Principles require total commitment to county cause
It was only Bradley’s second game for the county. He was 21.
And it was a horrific injury. Rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, there were complications during the operation. The surgeon was forced to open Bradley’s calf muscles on both sides. Pressure had to be released, otherwise he might have lost his leg. A plasterer by trade, he was out of work for nearly nine months.
Yet, the following year, I was in the Marshes in Newry where I watched Bradley scoring one of the best goals I have ever seen. It was a qualifier match against Down. Picking up a crossfield pass from Fergal Doherty, Bradley gathered possession deep inside his own half of the pitch. From there, he started off on a mesmerising solo-run. After running half the length of the pitch and blasting past four defenders, the man they call ‘Skinner’ thumped an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net. It was Roy of the Rovers stuff.
Eoin Bradley has always been capable of providing a magical moment. Blessed with searing pace and the upper body strength of a tradesman, he has all the physical attributes. But it’s Bradley’s attitude which sets him apart.
The Glenullin man has always played with a free spirit. Whereas his brother Paddy was clever and methodical, with Eoin, there was never any script. No game plan. It was always off the cuff.
In his younger days, he was utterly unpredictable. He would attempt anything — and I mean anything.
Yet, if all the stars were aligned in his favour, Skinner was unstoppable. Good defenders would be left with their mouths gaping, as shots would go over the bar from every angle.
But on a bad day, Bradley could age the most temperate supporter by 10 years. He would think nothing of kicking four wides on the trot, and each shot would be from an even more ridiculous angle than the previous one.
As team-mates and supporters would pull their hair out in frustration, Eoin would seem blithely unaware. Then he would do something extraordinary — and all would be forgiven.
Contrary to popular perception, Bradley’s talent isn’t all God-given. His deep-seated love for playing the game is matched with a fantastic commitment to training.
A friend of mine who once trained the Glenullin senior team revealed that as a rule, Skinner would be on the pitch 15 to 20 minutes before the start of every session.
At the end, he would stay on the field to practise his shooting. Local children who wanted to impress him would always be indulged. When all his team-mates had showered and changed, Bradley would still be out on the pitch, laughing and carrying on as he demonstrated to a youngster how to score a point from the sideline.
More recently, it is the supporters of Coleraine FC who have been enjoying the delights of the ‘Eoin Bradley Experience’. Released from the stresses and strains of county football, Bradley has relished the opportunity of a new challenge in the Irish League.
Issued an ultimatum by Derry manager Brian McIver to choose between soccer or Gaelic football, the 30-year-old has opted for the former.
Having played with Derry for 10 years, Bradley owes the county nothing. His decision is entirely understandable. As a plasterer and father of one, Bradley is a signed up member of the humble working class.
With Coleraine, he could earn anything from £400 to £800 a month. Some people might sneer at the financial dimension to Bradley’s decision. But in working class families, that type of cash makes a huge difference.
So Eoin Bradley is perfectly entitled to play for Coleraine.
But here’s the rub.
Regarding the debate on whether he should have been accommodated for the National League or invited to return for the Championship, Brian McIver is also quite within his rights to leave him out of the Derry squad.
Those who contend that Gaelic football is an amateur sport and that Bradley wouldn’t be penalised if he was playing hurling are missing the point. And those who argue that the GAA has become too extreme and the “enjoyment” has gone out of the game are equally off target.
Gaelic football was never about fun and it never will be. It’s not about fun. It’s about fulfilment.
And the path to fulfilment requires a group of men to subscribe themselves to a common goal. Commitment must be absolute. Everyone must immerse themselves in a regime which subsumes every aspect of their lives.
After that, you take what comes.
Ultimately, it’s not about winning or losing. If that were the case, most players would quit because the vast majority of teams don’t win anything. The harsh reality is that most seasons end in defeat. The satisfaction comes from knowing that you gave it your best shot.
When 30 men return to a changing room and they can look each other in the eye because they know they gave it everything, then a triumph of sorts has been achieved.
It also so happens that the teams who live and die by these principles also tend be the most successful.
Consider the following names: Brian Cody, Jim Gavin, Jim McGuinness and Mickey Harte.
Would Brian Cody allow Henry Shefflin to spend the spring playing soccer? The very notion seems absurd.
The argument that the managers of stronger counties can make bigger demands is totally misguided. Teams are successful because they make big demands. The principle comes first. The prize follows.
But the point, which needs to be stressed repeatedly, is that it’s not about winning. It’s about the way you try to win. When done correctly, there is a shared work ethic and a common goal. There can be no exceptions.
Once one player decides to stop doing the same thing as everyone else, they must accept that they are no longer part of the fold.
Exclusion shouldn’t be considered punishment. Rather, it’s just inevitable. Because principles must come first. Deep down inside, Eoin Bradley will know that too.
