Paul Rouse: There’s people on the pitch and they think it’s not over

TWENTY FIVE YEARS: Offaly supporters protest on the pitch after referee Jimmy Cooney blows the final whistle early at Guinness All-Ireland SHC Semi-Final Replay match between Clare and Offaly at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Next Sunday, before 3pm, the Offaly senior hurling team that won the 1998 All-Ireland Final will be introduced to the crowd in Croke Park. It is a moment to celebrate a magnificent team of hurlers who played the game with genius. They were just different.

It means, also, of course, that this summer, it is 25 years since the most famous pitch invasion in the history of the GAA. The All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final between Offaly and Clare was mistakenly blown up five minutes early by the referee, Jimmy Cooney. At the time when the final whistle was blown Clare were leading by 1–16 to 2–10.