Why Derry's Paul Cassidy has his eye on an Arsenal boy wonder's card

Paul Cassidy's life as a collectible card trader has helped his Derry career

RED CARD: Paul Cassidy of Derry poses for a portrait during an Allianz National League media event at The Palace Demesne in Armagh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

In an inter-county arena heavily populated by students and teachers, Derry's Paul Cassidy is an outlier. A one of one, as they might say in the trade.

The Bellaghy man, who was working in sales for an electrical wholesaler, had a side hustle going on buying and selling collectible sports cards until going all in on that this year.

He's now a full-time card dealer, trading mainly in soccer, and he smiled to himself when he flicked on the Barcelona v Newcastle Champions League game on Tuesday evening.

Marc Bernal, Barca's latest teenage phenom, lined out in midfield in the 1-1 draw at St James' Park having recently come into Cassidy's collectibles world.

"I had a card there and it's a one of one, so there is only one of it, and it's autographed," said Cassidy of the Bernal card. "I sold it for £550.

"He's a rookie and that's what's added a bit more expense on him because he has that potential of becoming a star. Once you see players like that, they're worth a fortune. The likes of the Arsenal player, Max Dowman, if you've heard of him, his cards are wild expensive at the minute."

Dowman, just 17, started for the Gunners in the FA Cup last weekend and was on the bench on Wednesday night for the Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen.

He is to Arsenal and the Premier League what Kobe McDonald and Tomás Kennedy are to Gaelic football right now.

Yet there is no particular trade in high value, collectible GAA cards, perhaps an untapped market?

"There could be a market, aye," said Cassidy, an Ulster title winner with Derry in 2022 and 2023. "If the bigger stars had their autograph on the card, you never know, there could be something in it."

A signed David Clifford card would surely command some sort of fee?

"I don't know if we'd have the fan-base for it to grow," shrugged Cassidy. "At the minute, I'd be doing soccer mainly anyway, Premier League and stuff like that. That's the most popular.

"I came across it last year and over time you sort of learn a good few things. At the start, I was like, 'This card is expensive' and then it turns out it's worth nothing, so you sort of learn it that way. It just takes time and obviously you need time on the other side of things trying to get more customers on board.

"I buy them on the internet and sell them on the TikTok Shop and eBay and stuff like that."

Trading as PC Collectibles, the job has given Cassidy the freedom to set his own schedule which has been helpful to his Derry career, giving him more flexibility around training and recovery.

After a bad start to their league campaign, losing to Meath in Round 1, Derry won their next four games and are joint top of the Division 2 table ahead of tomorrow afternoon's trip to Ardee to play Leinster champions Louth. That's some turnaround on last year when Derry failed to win a single competitive game.

Cassidy's form has been central to the turnaround and if a GAA collectibles market did exist, a signed Cassidy card could be worth something. His stunning solo goal against Kildare was a collector's item all on its own and he netted against Meath at Croke Park too, registering 2-12 in total from play.

That's all the more impressive considering his mother, Majella, passed away just last July after an illness. A 7-a-side camogie tournament was staged by Bellaghy in her memory last weekend with all proceeds going to MacMillan Cancer Support.

"She used to love the 7-a-side tournaments, she played in them when she was younger," said Paul. "It was a nice idea we came up with and it was run well. Luckily, Bellaghy ended up winning so that was nice."

Cassidy, whose cousin, Damien Cassidy, and grandfather, Harry Cassidy, are both former Derry senior managers, said his mother remains his inspiration.

"She was obviously sick for a number of years but she was still my number one supporter," he said. "That's who I was playing for, when I played football, and I still am. That's the number one reason I'm playing. She was my biggest supporter, she was at every game I played in, so why wouldn't it be (my reason to play)?"