And next profile in line is ……………….. ANDY MCGIMPSEY!

Thanks Gippy for taking the time to answer all the profile questions.  Next up will be a ladies first eleven player!

So, ………. Gippy, ………….. answers please!

When and where did you first play hockey?

I first played hockey at Victoria Primary School.  Was the goalkeeper in the school football team, so when the primary school hockey competition came round, I had to stick on the keeper pads!!  Can actually say I have played every position on the pitch.

 

Have you played for any other hockey clubs?

I went and played at Annadale for a few years.  Was an amazing experience and made some great friends out of it.  Retired when Ellis, my second wee lad, arrived and after a couple of years came back to play for North Down.

 

How long have you been at North Down?

On and off it must be about 20 years.  First played at U15 level when Millsy asked me to come and play in a tournament down at Railway Union.  Met Rocky and Daddy Adgey the coaches, and everyone else in the team, for the first time in the coach outside the front of the old Ards Leisure Centre!

 

Do you have any personal ambitions in hockey?

I think I have been lucky enough to have fulfilled mine.  Have played at the highest level my ability would allow me to, have a couple of medals and playing shirts to proudly show the grandkids and I get to play with some of my best friends every weekend!

 

What has been your best moment at North Down?

Plenty of people have captained the club or scored a few goals through the years, but when your club is over 100 years old, being the first in the Club’s history to do something is pretty special so to be a part of the first second XI team in the Club’s history to win Junior 1 was pretty special in a league full of very good teams.

 

Who has been your favourite player to play with at North Down and why?

I have enjoyed playing with loads of people through the years, but the first one I can remember would have been Alan Roper when I first started to play on the first XI.  Always offered great advice, was good craic on and off the pitch and actually passed the ball back to you if you passed it to him… rare in a centre forward at North Down! 🙂

 

What is your least favourite team to play against?

Kilkeel were always a team competing to get promoted with us and they were always tight games.  Can also imagine Kilkeel away must be what it’s like for teams to come and play us at Enler 🙂

 

Who in your North Down team would you want, and who not, on your quiz team?

I was part of the winning team 2 years ago and the folks won it again this year so I think I’ll stick with them 🙂

 

Do you follow a particular football team?

Liverpool.

 

What other sports are you interested in and do you play any other sports?

I could watch most sports on the TV if I ever get control of the remote again.  Would tend to get out on the bike too more than anything else.

 

What is your favourite personal sporting moment and a favourite all time sporting one?

Personal: Playing at Rotterdam and getting the Bronze last year at the Europeans was pretty cool with the Irish Masters lads and having Tash and the boys being there to see and share it too.  All time: Watching the Miracle of Istanbul in Woolseys in 2005.

 

What is the best holiday you have ever had?

Maldives for honeymoon.

 

Where is your ideal holiday location?

Wherever my next holiday is!

 

What type of music do you like?

My Spotify says I listen to everything.  Metallica, the No 2s playlist and the One-Hit Wonders playlist are my top three on heavy rotation at the minute.

 

What is your favourite TV programme?

I love a bit of The Repair Shop!

 

What is your favourite movie?

I don’t have a favourite but if anything from the 80’s is on I’ll watch it.

 

Have you a favourite book you have read again?

I love to read, but would say the only books I have ever read over again would be with the boys when they were younger.  Used to be able to read those without looking at the pages!

 

What is your favourite food and drink?

Dried salted chilli chicken with chips and curry sauce and a pint of Guinness.

 

Full cream, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk?

Semi-skimmed.

 

If you could invite four people, living or dead, to a dinner party who would they be?

Johnny Cash, Blair Mayne, Billy Connolly and Steve Bunce.

 

What have you been doing to stay fit during the coronavirus break?

Not very much truth be told!  I go out for a walk every night and try and get out on the bike or go for a run when I can.