Best is yet to come for Moy Davitts

The Best is yet to come


Moy Davitts are mobilising for RTE’s Celebrity Bainisteoir Final

Feature
Mike Finnerty

NORMALITY is due to return to Foxford, Straide, Bohola and everywhere in between at some stage later this month, but these days the locals are living the dream courtesy of RTE’s Celebrity Bainisteoir series.
TV cameras have become part of the furniture around the area in recent months as their Celebrity Manager, Calum Best, regularly roams the streets ‘meeting and greeting’, and the Moy Davitts’ colours hang from every nook and cranny. 
The local footballers have also become household names on the back of this excellent adventure, and on Friday evening next they will run out at Parnell Park in Dublin in front of thousands of their own supporters for the biggest game of their lives.
Then, on Sunday evening, an estimated 500,000 people will tune in to watch the last programme in the series on RTE 1 to find out if Moy Davitts can finish what they’ve started. This corner of Mayo has never seen anything like it.
“The whole place is buzzing,” smiled Best. “On the street, in the shop, down the butchers, they love it.”
How right he was.
Last Friday afternoon the globe-trotting reality TV star strolled into The Mayfly Hotel in Foxford, flanked by a handful of the Moy Davitts footballers, and followed by a camera crew. A regular Friday it was not.
The American-born, London-based son of the late, great George Best was in town to promote next weekend’s Celebrity Bainisteoir ‘Final’ and was every bit as charming, charismatic and genuine as we had been told he would be.
The 31 year-old has made some good friends in the Moy Davitts GAA club since his arrival and, as he says himself, he’s in it to win it.
“I didn’t come here to lose,” he explained as he peered out from beneath his trademark baseball cap.
“I’ve done a few reality shows in the past and it was all about taking part. But I’m a competitive guy, sport has been in my blood since I was born, and being involved with these lads makes me think that maybe I should have played more football.
“It was in the genes, I was alright at it, and now when I’m in the Moy Davitts dressing-room I’m thinking, ‘damn, I would love to be playing with these guys’. I don’t want to be just the gaffer, I want to play. I want to win.”
Two victories over Clontarf and Tullow have propelled Moy Davitts into next weekend’s showpiece final under the floodlights in Dublin.
But Best, who has established quite a reputation on the social circuit around the world over the years, admitted that it hasn’t been all work and no play for the manager and his players.
“I try to bring a bit of fun into it,” he explained. “We’ve had a few drinks, we had the cheerleaders in, and we’ve had some craic.
“TV show or not, when we’re in the dressing-room I let the lads take over. I might put my name and face to it, but when we’re in the dressing-room SeΡn [Kelly], our captain, tells the lads to just focus on the football and winning the game.
“On Friday night, we have to forget about everything else expect winning the game.
“These guys really know what they’re doing,” he added. “I still don’t know half the rules. For me it’s about building a bond and just getting to know the guys. It’s about being with them.”
“It’s something unique and I think it’s really bonded us together as a group, socially we’re definitely closer as a team now,” agreed teenager Anthony Jordan, one of Moy Davitts’ up-and-coming young stars. “And it’s had a knock-on effect on our football too.”
Time and again, Calum Best pays tribute to the dedication and commitment of the Moy Davitts players, and is anxious to ensure that the club and the town get the credit they deserve for welcoming him with such open arms.
“At the end of all of this, if the community says, ‘thanks for what you did then I’ll leave a happy man.
“When we win, I’m going to walk away from this saying it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
“I came to a great community, met a great bunch of lads, and hopefully they will be telling their grand-kids about this.”
Judging by the number of people queuing to get their photograph taken with him (including a couple of awestruck local reporters), the former model has nothing to worry about.
This has been their Best summer for years.

Match tickets
THE Celebrity Bainisteoir Final between Moy Davitts and Newtowncashel from Longford takes place on Friday at 7.30pm in Parnell Park, Dublin. Entry is free and you can e-mail gaa@animo.ie for tickets and details.


Questions and answers with Calum Best

Q. If you were to throw a party, which celebrity, sportsperson and Moy Davitts footballer would you invite? Why?
A. Rosie Huntington-Whitley (pictured) because I want to marry her. Roy Keane because he’s Irish and would be good craic. And ‘Ram’ from Moy Davitts because he can party.

Q. What’s your favourite thing about Foxford?
A. The hospitality.

Q. Who is the best dresser in the Moy Davitts squad?
A. Kieran O’Brien. He’s in a cast but he still looks good.

Q. Who is the joker/prankster in the team?
A. Anthony Jordan is always messing.

Q. What is your favourite food?
A. Thai fusion.

Q. What is your favourite drink?
A. Jameson whiskey.

Q. Favourite dessert?
A. Sticky Toffee pudding with vanilla ice-cream.

Q. What is the best book (sport or otherwise) that you have ever read?
A. I’m not much of a book fan. . The Good, The Bad and The Bubbly, my dad’s book.

Q. Which Moy Davitts footballer has the biggest bag of toiletries?
A. Mickey P [Michael Prendergast] is a cool dude.

Q. Who is your favourite comedian?
A. Richard Pryor

Q. What’s your favourite film of all-time?
A. Shawshank Redemption

Q. What was the last film you went to see at the cinema? Hit or miss?
A. Taken 2. Not as good as the first.

Q. Biggest influence on your career?
A. My mom.

Q. What annoys you?
A. People with a bad attitude.

Q. Who is your sporting hero?
A. My dad.

Q. Would you swop cars with any of the Moy Davitts guys?
A. No [laughs].

Factfile
Name: Calum Best
Age: 31
Occupation: International Playboy