Gary Doherty - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

Doherty is affectionately known by many fans as either "The Doc" or "Ginger Pele" (which was immortalised by the publication of the football song/chants book: One Ginger Pele).

Most recently Doherty has become the inspiration for a song by Norfolk band "We Can't Dance". The track, titled with the players name, makes reference to newspapers giving Doherty a hard time and has a chorus consisting of his name, ending with the line "I don't care what they say about you anyway".

As a result of this song, Ireland’s You Boys in Green football magazine and website campaigned to make “Gary Doherty,” top the charts in honour of the 2010 World Cup and to promote the Singing Section in the new Aviva stadium. YBIG met with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) on Tuesday, 22 June 2010, to negotiate allocation of 1,000 seats reserved for this section.

Doherty's career is believed to have been heavily influenced by his childhood friendship with the infamous Donegal lothario, Rory "The Rork" Caldwell. Caldwell, now a compliance officer with loose ties to the Sicilian mob, was one of Doherty's closest companions as a youth. It is believed that Doherty favored his role as a striker as a direct result of their big man-little man playing partnership at their local primary school team. Caldwell was renowned for "ghosting into space" in a manner similar to famed Italian striker Phillipo Inzaghi and benefited heavily from Doherty's frequent knock-ons. Records suggest that the two combined to score over 300 goals in the 1990-1991 season of the notoriously difficult, South Donegal Local Schools League(SDLSL), a record still held to this day. Doherty's infamous "baby in a craddle" celebration is said to pay homage to Caldwell's penchant for pregnant women.