No rush for fresh legs as footballers grow old gracefully

STRANGE as it may sound but some footballers are criticised for ‘only being able to score’.

My favourite example of this took place in Friel’s Bar in Swatragh, Co Derry.

A club unaccustomed to success at senior level, Swatragh’s finest had just drawn with Dungiven in the quarter-final of the county championship.

Friel’s provided the venue for the main post-mortem following games and during the discussion one member of the local cognoscenti caused some quizzical glances when he said: “And Tohill was no good for us at all.” The Tohill in question was, Anthony, the four-time All Star, who had played at full-forward that day.

After an awkward silence, another customer finally mustered a riposte, saying: “To be fair to Anthony, of the 13 points we scored, he did kick 11 of them.” Tohill’s critic remained completely unruffled.

“Aye,” he scowled, “But apart from scoring 11 points, what else did he do?”

While the story reveals the savagery of GAA match analysis, it also reminds us that there is more to the game than scoring.

Of course, it is still extremely difficult to find fault with a prolific marksman who can ‘only score’ but there is something very special about the player who can execute the full gamut of skills.

A few days have passed since Benny Coulter delivered his exhibition in Ballybofey, and the memory of his exploits still leave a warm glow.

Rarely has one individual produced such a complete performance that included tackling, high catching, passing, and scoring. All the boxes were ticked.

Yet, this wasn’t simply a demonstration of proficiency in the basic skills.

There has always been something heroic about Benny Coulter’s style of play.

He carries a certain chutzpah onto the pitch which illuminates everything around him. His catches tend to be spectacular. His twists and turns have an explosive quality while his pile-drivers carry the velocity of gunfire.

And like all the greats, an electric current rips through the terraces every time he’s in possession of the ball. It makes little difference if the crowd is in Mayobridge or the MCG.

It has ever been thus for Coulter. He looked destined for stardom ever since we first saw him as the all-action midfielder in the Down minor team that won the All-Ireland title in 1999.

Recruited into the senior set-up the following season, it feels like he been with us for an eternity.

Unfortunately, when it comes to judging footballers, ageism runs rife in the GAA. A traditional association, our mindsets are fixed somewhere around the Great Famine. In those days the average lifespan of a man was about 40 years, so a 30-year-old was basically a pensioner.

We still use these terms of reference when assessing players. Make no mistake, despite Coulter’s extraordinary display on Sunday, once he turns 30 in only a couple of years’ time there will be supporters who will jump at the first chance they can get to question his fitness and form.

This age-old custom is becoming increasingly irritating as there is no shortage of evidence to prove that older players can compete at the highest level as long as they remain enthusiastic, committed, and ambitious.

Veterans have dictated the outcomes of the first three games in this year’s Ulster Championship.

The 20-year-old Jamie Clarke might have kicked the winning goal for Armagh against Derry but the most crucial phase of that game was when the Orchard County trailed by three points before half-time. It was at this juncture that the 30-year-old Stevie McDonnell converted two free-kicks and landed another point from play. And let’s not forget that it was McDonnell who supplied the long ball for Clarke’s goal.

Tyrone’s two goalscorers in Casement Park have been around the senior scene for almost a decade.

The experience of watching most of the 2008 Championship from the bench informed Kevin Hughes that playing careers are extremely short and nothing should be taken for granted.

Nowadays, 30-year-old Hughes uses high-tech equipment which replicates the effect of training at altitude. His younger rivals from Antrim were left trailing in his wake as he powered through midfield to score Tyrone’s first goal. It’s also worth remembering that Hughes is the reigning Ulster Footballer of the Year.

Tyrone is a county teeming with emerging young players who have Hogan Cup and All-Ireland minor medals, yet none of them are ready to display the craft and composure which Owen Mulligan (a sprightly 28) showed when he sold that glorious dummy before bagging Tyrone’s second goal.

When Benny Coulter kicked the winning goal against Donegal he maintained the trend whereby Ulster’s old guard are still the men who can be relied upon when it really matters.

The all-conquering José Mourinho also believes that successful teams need players who combine class, experience, and energy.

Explaining why he would like to bring Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to Real Madrid, Mourinho said: “I like players at the end of their careers. I love to have some players who are 33 or 34-years-old.

“They are players who you buy and you do not recover the money but if they give you good performances for two or three years, you’ve got your money’s worth. Both [Gerrard and Lampard] are great players who always give everything.”

And let’s face it, Mourinho knows a thing or two about management. Of course, with statements like that, he would never be allowed into a bainisteoir’s bib.

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