Paddy Kelly: Lack of support for the Cork football team can affect the players

20 March 2022; Stephen Sherlock of Cork kicks a free in front of an empty stand during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Cork and Down at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Cork legend Paddy Kelly says the lack of support for the Cork football team can affect the players.

Speaking on the Irish Examiner’s Gaelic Football podcast, Kelly said that even when Cork football was at its height after the 2010 All-Ireland win over Down, they struggled to get a crowd.

“I recall back to 2011 just after winning an All-Ireland and our first home league game was against Monaghan and the crowd was pitiful.

“And while you put it down as a player, you play it down and you say it doesn’t have a huge impact, just the energy that a crowd gives you, that bit of a buzz and that cheering of scores and stuff.

“I was at the Down game last week and it was so quiet. You could hear every call, every instruction from the ‘keeper. There is a small band of followers who always go to Cork games and it has gotten a lot smaller. It’s family and a handful of others, I think. It’s far less than the players deserve.” 

Kelly was also critical of the Cork County Board for scheduling club league games on the same afternoon as the Cork senior team were playing at home against Down the weekend before last.

“We played Down at home at 1 o’clock and there was three or four league games played around the city at 12 o’clock and clashing with the football. I just feel as a county, if you’re playing at home at all, you should have your club league games well clear of that fixture. We need all the support we can get.” 

Kelly also spoke about his admiration for the promotion of the Limerick footballers to Division 2 for next season. He described the Limerick team that Cork beat in 2019 in Pairc Ui Rinn as one of the worst intercounty teams he has seen in the flesh.

“In 2019 we hammered Limerick in Pairc Ui Rinn and to see the change that has come. Billy Lee to be fair to him stuck it out. And the tide has turned massively. To gain promotion up to Division 3 and then consolidate and push on again is brilliant.

“It’s difficult in a predominantly hurling county, you’re really living off scraps in terms of development squads. If anybody has half a chance of doing both they’ll pick the hurling. It’s great to see it because in Munster we could do with one or two more teams pushing towards Division 1 to make it that bit more competitive.”