Reluctant hero Culloty prepares Kerry for battle with Tribesmen

JOHNNY CULLOTY isn’t the type of man who would be nostalgic about the past. Though he has every right to be, given his record of proud service to Kerry football as a goalkeeper supreme, turned corner-forward, and as a hurler of note.

But after his years of following teams to Croke Park, the selector will be back there on Sunday for the first time in 35 years in an official capacity.

The last was the 1970 All-Ireland final against Meath and nine months later he retired following the Munster final defeat by Cork.

In more recent times, he managed Kerry for two years, prior to the arrival of Mick O'Dwyer.

And, he was an U21 selector with Páidí Ó Sé for two years working with Jack O'Connor for the first time.

He renewed his acquaintance with O'Connor when the South Kerry man took over the U21s.

It explains how Culloty (reluctantly, it could be said) came to be involved with the new Kerry management, which has successfully guided the team to the Allianz NFL final against Galway on Sunday.

"I wasn't in any great rush for it, I'd have to say,'' he said, joking: "I won't say I was hard to get, but we're not getting any younger. I'd be satisfied going up to watch the training, sit down and relax."

He recalls the team's opening League game against Longford, when they were caught by a late goal.

"They played well enough.

"All the League games were very competitive. When I was playing you'd be relaxed, but now every team seems keyed up to do well.''

Kerry have certainly done well to make the final, but Culloty says it's largely down to the players' efforts and their battling qualities.

"We were down against Dublin, Tyrone and Limerick but they battled. It's the one thing you can't fault them for.

"The lads are proving their worth.''

He regrets that Declan O'Keeffe opted out after failing to recover from a knee injury.

"He is a big loss because we would then have had two great goalies. But Diarmuid Murphy is doing outstandingly well.''

Ironically he feels that the absence of the Gaeltacht contingent for much of the competition proved a blessing in disguise.

"We were working off a panel of 26 or 27, without the Gaeltacht lads, and all of them played during the League at different stages.

"These lads might never have the opportunity otherwise.

"The players have all done well. We are not a bit slow in putting any of them in. We feel any of them could do a job on the day.''

Culloty is pleased the final is being played in Croke Park, insisting that no other venue should be considered.

"We have two major competitions, the League and championship. Are you going to keep the ground for Leinster championship games or what? National finals should be played there."

He respects Galway as one of the teams at the forefront in recent years, commenting: "If you tip any teams for the All-Ireland, you would have them in the top four all the time.

"We played them early in the year in a challenge, the only one we had against an inter-county team. They were too good for us."

However, he warned: "I wouldn't read too much into that result!"