Angry Fans
If it’s not the standard of refereeing, it’s the attempted ban on pitch invasions that’s agitating fans. One Kilkenny Cat is fuming about comments made here last week about the All Ireland champions.
Fans everywhere welcome Clare’s first-time-ever triumph in Sunday’s All Ireland Under 21 hurling final, but some Clare fans question if their famed Bainisteoir, Mike McNamara, is the best man to nurture this new talent to senior success.
The cost of getting into games is a continuing source of irritation since the recession began, except now it has spread from Croke Park to Cork club games! And, having paid your good money to get in, wouldn’t you be angry too if someone beside you puffed away on cigarettes throughout the game?
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IT WAS GREAT to watch the Under 21 All Ireland hurling final on Sunday and to see two superb teams give their all in pursuit of an All Ireland title for their county. These players were not interested in the GAA’s pending recognition of the GPA, government grants to players or in what they could gain financially from the game. They were all proud to wear the county jersey and all that mattered in the end was that they had played their hearts out in their endeavours to win an All Ireland medal. Thank goodness the ‘powers that be’ were not successful last year in their efforts to abolish the Under 21 grade. We all saw what it meant to Clare when the final whistle sounded. It is wonderful to see Clare, who were ably led by those six great warriors from county champions Collar, return to the All Ireland winners enclosure for the first time in twelve years by winning their first ever Under 21 title. Well done to two fine sporting teams.
The hunger is in the Banner again. The ‘shout’ will reverberate across Munster and the rest of Ireland again soon. I presume that some the ‘offeeeshals’ who wanted to abolish the Under 21 grade were at the game and hung their heads in shame afterwards. It is the logical stepping stone from minor to adult and we would lose a whole generation of hurlers and footballers if it were abolished.
