The journeyman

THE accents aren’t the only differences between Birmingham and Derry.

That was the first thing David Kelly noticed as he began his weekly journey from his homestead in the midlands to the divided city on the cusp of Northern Ireland. He noticed how the graffiti differed, too, especially coming into the Brandywell.

Birmingham to the Brandywell. It is an intriguing journey, but the journey of David Kelly’s career is even more intriguing. That the most common descriptions tacked onto his name in newspapers are ‘journeyman’ and ‘well travelled striker’ gives you some idea of the twisty roads Kelly’s goal scoring instinct have taken him. Over his 18-year career, Kelly has developed itchier feet than Nicolas Anelka.