Remembering Paddy Galligan

WHEN I interviewed the late Paddy Galligan a week before Arsenal left Highbury for the last time, it was easy to sense the esteem in which the club’s Irish groundsman, dressing room attendant and all round Mr Fix-it was held across the generations.

During my time with him, Thierry Henry popped his head into Paddy’s room to say hello and a passing Bob Wilson was happy to sit down for a cup of tea and a chat.

So it was hardly a surprise then to see Arsene Wenger paying this heartfelt tribute to the Limerick man on the opening day of the new season: “For me Paddy injected life and happiness all around him. He spread happiness around the stadium, around the dressing room, he was always fun. It is very difficult to accept that he will not be around us anymore. We will try to thank him in the way he would have loved, with noise and happiness. I would just like to say thank you Paddy, for the joy you brought us. We will never forget you, and will always be with you.”