who seems to have had more about him than just the ephemeral life of football genius, though the genius bit is why he is remembered: so is important; paradox is pivitol. Over 50% of the book gone now and Adrian Doherty has picked up the knee injury, and there is a sense already at the half way point of the book that his Manchester United career is finished; as the ancient Greeks said; “Know thyself by no excess; for surety can ruin” (line 55 of A Scapeshifter) and though football does not constitute the meaning of life, never the less; I think now I’ll put the book down for a bit and see if I can’t get the 1976 league cup final up, and enjoy an 18 year old Peter Barnes slotting the ball into the back of the net for the opening goal at Wembley. There it is, and there’s Peter Barnes (son of Ken) wikipedia; Peter Simon Barnes ‘footballer’ (born 10th June 1957). I need to look again at that; Adrian Doherty was born on Peter Barnes 16th Birthday, and after a lifetime of hearing about England’s world cup success in 66 (1966 20th century) here are Manchester City winning the European cup, or Champions league, or whatever the money talk chooses to call it on Peter Barnes 66th birthday. Barnes, like a poem is multi dimensional; football and cricket, Peter Simon, and Sydney Francis, and line 342 of A Scapeshifter; “Spoforth valley; Jenkin Barnes” contrasts the line in ‘The Wasteland’; “But dry sterile thunder without rain.” I don’t read many sports books these days, but at half way through this one it does seem to have an energy and a meaning, and it brings to mind a book about Peter Barnes which I will now look up. There! Peter Barnes Authorised Biography by Gary James; 5 stars and good ratings and £28.34 on Amazon: hmmmmm! Look again; Gary James football archive, same book including postage and packing £16.95. Thanks Gary and no thanks Jeff: differences between myself and Mr Bezos; 3 days in age, 3000 miles of ocean or so, coast to coast, and maybe £300 billion money wise – line 126 in A Scapeshifter; “The rich get richer and the poor get children” contrasts line 126 in T S Elliot’s The Wasteland “Are you alive, or not? Is there nothing in your head?” The book is ordered (pocket friendly version) and even though I buy books quicker than I can read them, and should stop ordering until I’ve caught up, I’ll go with these two as they have swept me up into creative thinking: in their prime; Peter Barnes on the left, and Adrian Doherty on the right: defenders nightmare. On now with the Adrian Doherty book before the Peter Barnes one arrives. 72% through the book and it’s still a good read and the energy is still apparent in the writing. Adrian Doherty has been released by Manchester United after a long time out, he has a few games with Derry City, but that doesn’t work out, and he’s now moved away from his home town to Preston. Along the way he’d visited New York, played his songs, written poetry, including; ‘By The Power’ and ‘The Lost Soul’ which are in Oliver Kay’s book on pages 197 and 221 respectively, and become interested in esotericism and associated subjects, and writings including the poet Dante, and Carlos Castaneda; who wrote about different levels of consciousness. The book is bringing to life the interests of Adrian Doherty. Now as the poem A Scapeshifter is an esoteric work in the way of a legomanism; it is clear now that the brief glimpse of football genius that Adrian Doherty gave to the world was important; in that it caused this book by Oliver Kay to be written; bringing to light Adrian Doherty’s talents in sport, and in the artist that goes on. I don’t want to give too much away in terms of content from the book as it should be procured and read, especially by those who have experienced the meeting point of sport and music, and in music I include poetry, where rhythm in the writing and recurring motif can serve the same purpose as a chorus in a song. The book mentions gnosis as an interest of Adrian Doherty, and says that he joined an esoteric group, which are sometimes known as school’s. This was in Manchester, but that school seems to be gone and cannot be traced, says the book. This is not as mysterious as it sounds; these schools appear and disappear, as and when needed, and deal in goals of their own, the genuine schools (not cults) attracting members / students who have what is called a magnetic center (see for an explanation http://www.alchemyofthework.com, go to teachings, and click on what is your truth). In part 1 of A Scapeshifter, an esoteric school is described in line 42; “In Moscow her Mister met with a Master” to contrast line 42 in The Wasteland “Od und leer das Meer (dull and empty the sea). To get an idea of Carlos Castaneda, and also about esoteric schools; go to you tube and find William Patrick Patterson exploring the life and teachings of Carlos Castaneda. ‘The Wasteland’ poem by T S Elliot is full of allusions to the narrative poem ‘The Divine Comedy’ by Dante Alighieri, and if an explanation of this is required go to Victor Strandberg, Duke Learning you tube, and investigate and verify for yourself; you will perhaps find a resonance between these connecting works, and the underlying understanding that Adrian Doherty was arriving at as the poet seeker, or so it seems to me at 72% into the Oliver Kay book. Onward and sideways! Just passed the 80% mark in the book and I’m pondering on a poem on page 296 called ‘The Soul of a Poet’; the second line of which says “Can one grow it” and here, without an over analysis of one of Adrian Doherty’s poems, there is an interesting point, because earlier in the book on page 264 a friend says of him; “maybe he was still soul searching” which can mean almost anything, depending on interpretation, but to ask if one can grow a soul is more specific, it has the ring of an aim about it, and would suit a goal scorers instinct? I may be thinking so far out side the box here that I’m off the park; but that’s poetry. In the poem called ‘By The power’ where the poets lines are “I can walk up on the water, I can communicate with the dead”; one wonders whether that can be accomplished the other way around. Adrian Doherty found work in factories and hotels, and stuck at it for a while, as a means to earn the money to live, but there is also a hint of isolation that comes into many a life with the movement from teenage years, into the twenties; his reading and artistic interests were not of interest to everybody. Kevin Doherty says on page 272; “He’s flogging a dead horse with me and poetry; he wants to talk about Arthur Rimbaud.” Ironically Arthur Rimbaud’s poetic career was in some way akin to Adrian Doherty’s footall; he was finished with it by the age of twenty. Rimbaud, some of his contemporaries, and the man who was an influence on them; Charles Beaudelaire, were complex, bohemian, and at times disturbing characters, where one of them leads to another, and their ideas can become a curdling mix of racing chaos in discursive thought. This does not go hand in hand with the raised consciousness of a developed man on the way to becoming a sage. Knowledge must be added to a raised level of being to arrive at understanding (see A Scapeshifter in blog menu) as part of the process of seeking and developing; the joy of real life. Perhaps there was a search going on at this stage with the interest Adrian Doherty showed in esoteric work and schools; on page 293 Alison Jones talks about “essence and personality” and on page 277 mention is made of “self observation” which is a prerequisite for a man or woman that wants to see themselves for what they really are. So far in the book; the seeker in Adrian Doherty is never far from the fun loving lad looking to enjoy himself. In the book; the personality Adrian Doherty was developing prompts people to speak warmly of him. On page 271, a United supporter reports that he recognized the former Manchester United player out in Preston after his football career was over, and in conversation with him was told that Adrian Doherty preferred Manchester City now; the United aficionado reckons he was 99% sure that Adrian was joking, but this is the thing; you don’t quite know; many a true word said in jest and all that. Now away from the fun, and into a mix of heart warming and heartbreak. Heartbreak; because at this stage of the book, 90% through, Adrian Doherty has died in hospital with his family by his side, and the story of Adrian’s life, a life infused with an energy and a creativity that the book captures and conveys, brings one to a choking emotion at his loss, such is the power released by this book, but also; it brings one to an admiration, and as strange as it sounds, having never met him or even heard about him until the 50th anniversary of his birth, it seems as though he is almost a friend, whose loss you mourn. It is heart warming because of lines like these 84% into the book on page 307; “he touched a lot of peoples lives in a positive way by dint of his character and by being, in the truest sense of the word good natured.” And; ” The Adrian Doherty I knew had a very good essence, nature, Soul.” At his funeral a Bob Dylan song was sung with the line “may you stay forever young” and his priest from boyhood, Father Doherty said; “what he had in his life was authenticity, he was true to himself. At 95% through the book, and for the first time in the reading of it, the energy in the writing dissipates, as the inevitable “what if?” Questions are asked; treatment? Return? And time allowed to recover after two years out? At this stage of the book, these questions are asked; of a time when Adrian Doherty was trying to get back into contention. There is no doubt that he was up against it, in more ways than one. There is a picture of him competing against Richard Edgehill in a comeback game. I’ve watched Richard Edgehill many times, and though he himself had his career curtailed by a knee injury, when he was fit, as he appeared to be in the Adrian Doherty come back game photo, he was quick; Richard Edgehill had tremendous pace, and was perhaps at the time, as he was breaking into the City first team; one of the most difficult full backs to get past in the country, and especially difficult when you’re impeded by a knee injury. In the game mentioned earlier in 1976, when I watched Peter Barnes against Sheffield United, Peter Barnes, fully fit, touched by genius, league cup goal scorer and winner the week before; himself at times in that match struggled against a remarkably quick right back, who I was told later by a Sheffield United supporter, was a sprinting champion. Luck and perception can deliver crushing blows; wrong place wrong time and so forth. Happily in the last 5% of the book, the energy and life force of Adrian Doherty are back. There is more poetry, which you can enjoy when you read the book, and there is an unfolding of process in the culmination of Oliver Kay’s five years work; researching and writing a book that sets the record straight in many ways; about a unique and interesting life, which in the short time it was lived; seems to have made the world a better place. There is a real sincerity that comes across in this book, about a young interesting talented man, who had a supportive and happy family life. What also comes across again in the writing is that it was a good family that Adrian Doherty grew up in, and that he had, and has; a wide range of friends, old and new, but at the same time he was able to keep himself to himself in the wisdom of humility, which as T S Elliot says in his ‘Four Quartets’ is sometimes the only wisdom. The last lines of the book say; “He just wanted to be himself, an artist, a musician, a poet. He was, after all, a complete unknown, a rolling stone.” He liked it that way.

The end!

But not quite yet; read the book, you may profit from taking the time to do so, for in terms of Adrian Doherty, as the last word of A Scapeshifter says; “Resurgam”