Stephen Bradley is afraid of flying in helicopters. The Shamrock Rovers manager did it anyway on Sunday afternoon after raising over €50,000 for a children’s cancer charity.
“Never again.”
Bradley flagged his phobia weeks before running the Dublin Marathon in a respectable 3:57:37. Minutes after crossing the finish line, he was whisked to Dublin Weston Airport to catch a flight to Derry for a big game. A point would clinch Rovers’ fifth League of Ireland title in six seasons.
“I was nervous,” said a jaded Bradley after Rovers’ 2-1 loss to Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium. “On the way up, the pilot said it’s going to get bumpy coming over the mountains because of the wind.
RM Block
“It was already bumpy! The wind made it (the flight) touch and go.”
Bradley ran the marathon along with his assistant coach Glenn Cronin. The Hoops boss was inspired to do the run for charity after his son Josh was recently given the all-clear for cancer.
“At 20 miles we were cramping up but we had to keep going. Oscar’s Kids is a charity for sick kids and their families. When you are in the heat of [treatment] you see how these charities can make things so special for families in the hardest of moments. It’s been a long day.”
His day started at 6.30am, a couple of hours before the marathon. Besides the gusts and gales, everything went according to plan. Everything besides reaching the Brandywell before the 3pm kick-off.
Bradley appeared on the sideline at 3.08pm. It might have been later, only for a local taxi man completing the journey from the City of Derry RFC pitch to the Brandywell in record time.
“To be fair to Derry City, we had permission to land [on the adjacent dog track], but the PSNI said no as they had a drone monitoring the game,” said Bradley.
“When we got to the [City of Derry RFC] pitch, there was a taxi waiting for us. The driver must have been a getaway driver because he got us here in two minutes. I said ‘break every red light’ and he said ‘you don’t have to worry about that’. He was a good fella. No issues.”
The only issue is Rovers’ form. A shaky, spluttering October has seen defeats to Shelbourne, St Patrick’s Athletic and now Derry City. One point from those games would have confirmed Rovers’ status as champions.
They can complete the job against Galway United at Tallaght Stadium on Wednesday when, once again, a draw will push them beyond the reach of Derry City.
Goals from Brandon Fleming and Sadou Diallo ensured victory for Derry on Sunday. Tiernan Lynch’s side have now secured European football for 2026.
Plenty went wrong for Rovers, and not just the delayed flight, as Lee Grace was sent off following three fouls on Fleming in four minutes.
Bradley will learn this week if Michael Noonan is unavailable for the rest of the campaign, which includes the FAI Cup final against Cork City on November 9th. The teenager is due to join the Republic of Ireland under-17 squad for the World Cup in Qatar that begins next week.
“I thought the Derry fans showed real class,” he added. “They celebrated their win, which you expect them to. I thanked them for what they said about Josh. They appreciated we ran for a charity for kids and their families. I want to say thank you.”
