John Dolan: From Pep to Sherlock to Shane, sport delivers tears and cheers

For reasons some of you will find hard to fathom, I stood in my living room last Sunday evening with tears brimming in my eyes.

A man I had never met was bidding farewell to a football club and a city he had fallen in love with, and was now leaving after a decade of unprecedented domination.

I blubbed when the departing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wished his 96-year-old dad in the stands happy birthday, and again when Noel Gallagher’s Live Forever played to video scenes of amazing triumphs.

Many fans in the stadium, proudly sporting its newly-opened ‘Pep Guardiola Stand’, were sobbing too.

It was the perfect sporting send-off, and they were tears of both happiness and sadness - the kind that tend to overwhelm you.

My teenage son, who really isn’t into sport, glanced up from his phone and asked me: “Did you cry when I was born?”

Um, not as I recall.

“Of course,” I lied. “But this is, er, different.”

Indeed it is. How so?

Sporting nuts like me may agree with this reasoning - because life, with its ups and downs, and births and deaths, is often too serious for tears. Life isn’t a Hollywood film where you get to squeeze one out on cue for your close-up. You can be overwhelmed by a whole range of emotions but not shed a tear.

However, sport provides the perfect outlet where the emotions tend to spill out easily, precisely because it is not a matter of life and death, so you can abandon yourself to the moment.

Playing sport, or following sport with a passion, is a route to a lifetime of ups and downs, a rollercoaster journey where you allow yourself to be pulled along by the pure emotions of any given game and season - always aware that the ride will end soon enough and life will resume as it always does.

Sport is a welcome intrusion into life at a time when large tracts of the world seem to be going mad. A diversion that’s good for the soul.

Last weekend offered a glimpse into the mind of the average sports fan, and the final day of the Premier League season offered emotions aplenty.

I was gripped in that moment by a sense of gratitude, adoration, and respect for Pep Guardiola and the club I have supported for more than half a century. This was our time, these were our years, and now the era was over, because everything comes to an end. That’s life.

And that was just me.

Elsewhere, followers of Arsenal celebrated a first title in 22 years with unbridled joy, while fans of Tottenham were equally joyous and relieved because their team narrowly escaped a possibly ruinous relegation. Fans of West Ham were distraught when that spectre of relegation reached their door.

Over at Liverpool, fans were bidding a poignant farewell to two playing legends, while just about every fan-base had their own highs and lows to share at the end of a long season.

In that moment - when a legendary player or manager leaves, or a title is won, or relegation is sealed - it can seem like the joy or sadness will endure forever. But in a few short months, the same fans will be preparing to board the rollercoaster ride again, and the optimism will be universal.

Nobody dies, everyone lives to fight another day.

Of course, the real high emotions kick in when sport is local and personal - when it’s your town, county, or country that is involved. And Cork’s hurlers and footballers are really giving us a lot to shout about on that front.

The Munster hurling championship is in a league of its own when it comes to skill, drama, jeopardy, tears, and cheers.

A year after I arrived in Ireland, I was despatched to Thurles by this newspaper to watch my first match in the provincial tournament - a dramatic final in which Cork put Waterford to the sword and shared six goals.

The entire day was an eye-opening and memorable experience, and every year I marvel at the prowess of the players, the passion of the fans, and the way every team involved in the Munster Championship puts its heart and soul into it. Almost every match is a classic.

Cork’s hurlers are on a journey of their own which we all hope will end with All-Ireland glory this year after a 21-year famine - a run which has encompassed some heart-breaking near misses.

Last weekend, Shane Barrett put in a man-of-the-match performance to help the Rebels earn a Munster final slot against mighty Limerick.

Meanwhile, the footballers, helped by a brilliant performance by Steven Sherlock, pulled off a fantastic comeback to defeat Meath and boost their hopes of glory in Munster and the All-Ireland.

The GAA successes mean sports fans can start to plan some wonderful summer days ahead - either watching the games unfold live or tuning in on TV.

There will be plenty of cheers - and no doubt a few tears shed by players and fans alike as the season reaches a climax. Let’s hope those tears are once of happiness!

All of this, and the FIFA World Cup is just around the corner!

In just under two weeks, the 2026 tournament will kick off in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

It’s a shame Ireland won’t be there, but with 48 nations taking part this time, there will be no shortage of thrills and spills over the five weeks - with four games a day in the early stages.

Ah, sporting heaven! With so much to look forward to, and so few hours in the day, can we just extend no-mow May to September, do you think?