Philip Greene, RIP
Credit:
It was with great sadness that yesterday we learned of the death of the legendary Philip Greene. He truly was a giant of Irish sports broadcasting and will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. His unique and distinctive voice along with a clear and obvious love for all sports, but football in particular, made him the perfect person to bring news of the action happening in grounds up and down the country into our homes, firstly on radio and later on television.
I’m too young to remember him in his heyday but met him at events over the years. I last saw Philip several years ago when compiling a short piece on his career for a Legends of Irish Sports Commentating article for RTE’s Library and Archives website. I spent an hour or so in his company at his home and came away with enough material to write an autobiography!
The main thing that struck me that time was that Philip could clearly recall details of a specific match 50 or so years after the event.
Most Irish football fans of a certain age could recite the Shamrock Rovers team that played Manchester United in the 1957-58 European Cup. But Philip could give you both teams, the ref’s name, the background to all the Rovers players, Rovers’ form in other competitions leading up to that game, along with the names of every journalist who was there and who they were working for. All as if it happened yesterday.
When I mentioned St Pat’s going to Limerick needing a result at the Markets Field to win the league in the early 50s, he could name the café he when into for a scone and tea before the game! Incidentally, Philip gave his radio report for that game from the top of a telegraph pole outside the Markets Field because that was where he could find the only working telephone!
Philip enjoyed many exciting times in the press boxes of the League of Ireland during his long career. There was the riot in Oriel Park when Dundalk hosted Linfield in 1979 not to mention the fire in the press box at St Mel’s Park in Athlone. Philip once missed a goal in Dalymount because he was looking at a plane taking off from Dublin Airport in the far distance – but I can reveal that from covering games over the last decade that this has happened several times since to other journalists.
People always associated Philip with Shamrock Rovers but he actually grew up close to Dalymount and was a Bohemians fan first. That all changed when Bohs hosted Rovers in a match at Dalymount Park in the 1930s and the young Philip was so mesmerised by these men in green and white hoops that he switched allegiances.
One of the saddest times in his life was when the Kilcoyne family moved Rovers out of Milltown in 1987. Philip would avoid driving past the area after that decision such were his feelings, shared of course with many thousands of other fans, disgusted at the loss of a fine stadium.
He despaired at Rovers going from riches to rags. I wonder would South Dublin County Council and Shamrock Rovers consider naming one of the stands in Tallaght after him? A fitting tribute if ever there was one.
I’m too young to remember him in his heyday but met him at events over the years. I last saw Philip several years ago when compiling a short piece on his career for a Legends of Irish Sports Commentating article for RTE’s Library and Archives website. I spent an hour or so in his company at his home and came away with enough material to write an autobiography!
The main thing that struck me that time was that Philip could clearly recall details of a specific match 50 or so years after the event.
Most Irish football fans of a certain age could recite the Shamrock Rovers team that played Manchester United in the 1957-58 European Cup. But Philip could give you both teams, the ref’s name, the background to all the Rovers players, Rovers’ form in other competitions leading up to that game, along with the names of every journalist who was there and who they were working for. All as if it happened yesterday.
When I mentioned St Pat’s going to Limerick needing a result at the Markets Field to win the league in the early 50s, he could name the café he when into for a scone and tea before the game! Incidentally, Philip gave his radio report for that game from the top of a telegraph pole outside the Markets Field because that was where he could find the only working telephone!
Philip enjoyed many exciting times in the press boxes of the League of Ireland during his long career. There was the riot in Oriel Park when Dundalk hosted Linfield in 1979 not to mention the fire in the press box at St Mel’s Park in Athlone. Philip once missed a goal in Dalymount because he was looking at a plane taking off from Dublin Airport in the far distance – but I can reveal that from covering games over the last decade that this has happened several times since to other journalists.
People always associated Philip with Shamrock Rovers but he actually grew up close to Dalymount and was a Bohemians fan first. That all changed when Bohs hosted Rovers in a match at Dalymount Park in the 1930s and the young Philip was so mesmerised by these men in green and white hoops that he switched allegiances.
One of the saddest times in his life was when the Kilcoyne family moved Rovers out of Milltown in 1987. Philip would avoid driving past the area after that decision such were his feelings, shared of course with many thousands of other fans, disgusted at the loss of a fine stadium.
He despaired at Rovers going from riches to rags. I wonder would South Dublin County Council and Shamrock Rovers consider naming one of the stands in Tallaght after him? A fitting tribute if ever there was one.
