Mickey Niblock is a former Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team between 1966 and 1973.
[1] His uncle Frank was part of the Derry side that won the county's first ever National Football League title in 1947.
Niblock played his underage football with home-club O'Donovan Rossa Magherafelt and soon progressed to the club's Senior team.
[1] When he moved back to Ireland in 1978 Niblock played with Intermediate Cork side Douglas for a while.
[1] While there he travelled home and helped Magherafelt win the 1978 Derry Senior Football Championship.
It is a breach of the rules to play for two clubs in different counties at the same time,[1] but as Niblock says "I couldn't resist it.
Three of my brothers were playing in that final and it gave me a great thrill to win the Championship alongside them".
In the All-Ireland semi-final Derry defeated a fancied Kerry team with ease.
In the All-Ireland final Derry met Offaly in Croke Park and won 3–09 to 1–09, with Niblock scoring 1-01 from centre half forward.
[1] In 1970 Niblock helped Derry win the Ulster Senior Football Championship,[2] overcoming Antrim in the final.
Niblock scored 2-04 from play, a record which was overtaken by Tyrone's Frank McGuigan in 1984.
[1] He flew home from New York to play for Derry in the 1972-1973 National Football League semi-final against Kerry in Croke Park.