Angry Fans
AFTER SOME REFLECTION, this Rebel has been looking for some optimism and positives from the All Ireland. It was a truly bad experience for all concerned and none more so than for the players. Despite some major errors, a better team, a team with arguably some better individual players, beat us. Kerry in an AllIreland Final in Croke Park are a totally different prospect to Kerry in a Munster Final in Cork or Killarney. For them the championship is a means to an end – peaking on the third Sunday of September. Kerry have raised the bar once again and Cork must aspire and push themselves even more, to reach that same height. Despite some rather lacklustre performances this year, some positives have to be taken. For example, the arrival of Cussen, the growing maturity of the likes of Shields, O’Leary, McMahon and O’ Connor (to name but a few), the prospects of Goulding, Goold and other under-21s coming through and of course the important experience of Canty, Lynch and Murphy.
Billy has done very well to bring them this far, and he deserves much praise for the recent progress but his body language would suggest that he may very well move on. A good Manager is vital to achieve that ultimate goal, but his job would be somewhat easier given a strong, committed and ambitious bunch of players.They are there, so let’s get a management team in place, sooner rather than later.
WHY WAS JAMES Masters selected when, in fairness to the him, he was not fully fit? A case of Nemo first and Cork second? Why was a winning team changed? How good is that for morale?
NIALL CAHALANE’S article in the Championship supplement was amusing to the say the least. While the article was correct in saying that it was ultimately the players’ responsibility for Cork’s defeat, the manner in which this was written was appalling. I doubt very much if Billy Morgan’s thoughts were not with his players and not with his ego as Mr Cahalane assumes at 5 o’clock after the game. Kerry have left the cat out of the bag by admitting they fear Cork. Most of their players after the game spoke about being driven by a need to ensure that the Rebels did not steal their crown and one has only to reflect on the fifteen wides in the first half to see that this anxiety is very real with in the Kerry mind. Kerry may well have a fine tradition, but the Rebel ambushes have blighted that history too, as Bertie Og Murphy's goal did in 1983 and by ending Kerry's march to a three-in-a-row in 1987. So ultimately, as another Cork Rebel once famously said: "It's not those who can inflict the most but those who can endure the most who will ultimately succeed." In simple terms, the crown may not always sit so well on the Kingdom, if its head is turned watching its rebellious neighbour.
Kerry, like Cork, have many “dual” players. However, the Kerrymen’s second sport is compatible with their first and the skills learned therein enhance their GAA skills. Many of the Cork players also play hurling but there are really no skills that transfer to football from hurling. The Kerrymen and their coach have a very deep background in basketball, a sport that has given them much better and faster hand and footwork than their Cork neighbours. The “Gooch”, Eoin Brosnan, Bryan Sheehan,Aidan O’Mahony and others all showed neat skills more closely associated with basketball than GAA. It might not do the Cork GAA authorities any harm to get their players some coaching from good basketball coaches like Kerry.This point was emphasized even further when the Ladies finals were played. Almost all of the Cork players have played top class basketball (or volleyball in a few cases) with a number having reached international level while underage. The quality of their ball handling and of their defending was helped by their other sport.
It’s great to see Cork football fans – while still angry at Billy and the ‘mega’ are not taking that All Ireland defeat lying down and are already plotting and planning ways to prevent a Kingdom three-in-a-row next year. I’m sure they’re hope Cork will inflict more than they will endure.
YOU MAY HAVE heard the radio report recently about the financial predicament the Westmeath County Board have found themselves in, being approximately " 600K in debt. It reminded me of the question often posed, "How do you eat an elephant?". The answer: "In little chunks". The Westmeath debt and indeed the financial difficulties that some other counties experience are not going to vanish without something being done about it, but it is bound to take some time.
These counties could significantly increase their finances each year would be if entry to the All Ireland Club Championship were decided in each county by a playoff between the winners of the League and the winners of the championship. It would only require one extra match per year and it would also raise the profile of the county league competition, which in some areas is not considered to be nearly as important as the championship.
Most counties could expect to have a sell-out game. If 5000 fans attended at " 15 average cost per ticket it could generate " 150K between football and hurling.This might reduce much of the debt. And think of what a replay would generate, should a draw be the outcome of the first match?!
Sounds like an attractive fixture, a kind of county ‘supreme champions’. But I can’t see it getting off the ground. The fixtures calendar is already fairly overloaded and people are complaining about player burnout. In addition, in some counties, the League competition is usually run earlier in the year and is not taken as seriously as the championship, so your proposed final could end up being very uncompetitive. Plus, if a county board’s costs are too high, there’s another solution. Cut the costs to a level they can live with.
Evanne Ní Chuilinn… After a shaky start, gets an AFR Award for her doggedly determined post match interviews on RTETV with Richie and Babs, plus her all round contribution to big match coverage.
Kilkenny … For winning their first ever football All Ireland title in Croke Park. OK, so it was Junior. And it was their women. Still, an All Ireland is an All Ireland and it might yet inspire their male footballers to greater effort.
Ken McGrath… Croke Park, 5th August, 51st minute of Waterford v Cork in the All Ireland quarter final. Running at speed in the same direction as the sliothar, facing his own goal, McGrath looks over his shoulder and catches the ball.
Camogie on MTV … Featuring on the UK channel MTV didn’t bring much luck to the Dublin camogie team and star players Eimear Brannigan and Anne McCluskey. But an AFR Award may be some consolation.
Seamus McEnaney… The Monaghan football manager for this … literally… heartfelt comment after his side’s narrow defeat by Kerry in the quarter final: ‘It felt like open heart surgery out there, without the anaesthetic’.
Dan Shanahan… Not just for that fantastic 8 – 12 he scored in the championship, but for his wise tattoo: ‘If you don’t know me, don’t judge me’.
Richie Bennis … Might have heeded Dan’s tattoo before taunting the Big Man about not scoring any goals against Limerick in the hurling semi final. Still, any man who can silence Babs Keating deserves an Award of some kind.
Dublin hurling… In the League, their seniors drew with Kilkenny, beat Limerick and Galway and their minors and under 21s had a good year in Leinster. A false dawn or a real revival. For hurling’s sake, let’s hope it’s the latter.
Darren Bradley …The Fermanagh dual player for finally exposing the nasty, sectarian underbelly that still lurks in parts of Dis Great Association of Ours.
Kerry footballers… Two-ina-row … three-in-a-row? Sure, why stop at only three?
Aussie Rules clubs … For increasingly poaching some of the best young prospects in Gaelic football at an age when they’re really not ready to make such a decision.
Semple Gate … Not so much for what the players got up to emerging from the tunnel as for the over reaction by ‘sictions of de meeja’ and the clumsy way the GAA top brass handled it.
The CCC, CHC, CAC and DRA …The alphabet soup of GAA discipline. It’s too complicated and it’s not working. Try this one. KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid!
The Government, the GPA and the Government … Guys, there’s ?5 million on the table for player welfare. Cut the waffle (as Bertie might say) and cut a deal instead.
Ger Locks … For his way Over The Top comments about the hard way Kilkenny play their hurling, with talk of ‘flicks on the wrist’ and such like.
Brian Cody … See 5 above. For reacting completely Over The Top to Ger Lock’s comments about the hard way Kilkenny play their hurling.
Babs …We might as well stick with Bainisteoirí. For his daft comments that you can’t talk to players these days because they’re too well educated.
Dubs football fans … Some of whose drunk and drug fuelled antics on big match day suggest a new name for GAA headquarters: Coke Park.
Liam Hayes and the ‘Limerick Leader’ …The Award for the most inapt and inept pre-match comments goes to the ‘Leader’ for their ‘WaterfordWill Wilt’ headline prior to the Munster final… and to the Meath pundit for writing off a great Kerry team.
Dubs …Again. This time it’s the team. For bringing taunting of defeated opponents to a new low in their Leinster final victory over Laois.
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