Whether Seamus O'Connell was scoring goals with flying, diving headers from the edge of the box, or sending pinpoint passes 40 or 50 yards across the pitch, he made football look very, very easy. He was the greatest amateur footballer that I ever saw play football on a cold, draughty Saturday afternoon in south west Durham, and part of his greatness stems from the fact that, above all things, he was a gent. There was no nastiness in his play.