The Connacht Sentinel

David Forde was due in Galway this Saturday to stand as best man for his friend Mixie Harty's wedding to Stephanie Curran, but he had to step down from speech duties as he has an engagement of a different kind - he will be lining up for Millwall in their Coca-Cola Division One Play-Off Final against Scunthorpe United at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Newcastle native Forde will make history when he becomes the first player from Galway - and Connacht - to play a competitive game at the famous ground, and he told Sentinel Sport that, despite a long season in which he has played every single minute of Millwall's 65 league and cup games, he is putting tiredness aside for one more game.
"I'm absolutely wrecked to be honest, and I'm looking forward to a break, but Sunday will be a huge game.
They beat us twice in the league and will be favourites, but Leeds were favourites last week, and we owe Scunthorpe one on Sunday," Forde said.
Scunthorpe beat Millwall home and away in the league this season.
He played a starring role in the second leg of their Play-Off semi-final against Leeds United at Elland Road last Thursday, saving a 49th-minute penalty from Jermaine Beckford as the game finished 1-1 to see Millwall advance 2-1 on aggregate.
Forde has had spells on the books of West Ham United, Cardiff City, Bournemouth, Barry Town, Luton Town and Barnet, as well as Derry City and Galway United, playing three seasons with the Tribesmen under then manager Don O'Riordan.
He is the second Galway goalkeeper to play for Millwall - Adrian Cronin, the current Galway United goalkeeping coach, joined the club in 1993 and spent a season and a half with them when Mick McCarthy was manager at the club.
As for Sunday, Forde says it will probably be the biggest game of his career.
"I had to ring Mixie coming out of Elland Road and that was tough, but he and Stephanie were great about it. Mixie is a football man as well and they were both delighted for me, and hopefully I can do my bit on Sunday and we can win promotion," Forde said.
There will be plenty of Irish interest in Sunday's game - Dubliner Alan Dunne is a team-mate of Forde, while Scunthorpe's captain Cliff Byrne, and goalkeeper Joe Murphy, are also from Dublin.