ACH Group

4 hours ago

Olympian to get a kick out of World Cup ⚽

In the immortal words of Ted Lasso’s Danny Rojas: “football is life”. Those words couldn’t be truer for ACH Group’s Kapara resident and former international footballer and Olympian Hugh Forde. 😊

Hugh began playing football at five years of age and continued until he was 38. An attacking wing-half, he played for leading Northern Irish clubs, enjoying major success with Glenavon when the club won the Irish Cup and Ulster Cup in 1959 and the Irish League title in 1960. 🏆

He also captained the Northern Ireland amateur international side and represented Great Britain at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, playing in the team’s win against Chinese Taipei, then known as Taiwan. Look for Hugh pictured with the Olympic team — he’s in the second row, third from the right. 📸

“Playing in the Olympics was an important highlight of my career,” he said. “Football has always been part of our family.” ❤️

Hugh will be watching this year’s World Cup with interest, barracking for both his beloved homeland Ireland, England and his adoptive Australia. 🌍

To celebrate the Football World Cup 2026, ACH Group will host its own penalty shootout competition during the week, with prizes up for grabs for best individual performances as well as overall home results. 🥅 ... See MoreSee Less