It’s December 29th and its pissing rain outside. Last night I was in Bandon where the rain was accompanied by driving wind. We were playing a 1st against 2nd hockey match and all day I couldn’t decide whether I’d rather it be cancelled or not. It wasn’t. We played, we showered and we went home, happy that the roads allowed a safe passage. Today I’m driving in the gates of the G.A.A. pitch in Kinsale, looking through the rain at the drenched pitch and wondering what the hell I’m doing here.
I don’t need to be here I’m thinking. No-one will miss me if I do a u-turn and go straight back out the gate. Staying is an unnecessary act of madness. I’ve Bolster with me though and after we had both purchased a pair of those leggings (otherwise known as tights) this morning, it was the perfect opportunity to give them a run-out.
It’s strange to feel like an outsider in a dressing room that was once a place frequented as often as your own living room. It is predominantly filled with U-21’s, none of whom I would have played any ball with before. I look over at ‘my’ seat and see there are a couple of lads occupying the area. Cheeky bastards. Unperturbed, I saunter over and one way or another encourage them to free up my space. Bolster and Searlzy probably sense my unease in the opposite corner and crack as many jokes as possible in the short time we are there. It’s bitter outside and we need some cajoling.
The session was to last 1h15mins and we were promised it wouldn’t be too bad. With the main field out of action, we are forced onto Seanie O’Callaghan Memorial Park. It’s basically a converted farmer’s field, with a generous slope. It makes Parc50 look like Croke Park.
The session was lively and played out with good intensity. Condon is running the show which gives the younger lads a clear advantage (he trained them for the last two years) as they catch onto the drills much quicker than the rest. You’d be tired after every drill but recovered in time for the next. In one of the warm-up drills you had to call a fella’s name. The realisation of my profile was emphasised when Brian Murphy told me to tell lad’s my name. We’re all only passing through.
There was 30+ there and the buzz was good. We had the odd blow-up which is rarely a bad thing. There’s been a lot of change in the camp this year and I hope they do well. Still, It was obvious even today that a few lads need to apply themselves better and there is still the usual lads missing in action. The relationship with the Hurlers has started off well and this harmony is necessary, especially with so many dual players.
I don’t know do I miss it or not. I’ve picked up so many injuries in the last few years that I’m not sure could I maintain the pace for the entire season. It was enjoyable though and feeling that bit of pain in the harder runs makes it worthwhile.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Willie Uprising
December 4th in Madrid hailed a momentous day in Belgium G.A.A.'s history as Tipp man Willie Cashin was elected Chairman of the European County Board. It is the first time a member of our club has held this position and the achievment deserved the welcome home party it was given in de Valera's the following night.
Willie has been a committed player, referee and Board man since his arrival on the continent in 2004. The club are very proud to have one of its own in the position and no doubt Willie will give it everything during his reign.
He will be joined by some of his own as the Kevin Keary/Olof Gill led campaign landed positions for Becky as Camogie Officer, Kevin himself as Club Development Officer and my good self as Coaching Officer.
I'm told the vote between myself and Denis Reidy was as close as it gets and that it was a rousing speech from Olof Gill that sealed it. Olof probably wished that all the wonderful things he said about me would never be repeated but alas, with Kevin Keary on the megaphone that was unlikely to ever happen.
Now I must deal with the painful title of 'committee man' even though my position by its nature should be one of the furthest from any committee table! From the many emails in circulation from the incoming committee, it is clear that there is plenty of energy and new ideas floating around so hopefully 2010 can be another great year for European G.A.A.
Willie has been a committed player, referee and Board man since his arrival on the continent in 2004. The club are very proud to have one of its own in the position and no doubt Willie will give it everything during his reign.
He will be joined by some of his own as the Kevin Keary/Olof Gill led campaign landed positions for Becky as Camogie Officer, Kevin himself as Club Development Officer and my good self as Coaching Officer.
I'm told the vote between myself and Denis Reidy was as close as it gets and that it was a rousing speech from Olof Gill that sealed it. Olof probably wished that all the wonderful things he said about me would never be repeated but alas, with Kevin Keary on the megaphone that was unlikely to ever happen.
Now I must deal with the painful title of 'committee man' even though my position by its nature should be one of the furthest from any committee table! From the many emails in circulation from the incoming committee, it is clear that there is plenty of energy and new ideas floating around so hopefully 2010 can be another great year for European G.A.A.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
5-a-side
After ten months of 3 or 4 nights a week playing hurling and football, I was struggling to get motivated to head out to FCI training in Nossegem. Sometimes, it’s nice just to kick back and do something different. Not to different of course. For now it means 5-a-side and a bit of hockey but I’ll have to get out to soccer after Christmas to keep my place.
We (Belgium G.A.A. lads) play 5-a-side every Wednesday in the BSB at 9. Its good craic, not too intense and you work up a good sweat. I don’t know is it the fact it’s indoor or what, but it never gets too heated. I probably annoy fellas with the constant chat and goading but I’ve yet to find opposition willing to give it back, although David Collins does it in his quiet way but we could get more into it.
The last couple of times I’ve been home myself and Bolster arranged 5-a-side games up in Bishopstown. Selection criteria are pretty strict. I insist on keeping it old school (the Kinsale lads I’d have played with. I also like to use it to keep in touch with some of the ex-Belgie lads like Eoghan Kelly and Wolfey. Kelly has become a regular and is now a firm fixture on our list. By coincidence he works with Shane.
I picked the teams a couple of weeks ago and we ran riot. I genuinely didn’t weigh them in my favour but accusations flew so I had to stand down last weekend. I previously opposed the young fellas inclusion, probably purely because I’m not in on that banter. They got the call this time though and we dragged them up from U-21 training.
Myself and Bolster were separated which was always going to lead to trouble. Now, Bolster would be one of my best buddies but that just means the importance of getting one over each other is greater. We both harass each other for the hour and on this occasion they were keeping just ahead of us. We were chasing it late on and I was reaching my boiling point with him and all his sh1te so I went for the ball with a little more gusto than previously. Cue a mild wrestling match and angry words. No great effort was made by anyone to quell the brewing storm. Next ball I get Bolster charges in with a shoulder to the head. I was not happy. I could smell blood though, Bolster had lost the head. We came back and won. The journey home was as pleasurable a one as I’ve had.
Those games are always the most competitive. It’s like the bitterness from backs and forwards just carries through and fellas are up for it. It rarely boils over though and myself and Bolster had buried the hatchet a few minutes later. although why Mick Sull’s arm was covered in blood when he took his top off remains a mystery. I think in the pick-up Basketball world, they call it ‘Jungle Ball’.
Monday night I joined Cathal Fitz and as they were short I brought along Wolfey. Turned out Wolfey was in school with half of the lads there. It must have been below zero and no-one spoke for the first twenty minutes because we were so cold. It was all GAA heads but the game was more like the ones we have in the BSB, more tentative on account of the lack of depth of history to the relations. Maybe more enjoyable though as you are less likely to be kicked from behind, be scratched, have your jersey torn of ya or have your character and ability dissected viciously.
5-a-side is definitely a very sociable way to have a sporting evening but it’s still a poor substitute for proper training. Somes fellas make it their outlet too early and whilst I enjoy it, I’ll get back to serious business in January. There will be a few Christmas battles up in Bishopstown between now and then though.
We (Belgium G.A.A. lads) play 5-a-side every Wednesday in the BSB at 9. Its good craic, not too intense and you work up a good sweat. I don’t know is it the fact it’s indoor or what, but it never gets too heated. I probably annoy fellas with the constant chat and goading but I’ve yet to find opposition willing to give it back, although David Collins does it in his quiet way but we could get more into it.
The last couple of times I’ve been home myself and Bolster arranged 5-a-side games up in Bishopstown. Selection criteria are pretty strict. I insist on keeping it old school (the Kinsale lads I’d have played with. I also like to use it to keep in touch with some of the ex-Belgie lads like Eoghan Kelly and Wolfey. Kelly has become a regular and is now a firm fixture on our list. By coincidence he works with Shane.
I picked the teams a couple of weeks ago and we ran riot. I genuinely didn’t weigh them in my favour but accusations flew so I had to stand down last weekend. I previously opposed the young fellas inclusion, probably purely because I’m not in on that banter. They got the call this time though and we dragged them up from U-21 training.
Myself and Bolster were separated which was always going to lead to trouble. Now, Bolster would be one of my best buddies but that just means the importance of getting one over each other is greater. We both harass each other for the hour and on this occasion they were keeping just ahead of us. We were chasing it late on and I was reaching my boiling point with him and all his sh1te so I went for the ball with a little more gusto than previously. Cue a mild wrestling match and angry words. No great effort was made by anyone to quell the brewing storm. Next ball I get Bolster charges in with a shoulder to the head. I was not happy. I could smell blood though, Bolster had lost the head. We came back and won. The journey home was as pleasurable a one as I’ve had.
Those games are always the most competitive. It’s like the bitterness from backs and forwards just carries through and fellas are up for it. It rarely boils over though and myself and Bolster had buried the hatchet a few minutes later. although why Mick Sull’s arm was covered in blood when he took his top off remains a mystery. I think in the pick-up Basketball world, they call it ‘Jungle Ball’.
Monday night I joined Cathal Fitz and as they were short I brought along Wolfey. Turned out Wolfey was in school with half of the lads there. It must have been below zero and no-one spoke for the first twenty minutes because we were so cold. It was all GAA heads but the game was more like the ones we have in the BSB, more tentative on account of the lack of depth of history to the relations. Maybe more enjoyable though as you are less likely to be kicked from behind, be scratched, have your jersey torn of ya or have your character and ability dissected viciously.
5-a-side is definitely a very sociable way to have a sporting evening but it’s still a poor substitute for proper training. Somes fellas make it their outlet too early and whilst I enjoy it, I’ll get back to serious business in January. There will be a few Christmas battles up in Bishopstown between now and then though.
Cross Fertilisation
Ross Grainger’s blog (http://rossgrainger.blogspot.com) was one of the things that got me thinking about writing this blog. His is more insightful and covers a wider range of topics. Every week though, he writes a witty report about the FCI match that week, hence the link to me thinking about it. In one of his early entries, he describes his first trip out to FC Irlande, which you can read below;
FC Irlande’s home pitch is just on the outskirts of Brussels, a nightmare to get to with public transport. If Belgium splits I’ll end up living in one country and playing football in another – Flanders. I showed up for my first training session knackered and out of breath, having run fifteen minutes up-hill from the Viaduct bus station.
When I got there I found about 40 lads running furiously and being yelled out by a short bloke with a heavy Irish accent. It was classic training ground berating, “Lift ure knees, cam aaan, put it drew to da end!” I sauntered over and introduced myself.
“Are you the gaffa?”
“Nah I’m the trainer. Are you a new fella?”
“Yeah, I’m a mate of Andy’s. He plays for the thirds.”
“Da turds, eh? All right, join in there yeah. No worries,” he said. He looked at the England shirt I was wearing. “Ya know dis is FC Irlande not FC England don’tcha?” I laughed.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“Ah we’ll letcha in anyway. Ya better be good.”
That was my first meeting with Dave, our trainer. He’s a Gaelic football player from Cork who gets a small fee for running us into the ground on Monday and Wednesday nights. I took a shine to him straight away and went to join in the punishment. This was September.
I still laugh when I read this. First thing to clear up is that the job did not have an accompanying fee, in case someone gets the wrong idea. Second point is that Ross turned out to be one of those missing pieces of the jigsaw that propelled the Firsts to Division 1 of ABSSA for the first time. He scores goals and has a discipline and drive which I was trying to instil in lads. I have a vague recollection of him telling me one night that he spent a week on trial at Middlesbrough. He could have felt my welcome to be unwarm, fortunately he didn’t.
Anyway, introduction out of the way (main reason for it was to reciprocate the honour of having my blog posted as a link on his!), as my two year tenure went on I tried to involve him more in training, taking the warm ups and the like, in the hope I’d pick up a few things off him. He knew his football and is a positive upbeat character to have around.
Now he trains the team and he would always have been my choice when I departed. I’d brought them to a certain point in terms of physical training and discipline but the time was right to drive on with the football side of things.
We still discuss training and the like. I shared a drill with him down in de Valera’s a few weeks ago. I haven’t used it for GAA yet but Ross tried it out at soccer last week. He reported back on how it went, pointing out the pitfalls and improvement points. This is cross fertilisation, as they call it now in relation to taking drills from one sport and applying in another. It’s good to exchange ideas and learn from other games. The area I’d like to improve a lot next year is warm-ups. They become boring and repetitive but are very important because they can set the tone for the session. Ross is strong in this area.
I just finished Billy Morgans book and it’s (cross fertilisation) a practice he has applied since his days in Strawberry Hill in the 70’s or 80’s. GAA wouldn’t be on the course spec of their PE course. Still, Billy said he took a load of stuff from it and incorporated it into his sessions in Nemo and with Cork.
I’m a big believer in it and took a lot of hockey drills, adjusted them and used them for G.A.A. As hard as it may be for some to believe, I learned a lot from a Rugby man called Trevor Collins who I got down to train Kinsale in the winter of 2003. He was very good on running technique, speed work and handling.
My parents threw me into every sport along the way; tennis, hockey, G.A.A., soccer, rugby, cricket and basketball. You can’t soak up enough from the different experiences. I took something from all of them.
I look forward to the trips out to Nossegem in January to get new ideas and discuss different methods with Mr. Grainger. Along the way, I’ll do my best to tap into the ideas of others too. It’s definitely the way forward.
FC Irlande’s home pitch is just on the outskirts of Brussels, a nightmare to get to with public transport. If Belgium splits I’ll end up living in one country and playing football in another – Flanders. I showed up for my first training session knackered and out of breath, having run fifteen minutes up-hill from the Viaduct bus station.
When I got there I found about 40 lads running furiously and being yelled out by a short bloke with a heavy Irish accent. It was classic training ground berating, “Lift ure knees, cam aaan, put it drew to da end!” I sauntered over and introduced myself.
“Are you the gaffa?”
“Nah I’m the trainer. Are you a new fella?”
“Yeah, I’m a mate of Andy’s. He plays for the thirds.”
“Da turds, eh? All right, join in there yeah. No worries,” he said. He looked at the England shirt I was wearing. “Ya know dis is FC Irlande not FC England don’tcha?” I laughed.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“Ah we’ll letcha in anyway. Ya better be good.”
That was my first meeting with Dave, our trainer. He’s a Gaelic football player from Cork who gets a small fee for running us into the ground on Monday and Wednesday nights. I took a shine to him straight away and went to join in the punishment. This was September.
I still laugh when I read this. First thing to clear up is that the job did not have an accompanying fee, in case someone gets the wrong idea. Second point is that Ross turned out to be one of those missing pieces of the jigsaw that propelled the Firsts to Division 1 of ABSSA for the first time. He scores goals and has a discipline and drive which I was trying to instil in lads. I have a vague recollection of him telling me one night that he spent a week on trial at Middlesbrough. He could have felt my welcome to be unwarm, fortunately he didn’t.
Anyway, introduction out of the way (main reason for it was to reciprocate the honour of having my blog posted as a link on his!), as my two year tenure went on I tried to involve him more in training, taking the warm ups and the like, in the hope I’d pick up a few things off him. He knew his football and is a positive upbeat character to have around.
Now he trains the team and he would always have been my choice when I departed. I’d brought them to a certain point in terms of physical training and discipline but the time was right to drive on with the football side of things.
We still discuss training and the like. I shared a drill with him down in de Valera’s a few weeks ago. I haven’t used it for GAA yet but Ross tried it out at soccer last week. He reported back on how it went, pointing out the pitfalls and improvement points. This is cross fertilisation, as they call it now in relation to taking drills from one sport and applying in another. It’s good to exchange ideas and learn from other games. The area I’d like to improve a lot next year is warm-ups. They become boring and repetitive but are very important because they can set the tone for the session. Ross is strong in this area.
I just finished Billy Morgans book and it’s (cross fertilisation) a practice he has applied since his days in Strawberry Hill in the 70’s or 80’s. GAA wouldn’t be on the course spec of their PE course. Still, Billy said he took a load of stuff from it and incorporated it into his sessions in Nemo and with Cork.
I’m a big believer in it and took a lot of hockey drills, adjusted them and used them for G.A.A. As hard as it may be for some to believe, I learned a lot from a Rugby man called Trevor Collins who I got down to train Kinsale in the winter of 2003. He was very good on running technique, speed work and handling.
My parents threw me into every sport along the way; tennis, hockey, G.A.A., soccer, rugby, cricket and basketball. You can’t soak up enough from the different experiences. I took something from all of them.
I look forward to the trips out to Nossegem in January to get new ideas and discuss different methods with Mr. Grainger. Along the way, I’ll do my best to tap into the ideas of others too. It’s definitely the way forward.
Retracing Your Steps
I mentioned earlier in the year that you don’t need a GPS in Ireland. Our signposts actually work quite well. Drive anywhere in the country and you will pass through towns and pass by signs that evoke thoughts of great G.A.A. strongholds and their famous warriors. I’m too young to be nostalgic but a trip down to see my Aunt in Durrus on Tuesday last dug up many memories of football and hurling matches over the years. We seemed more often to go west than any other direction and there was a fair share of big days down in that part of the country.
We passed through Innishannon first, probably one of the best venues around to play a match. To get from the dressing rooms to the pitch you had to run down the bank through the crowd. It was the scene of my first adult Championship game when a fantastic goal from substitute Barry Gray ensured Courceys season came to an end and we marched on to the South-East final.
We followed the Bandon River into the town it was named after. The wet mucky December day in 2001 when we went head to head with that mighty Ilen Rovers team seems a distant memory. Our hope of causing a major upset was on course at half-time but fell away after the break.
The following year I’d take my Senior bow there against Carbery, marking a whippet from Barryroe called Harrington. We had a good battle and it opened my eyes to the pace and physicality of Senior Football.
The twin cities of Ballineen and Eniskeane host the St. Marys club in their marvellous G.A.A. grounds. More challenge games against Carbery and Beara took place down there. I marked Alan O’Regan in the Beara game and I couldn’t combat the huge height difference. He took me for two goals. A humbling experience.
You pass by Ballinacarriga next. We played Randal Og there a week before the Hurling Championship in 2001. Dad was training the team and he was experimenting with the idea of starting Blondie in goal and me in the forwards and then switching us depending on how the game was going. Blondie was priceless. Before a game a few years ago, he gave one of the lads two phones and two different sets of instructions of what to say depending on which phone rang!
You hit Dunmanway next. Dohenys country is a footballing stronghold. They took us to the cleaners in Drimoleague in the U-21 County in 2000. There was a lad Stevie Collins in the opposite corner to me and he ran riot early on. Ricky was in America and William Cummins was training in the Curragh. He was released but only made it down for half-time. The obituary was written at that stage. I’d have my own battle with Collins two years later when Carrigdhoun played Dohenys in the SFC down the road in Clon. He was the fastest and trickiest fella I ever had to deal with but i kept with him, just.
You see the signs for Skibbereen and it reminds me of a great trip we had down there to play a West Cork league game. Dad had organised a bus and off we went. As we travelled down on Tuesday we couldn’t quite recall the result. I think we snuck it by a point. We stopped in Rosscarbery on the way back and it was the start of an almighty session that continued long into the night when we returned to Kinsale that night.
Drimoleague comes next and I already mentioned the U-21 fiasco. In 2001 we played a County Semi-Final against Adrigole down there. I marked John Loch and he proved a handful. He tragically died a couple of years later. Two pieces of play defined that day. The first was Ricky’s marshalling of Brendan Jer to the point the latter saw red late in the game. The second was one of the best goals we ever scored and came from a marauding run from Kenny. That was a big win for us.
The final venue of note was the home pitch of Caheragh. When we passed it we couldn’t place it. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. I’m still not sure what village it is affiliated too. We played a challenge game down there one night and I remember Corcoran being carted off to hospital. I pulled my hammer the same evening. The work they’ve done with their grounds since is amazing and they now have very impressive floodlights. It shows what a bit of ambition and drive can do.
I’m sure in years to come; I’ll be heading off on my holidays somewhere and be looking up at the departures screen. I’ll be telling my kids of those epic G.A.A. days in Maastricht, Luxembourg, Zurich, Dubai and other far flung places. Nothing like it.
We passed through Innishannon first, probably one of the best venues around to play a match. To get from the dressing rooms to the pitch you had to run down the bank through the crowd. It was the scene of my first adult Championship game when a fantastic goal from substitute Barry Gray ensured Courceys season came to an end and we marched on to the South-East final.
We followed the Bandon River into the town it was named after. The wet mucky December day in 2001 when we went head to head with that mighty Ilen Rovers team seems a distant memory. Our hope of causing a major upset was on course at half-time but fell away after the break.
The following year I’d take my Senior bow there against Carbery, marking a whippet from Barryroe called Harrington. We had a good battle and it opened my eyes to the pace and physicality of Senior Football.
The twin cities of Ballineen and Eniskeane host the St. Marys club in their marvellous G.A.A. grounds. More challenge games against Carbery and Beara took place down there. I marked Alan O’Regan in the Beara game and I couldn’t combat the huge height difference. He took me for two goals. A humbling experience.
You pass by Ballinacarriga next. We played Randal Og there a week before the Hurling Championship in 2001. Dad was training the team and he was experimenting with the idea of starting Blondie in goal and me in the forwards and then switching us depending on how the game was going. Blondie was priceless. Before a game a few years ago, he gave one of the lads two phones and two different sets of instructions of what to say depending on which phone rang!
You hit Dunmanway next. Dohenys country is a footballing stronghold. They took us to the cleaners in Drimoleague in the U-21 County in 2000. There was a lad Stevie Collins in the opposite corner to me and he ran riot early on. Ricky was in America and William Cummins was training in the Curragh. He was released but only made it down for half-time. The obituary was written at that stage. I’d have my own battle with Collins two years later when Carrigdhoun played Dohenys in the SFC down the road in Clon. He was the fastest and trickiest fella I ever had to deal with but i kept with him, just.
You see the signs for Skibbereen and it reminds me of a great trip we had down there to play a West Cork league game. Dad had organised a bus and off we went. As we travelled down on Tuesday we couldn’t quite recall the result. I think we snuck it by a point. We stopped in Rosscarbery on the way back and it was the start of an almighty session that continued long into the night when we returned to Kinsale that night.
Drimoleague comes next and I already mentioned the U-21 fiasco. In 2001 we played a County Semi-Final against Adrigole down there. I marked John Loch and he proved a handful. He tragically died a couple of years later. Two pieces of play defined that day. The first was Ricky’s marshalling of Brendan Jer to the point the latter saw red late in the game. The second was one of the best goals we ever scored and came from a marauding run from Kenny. That was a big win for us.
The final venue of note was the home pitch of Caheragh. When we passed it we couldn’t place it. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. I’m still not sure what village it is affiliated too. We played a challenge game down there one night and I remember Corcoran being carted off to hospital. I pulled my hammer the same evening. The work they’ve done with their grounds since is amazing and they now have very impressive floodlights. It shows what a bit of ambition and drive can do.
I’m sure in years to come; I’ll be heading off on my holidays somewhere and be looking up at the departures screen. I’ll be telling my kids of those epic G.A.A. days in Maastricht, Luxembourg, Zurich, Dubai and other far flung places. Nothing like it.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Players Meetings
The impact the automotive crisis has had on me is that in the company I work for, Toyota, we have all had to take 16 days unpaid leave this year. This on top of my normal holiday entitlement has left me with much time on my hands. As a result, I've come home alot more and stayed more closely in touch with whats going on.
On Sunday, the Kinsale footballers will have a players meeting to thrash out all sorts of issues. When I was naive and more militant I'd have been a ringleader for this type of activity. I think in 2000, I chaired such a meeting and had a detailed agenda. I used to think that you could influence people and gain their buy-in this way. We held it in a meeting room in Actons Hotel and no-one was allowed bring alcohol in. It was a constructive meeting and we all went away feeling reasonably good about things.
As the year rattled on though, it was obvious that you can't sway some lads. Committments get forgotten and standards start to slip. There was another year where we had the meeting in The Greyhound. Having it in a pub in the first place, sends out all the wrong messages. With each passing year though, you had the token gathering. Rarely did they bring about meaningful change.
This year we had a very well attended one for the Belgian Footballers and not knowing the track record of the group, I left energised. I had forgotten some of the guff that fellas (not all in fairness) come out with when given the floor. Weeks later you'd be left scratching your head when the same fellas are doing the bollocks.
From Kinsale's perspective, opportunity knocks. There is a core of well trained and disciplined young fellas who have graduated from Gearoid Condon's Minor set-up. They have been coached and have expectations of what is to come. Alongside them, there is a sprinkling of other talent, enough to make a right go of things. I'm interested in what the tone of the meeting will be on Sunday. Unfortunately, I have no business there so will have to wait till after to hear how it went.
It can go two ways. The first is it will be riddled with negativity; fellas getting at eachother for screwing around this year, others may give out about the training and more about their general 'treatment'.
The other way is that fellas will come up with some very constructive ideas about training and the set-up in general. They'll put together the formula that can produce the best results for them given their own personal situations. I don't think it should be about any grand statements of committment, it should merely be about trying to get the players to agree what can work best for them. Their awareness of the respect they need to show the club should be heightened as well. By this i mean things like paying Membership, wearing the right gear to matches etc.
How to bring the message from the meeting to the trainers and the committee is key to its success and failure. Those two bodies never like feeling like their being dictated to and if they get a hint of that then you can be sure your voice will fall on deaf ears. In this era of player revolts, sensitivity levels are at an all time high and change can be ground hard earned.
I'm still confused about the value of these meetings. Nevertheless I hope Sunday goes well and it can be the first step towards landing an Intermediate football title or a Junior Hurling one.
On Sunday, the Kinsale footballers will have a players meeting to thrash out all sorts of issues. When I was naive and more militant I'd have been a ringleader for this type of activity. I think in 2000, I chaired such a meeting and had a detailed agenda. I used to think that you could influence people and gain their buy-in this way. We held it in a meeting room in Actons Hotel and no-one was allowed bring alcohol in. It was a constructive meeting and we all went away feeling reasonably good about things.
As the year rattled on though, it was obvious that you can't sway some lads. Committments get forgotten and standards start to slip. There was another year where we had the meeting in The Greyhound. Having it in a pub in the first place, sends out all the wrong messages. With each passing year though, you had the token gathering. Rarely did they bring about meaningful change.
This year we had a very well attended one for the Belgian Footballers and not knowing the track record of the group, I left energised. I had forgotten some of the guff that fellas (not all in fairness) come out with when given the floor. Weeks later you'd be left scratching your head when the same fellas are doing the bollocks.
From Kinsale's perspective, opportunity knocks. There is a core of well trained and disciplined young fellas who have graduated from Gearoid Condon's Minor set-up. They have been coached and have expectations of what is to come. Alongside them, there is a sprinkling of other talent, enough to make a right go of things. I'm interested in what the tone of the meeting will be on Sunday. Unfortunately, I have no business there so will have to wait till after to hear how it went.
It can go two ways. The first is it will be riddled with negativity; fellas getting at eachother for screwing around this year, others may give out about the training and more about their general 'treatment'.
The other way is that fellas will come up with some very constructive ideas about training and the set-up in general. They'll put together the formula that can produce the best results for them given their own personal situations. I don't think it should be about any grand statements of committment, it should merely be about trying to get the players to agree what can work best for them. Their awareness of the respect they need to show the club should be heightened as well. By this i mean things like paying Membership, wearing the right gear to matches etc.
How to bring the message from the meeting to the trainers and the committee is key to its success and failure. Those two bodies never like feeling like their being dictated to and if they get a hint of that then you can be sure your voice will fall on deaf ears. In this era of player revolts, sensitivity levels are at an all time high and change can be ground hard earned.
I'm still confused about the value of these meetings. Nevertheless I hope Sunday goes well and it can be the first step towards landing an Intermediate football title or a Junior Hurling one.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Goodbye 2009. It Was Emotional.
A blockbusting social scene has played a major role in the development of our club over the last two years. Saturday night was our end of year dinner and the jewel in the social circuit of Belgium G.A.A. Attendance jumped to 80 and even at that we missed some usual stalwarths like Alan, Caragh, Conchur etc. The session is always cunningly discussed as a 3 course dinner and our hosts in de Valera's pull out all the stops to ensure the pub is prepared suitably.
We had fourteen trophies on display; 7 ladies football, 5 men's hurling and 2 men's football. Despite arriving less than enthusiastic about the prospect of another big session, I quickly found my feet. Some of the FCI seconds remained in situ after the post-game food so we again told each other how wonderful we were after our 2 0 win. Keary, Olof and co were busily fixing their ties, rehearsing their speeches and generally trying to look well. People filtered in gradually in an assortment of costumes. Hudson wore a vest whilst Philip Roche presented himself in a tightly fitting suit and accompanying moustache. There is no dress code but equally no problem wearing whatever you want. The girls always go the extra yard though and on Saturday night they may even have bumped Munich out of my 'top twenty things that are great about Belgium G.A.A.' and bettered their 5th place ranking in the process.
I sat with Enda and his wife Mia (spelling?). Hartey was there too and then Seamus and Clare A. We had good banter and stuck to our disciplined approach regarding eating; not too much, not too little. Olof grabbed a hold of the mic after the main course and proceeded to hand out the awards. The hurlers were up first and Martin was ushered up onto a chair so the masses could see him. The 25 man panel were all presented with their County Championship medals and Conor Aylward deservedly received the 2009 Player of the Year award, restoring the credibility to the prize after Eoin Sheanon's victory in 2008.
Ladies Camogie was next. Unfortunately no medals but the Player of the Year prize was handed out to Cork woman Sylvia. Colin Byrne managed to claim more stage time than anyone else despite having no medal to hand out. He did have to present the Football Player of the Year prize though. It was a tough call this year as we had two teams and thus many people to choose from. We asked for the opinion of everyone and in the end it boiled down to a couple of lads. It was Cluxton who received it though; his performances in some key games like the Exiles Cup sealing it. He is small in stature for a keeper but shows great bravery and one on one shot stopping ability. He won it because he deserved it but it also doubles as a nice parting gift before he leaves Belgium with his wife Emily at the end of the month.
The Ladies footballers had much to celebrate, winning all their tournaments and the County Championship for the second successive year. They also had two teams and have an enviable array of talent at their disposal which will make the other clubs in Europe wonder how to stop their three in a row bid. Laura received their Player of the Year award.
The final award was for Club Person of the Year. It went to the 2008 Footballer of the Year, Phil Cushen. Crusher, as he is better known, suffered a horrible knee injury back in May which will sideline him into next year. However, he didn't disappear and was always on hand to help with training or any other jobs that needed doing. He is a wonderful example to all.
What ensued afterwards is hazy. These nights provoke almighty emotion, with everyone proclaiming the greatness of the G.A.A. and what our club has done for them in Belgium. It really is unbelievable to see 80 people in de Valera's, in Belgium, at a G.A.A. do. One of the great losses to G.A.A. members at home is that so many of them will never experience the energy and passion which people have for it abroad. They can never understand the obstacles which clubs face here as they try to build their club in an environment where it has no grounding, no foothold, no history. Unlike clubs at home, you cannot be passive; you must stand up and contribute. Saturday is the pinnacle of it all, when we sit amongst each other and celebrate the successes of the year. It is a wonderful occasion.
We had fourteen trophies on display; 7 ladies football, 5 men's hurling and 2 men's football. Despite arriving less than enthusiastic about the prospect of another big session, I quickly found my feet. Some of the FCI seconds remained in situ after the post-game food so we again told each other how wonderful we were after our 2 0 win. Keary, Olof and co were busily fixing their ties, rehearsing their speeches and generally trying to look well. People filtered in gradually in an assortment of costumes. Hudson wore a vest whilst Philip Roche presented himself in a tightly fitting suit and accompanying moustache. There is no dress code but equally no problem wearing whatever you want. The girls always go the extra yard though and on Saturday night they may even have bumped Munich out of my 'top twenty things that are great about Belgium G.A.A.' and bettered their 5th place ranking in the process.
I sat with Enda and his wife Mia (spelling?). Hartey was there too and then Seamus and Clare A. We had good banter and stuck to our disciplined approach regarding eating; not too much, not too little. Olof grabbed a hold of the mic after the main course and proceeded to hand out the awards. The hurlers were up first and Martin was ushered up onto a chair so the masses could see him. The 25 man panel were all presented with their County Championship medals and Conor Aylward deservedly received the 2009 Player of the Year award, restoring the credibility to the prize after Eoin Sheanon's victory in 2008.
Ladies Camogie was next. Unfortunately no medals but the Player of the Year prize was handed out to Cork woman Sylvia. Colin Byrne managed to claim more stage time than anyone else despite having no medal to hand out. He did have to present the Football Player of the Year prize though. It was a tough call this year as we had two teams and thus many people to choose from. We asked for the opinion of everyone and in the end it boiled down to a couple of lads. It was Cluxton who received it though; his performances in some key games like the Exiles Cup sealing it. He is small in stature for a keeper but shows great bravery and one on one shot stopping ability. He won it because he deserved it but it also doubles as a nice parting gift before he leaves Belgium with his wife Emily at the end of the month.
The Ladies footballers had much to celebrate, winning all their tournaments and the County Championship for the second successive year. They also had two teams and have an enviable array of talent at their disposal which will make the other clubs in Europe wonder how to stop their three in a row bid. Laura received their Player of the Year award.
The final award was for Club Person of the Year. It went to the 2008 Footballer of the Year, Phil Cushen. Crusher, as he is better known, suffered a horrible knee injury back in May which will sideline him into next year. However, he didn't disappear and was always on hand to help with training or any other jobs that needed doing. He is a wonderful example to all.
What ensued afterwards is hazy. These nights provoke almighty emotion, with everyone proclaiming the greatness of the G.A.A. and what our club has done for them in Belgium. It really is unbelievable to see 80 people in de Valera's, in Belgium, at a G.A.A. do. One of the great losses to G.A.A. members at home is that so many of them will never experience the energy and passion which people have for it abroad. They can never understand the obstacles which clubs face here as they try to build their club in an environment where it has no grounding, no foothold, no history. Unlike clubs at home, you cannot be passive; you must stand up and contribute. Saturday is the pinnacle of it all, when we sit amongst each other and celebrate the successes of the year. It is a wonderful occasion.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Year In Review III - Logistics Man
Lads being lads, they need a bit more minding than the ladies and so the amount of work that goes into organising the team is significant. It's all so straight forward at home because the pitch never moves and the venues for matches are well known to all. You might get the odd text with an update on meeting times but that’s it. Here, the need to keep everyone in the loop is constant. Hotels need booking, flights need arranging, money needs collecting and numbers need confirming.
We used over 50 players this year and help was going to be required to coordinate everyone. I'd be very hesitant about bringing too many people on board because it makes things messy with many opinions flying about. However, Conan and I knew we needed help. We wanted to fill the position of Football Officer (on the committee) with someone other than ourselves. We drew up a responsibility matrix and went after Colin Byrne. He joined the club in September 2008 and has been a constant ever since, in all senses; training, playing and socially. He was happy to support so we brought him in to help with communication and logistical issues.
He was an ideal candidate because he was organised and respected by all. Maybe more importantly, he lives over by Rue Bailli which is in the heart of the girls football camp. From there, he could monitor their activities and pull them into line when they needed to be! His patience was also key as dealing with myself and Conan was always going to test him. In the early days, he used to gather splinters in his arse cause he sat on the fence so much. However, as he found his way to navigate through the often heated debates, he climbed off the fence and would freely offer his valued two cents.
In addition to that, he liaised well with the committee on all matters. Conan and I appreciate greatly the efforts the committee put in and the difficulties they have keeping everyone happy. We maybe aren't the best lads to be in the thick of it though. Colin can filter what we want to say well and knows how to deliver news we may not like, adjusting the tone and the message to appropriate levels. He also provides a different angle of attack to allow us prick the conscience of the players. It worked well this year. It’s a job that fills a part of each day. There is that amount of organising, liaising and cajoling involved.
As with everything though, you need to do it at least twice. The first time to learn and the second time to use your learning to improve things. With that in mind, I hope we can keep him on board in 2010.
Just as I finished this blog I received a mail from one of the lads. Plenty of fellas would always be very quick to say thanks, but for others it’s just not their way but it doesn't mean they don't appreciate it. A line in the email just received summed it up; "Remember, we're all Irish, so gratitude is normally expressed inversely - the more whines and slaggings, the more lads are trying to say cheers! So Freud says anyway in his chapter on GAA." There can be no doubt; the work of the Football Officer this year didn't go unnoticed.
PS Of course, for every Football Officer, there is a Hurling Officer. Although this was officially Martin, the job I describe above was largely carried out by Adrian. So Mr. Hiel, we salute you too!!
We used over 50 players this year and help was going to be required to coordinate everyone. I'd be very hesitant about bringing too many people on board because it makes things messy with many opinions flying about. However, Conan and I knew we needed help. We wanted to fill the position of Football Officer (on the committee) with someone other than ourselves. We drew up a responsibility matrix and went after Colin Byrne. He joined the club in September 2008 and has been a constant ever since, in all senses; training, playing and socially. He was happy to support so we brought him in to help with communication and logistical issues.
He was an ideal candidate because he was organised and respected by all. Maybe more importantly, he lives over by Rue Bailli which is in the heart of the girls football camp. From there, he could monitor their activities and pull them into line when they needed to be! His patience was also key as dealing with myself and Conan was always going to test him. In the early days, he used to gather splinters in his arse cause he sat on the fence so much. However, as he found his way to navigate through the often heated debates, he climbed off the fence and would freely offer his valued two cents.
In addition to that, he liaised well with the committee on all matters. Conan and I appreciate greatly the efforts the committee put in and the difficulties they have keeping everyone happy. We maybe aren't the best lads to be in the thick of it though. Colin can filter what we want to say well and knows how to deliver news we may not like, adjusting the tone and the message to appropriate levels. He also provides a different angle of attack to allow us prick the conscience of the players. It worked well this year. It’s a job that fills a part of each day. There is that amount of organising, liaising and cajoling involved.
As with everything though, you need to do it at least twice. The first time to learn and the second time to use your learning to improve things. With that in mind, I hope we can keep him on board in 2010.
Just as I finished this blog I received a mail from one of the lads. Plenty of fellas would always be very quick to say thanks, but for others it’s just not their way but it doesn't mean they don't appreciate it. A line in the email just received summed it up; "Remember, we're all Irish, so gratitude is normally expressed inversely - the more whines and slaggings, the more lads are trying to say cheers! So Freud says anyway in his chapter on GAA." There can be no doubt; the work of the Football Officer this year didn't go unnoticed.
PS Of course, for every Football Officer, there is a Hurling Officer. Although this was officially Martin, the job I describe above was largely carried out by Adrian. So Mr. Hiel, we salute you too!!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Year in Review II - Fantasy Football It Was Not
Where to start? What tone to take? Depending on the stage of the year you asked me this, the response may have been different. For now I remain philosophical. With so much infighting gripping so many G.A.A. teams, we can draw hope from the fact that our squad of 30+ players departed Maastricht on the last day of the season disappointed but together. Here is my take on it...
Training
In terms of drills, we moved on a bit this year, creating more game-specific situations; one on ones and that kind of craic. Also, we added a few more conditioned games and focused alot more on these, especially towards the end of the year. Fitness wise, I tried the approach of 'running with the ball' but found the intensity drops in many of the drills due to poor handling. One thing i'd like to do better is have a more orderly structure to the training as a whole. I varied it alot this year to keep things fresh and also because there was no point in doing things in blocks because fellas weren't there consistently enough to get the benefit from it. We'll look to improve this next year but will also look to lads improving their attendance and concentration levels.
Challenge Games
We had three main events in this regard. Dubai provided the backdrop for the early season 'training camp'. It was a whistle stop tour, but had that trip of a lifetime feel to it. We travelled through the night but made every minute there count. On the football side, we beat Abu Dhabi and Clonmel to top our group but fell to a strong Dubai side in the semi-final. On a social side, we partied away the Sunday night and most were at their desks in Brussels on the Monday morning.
Next we welcomed Mitchells from Coventry and the famed Clare Island to our modest surroundings in Parc50. Victory on the day was especially sweet as Chairman Gill was in opposition. At the tail end of the year we took on Tir Chonnail Gaels in a match borne out of the creative thinking of Conan. The idea was to pit the 2008 European and British champions against eachother. We won, 1-20 to 2-16 in a real hum-dinger in the Parc. These games provided the highlights of the year and showed us that we can compete with lads who play more regularly.
Benelux Tournaments
There is a school of thought that said these are only a series of extravagant friendlies and we should keep the powder dry for the Pan-E Championship. I disagree though and feel that doing well in them is important in building things up during the year. We flopped and went out at the semi-final stage at each tournament. The most galling was in the final round when the referee got the scores wrong in the semi against Amsterdam and forced us into extra-time. We capitulated and were beaten. It was at this point of the season when I was most twisted up with frustration. We always had decent numbers at training but the 'A' players were conspicuous by their absence. The 'B's, who endured a difficult Benelux section, were proving the more enthusiastic bunch.
Pan-E Tournaments
This section saw some improvement as players started to become more available although not to the extent which I would have liked. We didn't qualify automatically for the Championship section and so had to apply to be allowed in. Before applying, I sent everyone an email telling them of the need to do this and highlighting the fact that we would need to increase the effort if we were to be competitive. If fellas replied and said they wanted to play Championship, it would imply they were going to give greater commitment.
I received some animated responses. Those who know me best appreciated the element of devilment and gave more thoughtful responses. Some attacked me sighting a 'loser mentality' and the like. This goaded me no end and the exchanges became a little hot. Crusher was the only one who said the A team should enter the Shield and his reasoning was simple, we didn't deserve to be in the Championship based on what went on this year. Of course, deep down I don't believe he meant this. Also, as long as I am in charge or still playing, we will always enter the Championship. Win or lose, a club of our size should always compete for the top prize and want to play at as high a level as possible. Amsterdam opted to go into The Shield even though they finished ahead of us in Benelux because they thought they could win it. However, they discovered that The Shield is minefield and their season deteriorated.
The responses mad a hard bed for lads to lie in and whilst there was some improvement afterwards, what was said in the emails was not always matched afterwards. This pissed me off no end. If a fella is straight up with me then that's ok but hiding or avoiding telling me something isn't on.
In Munich we qualified for the final and we would have led at a crucial stage had it not been for a missed penalty. Copenhagen saw us needing to beat Paris in gail force conditions to get to the final. They got some fortunate goals which gave us a mountain to climb. It still wrangles with me because we peppered their goal in the second half but fell just short. We were the better team that day. It was a different story in Rennes though. We faced them again in the final but on this occasion they had all the momentum and deservedly beat us. The final tournament in Maastricht was the highest standard we faced all year and we went out after losing to the Hague and Budapest. Whilst losing is always disappointing, they were good tough games and we weren't a million miles of the pace.
Comings and Goings
There were many. Gearoid Sayers and Micheal O'Flynn are as good, if not better than there is in European and they were massive losses. Others made fleeting visits but those who stayed were the likes of Ciaran Hudson, Dave Bourke, Johnny O, David Collins and Paul Quinn. Phil Cushen was a massive loss because he is a low maintenance, reliable and determined defender. He just gets on with it and needs little watching. We didn't see as much of Emmett as we would have liked but have no complaints. Naturally, his new baby girl, Ruby, would take more of his time. To his credit though, he travelled to the Pan-E tournaments, even if he needed a little extra pressure to go to Rennes!! Unfortunately, when there, he damaged his ankle and that finished his season. Who knows what our squad will look like next year but if we keep what we currently have, it will give us a good basis from which to attack.
The Killer B’s
Their formal formation was a big achievement this year. Conan, Johnny and Ruairi led a committed group who can be proud of their dedication in travelling around Europe and following a steep learning curve. Being the only B team is a major disadvantage as they will lack the handful of class players that every A team has. There will no doubt be some simmering annoyances with myself and Conan about how we handled selection and the like but by and large fellas understood the difficulties we also faced. The improvement in play was visible during the year and now the challenge is to continue that into 2010.
Final Comment
I found this year very frustrating for many of the reasons outlined above. In addition, I had to deal with a mystery throat problem as well as ankle and back problems right up until the Rennes tournament. Against the back-drop of the training ground irritations, it made it very demoralising. Over a pint in The Hairy, Olof confirmed what I knew already; that my mood and the enjoyment fellas will get from training, are heavily linked. It is unlikely I will change so to remedy this, I would urge fellas to have a think about what they need to do!!! Of course, I might tinker with a few things too!!
In the end, I loosended the grip and was less demanding in terms of the little things. I handed over the warm-ups, mostly to Olof, to bring a fresh voice to training. However, by not chasing fellas to the same extent, you see their standards drop and whilst in most cases they don't recognise it, it all matters. In the end, my perspective changed slightly and I focused more on the enjoyment I wanted to get out of it. It worked and the last two months were some of the most enjoyable trainings and I felt it in how I played in Rennes and Maastricht too. The hunger started to come back and the legs started to move again.
Already, I'm thinking of next year and how to improve things. If someone else were to put their hand up and say they wanted to take over than I wouldn't take it to heart. It's not ideal to be training the lads you play with and drink with. I'm still up for it though and the challenge we face now is enticing. If we can get lads in the right frame of mind next year and understanding how they can best contribute to the team then we'll be in good shape.
Training
In terms of drills, we moved on a bit this year, creating more game-specific situations; one on ones and that kind of craic. Also, we added a few more conditioned games and focused alot more on these, especially towards the end of the year. Fitness wise, I tried the approach of 'running with the ball' but found the intensity drops in many of the drills due to poor handling. One thing i'd like to do better is have a more orderly structure to the training as a whole. I varied it alot this year to keep things fresh and also because there was no point in doing things in blocks because fellas weren't there consistently enough to get the benefit from it. We'll look to improve this next year but will also look to lads improving their attendance and concentration levels.
Challenge Games
We had three main events in this regard. Dubai provided the backdrop for the early season 'training camp'. It was a whistle stop tour, but had that trip of a lifetime feel to it. We travelled through the night but made every minute there count. On the football side, we beat Abu Dhabi and Clonmel to top our group but fell to a strong Dubai side in the semi-final. On a social side, we partied away the Sunday night and most were at their desks in Brussels on the Monday morning.
Next we welcomed Mitchells from Coventry and the famed Clare Island to our modest surroundings in Parc50. Victory on the day was especially sweet as Chairman Gill was in opposition. At the tail end of the year we took on Tir Chonnail Gaels in a match borne out of the creative thinking of Conan. The idea was to pit the 2008 European and British champions against eachother. We won, 1-20 to 2-16 in a real hum-dinger in the Parc. These games provided the highlights of the year and showed us that we can compete with lads who play more regularly.
Benelux Tournaments
There is a school of thought that said these are only a series of extravagant friendlies and we should keep the powder dry for the Pan-E Championship. I disagree though and feel that doing well in them is important in building things up during the year. We flopped and went out at the semi-final stage at each tournament. The most galling was in the final round when the referee got the scores wrong in the semi against Amsterdam and forced us into extra-time. We capitulated and were beaten. It was at this point of the season when I was most twisted up with frustration. We always had decent numbers at training but the 'A' players were conspicuous by their absence. The 'B's, who endured a difficult Benelux section, were proving the more enthusiastic bunch.
Pan-E Tournaments
This section saw some improvement as players started to become more available although not to the extent which I would have liked. We didn't qualify automatically for the Championship section and so had to apply to be allowed in. Before applying, I sent everyone an email telling them of the need to do this and highlighting the fact that we would need to increase the effort if we were to be competitive. If fellas replied and said they wanted to play Championship, it would imply they were going to give greater commitment.
I received some animated responses. Those who know me best appreciated the element of devilment and gave more thoughtful responses. Some attacked me sighting a 'loser mentality' and the like. This goaded me no end and the exchanges became a little hot. Crusher was the only one who said the A team should enter the Shield and his reasoning was simple, we didn't deserve to be in the Championship based on what went on this year. Of course, deep down I don't believe he meant this. Also, as long as I am in charge or still playing, we will always enter the Championship. Win or lose, a club of our size should always compete for the top prize and want to play at as high a level as possible. Amsterdam opted to go into The Shield even though they finished ahead of us in Benelux because they thought they could win it. However, they discovered that The Shield is minefield and their season deteriorated.
The responses mad a hard bed for lads to lie in and whilst there was some improvement afterwards, what was said in the emails was not always matched afterwards. This pissed me off no end. If a fella is straight up with me then that's ok but hiding or avoiding telling me something isn't on.
In Munich we qualified for the final and we would have led at a crucial stage had it not been for a missed penalty. Copenhagen saw us needing to beat Paris in gail force conditions to get to the final. They got some fortunate goals which gave us a mountain to climb. It still wrangles with me because we peppered their goal in the second half but fell just short. We were the better team that day. It was a different story in Rennes though. We faced them again in the final but on this occasion they had all the momentum and deservedly beat us. The final tournament in Maastricht was the highest standard we faced all year and we went out after losing to the Hague and Budapest. Whilst losing is always disappointing, they were good tough games and we weren't a million miles of the pace.
Comings and Goings
There were many. Gearoid Sayers and Micheal O'Flynn are as good, if not better than there is in European and they were massive losses. Others made fleeting visits but those who stayed were the likes of Ciaran Hudson, Dave Bourke, Johnny O, David Collins and Paul Quinn. Phil Cushen was a massive loss because he is a low maintenance, reliable and determined defender. He just gets on with it and needs little watching. We didn't see as much of Emmett as we would have liked but have no complaints. Naturally, his new baby girl, Ruby, would take more of his time. To his credit though, he travelled to the Pan-E tournaments, even if he needed a little extra pressure to go to Rennes!! Unfortunately, when there, he damaged his ankle and that finished his season. Who knows what our squad will look like next year but if we keep what we currently have, it will give us a good basis from which to attack.
The Killer B’s
Their formal formation was a big achievement this year. Conan, Johnny and Ruairi led a committed group who can be proud of their dedication in travelling around Europe and following a steep learning curve. Being the only B team is a major disadvantage as they will lack the handful of class players that every A team has. There will no doubt be some simmering annoyances with myself and Conan about how we handled selection and the like but by and large fellas understood the difficulties we also faced. The improvement in play was visible during the year and now the challenge is to continue that into 2010.
Final Comment
I found this year very frustrating for many of the reasons outlined above. In addition, I had to deal with a mystery throat problem as well as ankle and back problems right up until the Rennes tournament. Against the back-drop of the training ground irritations, it made it very demoralising. Over a pint in The Hairy, Olof confirmed what I knew already; that my mood and the enjoyment fellas will get from training, are heavily linked. It is unlikely I will change so to remedy this, I would urge fellas to have a think about what they need to do!!! Of course, I might tinker with a few things too!!
In the end, I loosended the grip and was less demanding in terms of the little things. I handed over the warm-ups, mostly to Olof, to bring a fresh voice to training. However, by not chasing fellas to the same extent, you see their standards drop and whilst in most cases they don't recognise it, it all matters. In the end, my perspective changed slightly and I focused more on the enjoyment I wanted to get out of it. It worked and the last two months were some of the most enjoyable trainings and I felt it in how I played in Rennes and Maastricht too. The hunger started to come back and the legs started to move again.
Already, I'm thinking of next year and how to improve things. If someone else were to put their hand up and say they wanted to take over than I wouldn't take it to heart. It's not ideal to be training the lads you play with and drink with. I'm still up for it though and the challenge we face now is enticing. If we can get lads in the right frame of mind next year and understanding how they can best contribute to the team then we'll be in good shape.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Year in Review I - Hurling Heroes
As with all of the upcoming reviews of the year, I'll try not to repeat what was already said. We start with the new and first time European Hurling Champions.
Led by the balding eagle, Martin Crowley; his second year at the helm brought home the cup that we hadn't even come within touching distance of previously. We had finished 2008 on a high, winning the Zurich tournament and started 2009 with a steady arrival of new blood.
Cork provided us Eoghan Kelly, Daire Cotter and Dominic King. Later Tipperary (and Cavan) would send us Jim McGrath. The Cats sent Pearce and the Dubs gave us one of its filthiest (obviously that should read finest) sons, Fergal Mythen. These additions combined with the fact we retained the guts of last years squad meant we were always going to be a formidable force.
Paris, Brussels and Den Haag were won convincingly and showed a gulf in standards this year. We recognise that luck (who comes and who goes) plays a big part in the success and failure of teams in Europe. This year we got the rub but there were two tournaments where we really had to stand up and earn our spurs.
The first, in Arlon, was the Luxembourg tournament. Its been well documented in earlier blogs and in my mind, it still holds its place as one of the greatest games I've been involved in. It had everything; two totally committed teams, hard hurling, wounded players ploughing on through the pain, three periods of extra-time and a score fit to split any pair of teams.
We defeated The Hague and one of their players summed up the feeling after the game when he was talking to Dec last week. He said it was a game where there was no bitterness at the end. Both teams gave it their all and matched eachother step for step. There had to be a winner and the loser would have to accept it and appreciate the spectacle in which they too played a starring role.
The second occassion was in Zurich. 12 players drove seven hours the Saturday of the tournament. The squad missed a plethora of players but still rustled up the necessary. The tournament was won but the club demonstrated more that day. We didnt need to go to claim the overall Championship but we have always travelled, in the good days and the bad. We understand the importance of travelling to Zurich and honouring our committment to the competition.
Everyone played their part through the year. Conor Aylward was a standout player. Eoghan Kelly did a significant job on many occassions. Our Canadians Adrian and Jarrett also contributed handsomely. The season was not without its cruel moment though. Crusher's knee injury and roar down in Arlon is hard to erase from the memory. He's on the mend though and we can expect him back next year.
So, 25 years after claiming a Dublin Senior Hurling Championship medal with Erins Isle, Martin Crowley led Belgium to its first European Hurling title. He carried on the work of the likes of Aine O'Regan, Cian O'Lionan and Willie Cashin which started back in 2004. Its one of the most thankless jobs in sport; training a hurling team in Europe but he fulfilled it with enthusiasim and success.
We also hosted Na Fianna in a challenge game back in February and won it convincingly. In March, myself, Rochey, Hough, Eoin and Keary played in the Leinster Junior Hurling Championship with County Europe. Today we can say Hurling in Belgium is on a high and we should enjoyed every minute of it.
Led by the balding eagle, Martin Crowley; his second year at the helm brought home the cup that we hadn't even come within touching distance of previously. We had finished 2008 on a high, winning the Zurich tournament and started 2009 with a steady arrival of new blood.
Cork provided us Eoghan Kelly, Daire Cotter and Dominic King. Later Tipperary (and Cavan) would send us Jim McGrath. The Cats sent Pearce and the Dubs gave us one of its filthiest (obviously that should read finest) sons, Fergal Mythen. These additions combined with the fact we retained the guts of last years squad meant we were always going to be a formidable force.
Paris, Brussels and Den Haag were won convincingly and showed a gulf in standards this year. We recognise that luck (who comes and who goes) plays a big part in the success and failure of teams in Europe. This year we got the rub but there were two tournaments where we really had to stand up and earn our spurs.
The first, in Arlon, was the Luxembourg tournament. Its been well documented in earlier blogs and in my mind, it still holds its place as one of the greatest games I've been involved in. It had everything; two totally committed teams, hard hurling, wounded players ploughing on through the pain, three periods of extra-time and a score fit to split any pair of teams.
We defeated The Hague and one of their players summed up the feeling after the game when he was talking to Dec last week. He said it was a game where there was no bitterness at the end. Both teams gave it their all and matched eachother step for step. There had to be a winner and the loser would have to accept it and appreciate the spectacle in which they too played a starring role.
The second occassion was in Zurich. 12 players drove seven hours the Saturday of the tournament. The squad missed a plethora of players but still rustled up the necessary. The tournament was won but the club demonstrated more that day. We didnt need to go to claim the overall Championship but we have always travelled, in the good days and the bad. We understand the importance of travelling to Zurich and honouring our committment to the competition.
Everyone played their part through the year. Conor Aylward was a standout player. Eoghan Kelly did a significant job on many occassions. Our Canadians Adrian and Jarrett also contributed handsomely. The season was not without its cruel moment though. Crusher's knee injury and roar down in Arlon is hard to erase from the memory. He's on the mend though and we can expect him back next year.
So, 25 years after claiming a Dublin Senior Hurling Championship medal with Erins Isle, Martin Crowley led Belgium to its first European Hurling title. He carried on the work of the likes of Aine O'Regan, Cian O'Lionan and Willie Cashin which started back in 2004. Its one of the most thankless jobs in sport; training a hurling team in Europe but he fulfilled it with enthusiasim and success.
We also hosted Na Fianna in a challenge game back in February and won it convincingly. In March, myself, Rochey, Hough, Eoin and Keary played in the Leinster Junior Hurling Championship with County Europe. Today we can say Hurling in Belgium is on a high and we should enjoyed every minute of it.
Opening The Closet
With the main G.A.A. activity of the year over, attention now turns to filling in those dark winter evenings. Many people may have misinterpreted my feelings about foreign games so the following admissions may be a disappointment to them!
In recent years, I've spent my free time playing for FC Irlande. Soccer is not a game that comes naturally to me but the sport and the club helped me settle in Brussels. I spent most of my first season on the seconds and held down a first team spot for most of last year, my endeavour rather than skill being my key atribute.
This year I've been minding myself and have not really engaged with it so much due to the G.A.A. I have played a few games for the seconds though and enjoyed each one. It's a very compatable squad this year and the team finds itself topping the league heading into this weekends game against British United. It will surely occupy a fair share of my winter but I'm not sure how much yet.
This is mainly due to my interest in another sport for which regular readers will have picked up on previous references. For those who haven't, I must disappoint you and confess to being an enthusiastic hockey player! The back has curtailed my activity in recent years but I'm determined to give it a good go this winter.
I played in school and also occasionally with Bandon Hockey Club's third team in 6th year. After that I spent six years playing with U.C.C., often in opposition to my brother, who plays with Bandon. When at home in August, I joined in a Saturday afternoon training game with them. Their current captain, Andrew Kingston, is a former teammate from school and UCC. I asked him to sort my release forms from College so I could be available to play for one of their teams when I'm home.
He duly did and last weekend provided the first such opportunity. His brother Mark is captain of the seconds and I sneaked into that squad for last weekends clash with C of I. The environment was very familiar. Mark would have been a year ahead of me but was young enough to captain my teams on the way up. I'd know Horse and Fordey well from school also. Trevor Martin would have been a regular sparring partner. Jason and my brother John were all too familiar defenders. The rest of the squad was a younger generation who I knew little of except that they were blessed with some talented skills.
Before the game, the lads were asking me was I playing much in Belgium. To keep my chances of getting a game high, I told them I was tipping away alright. However, I was quickly found out as I was sprung from the bench early to replace an injured player. There are two new rules in hockey which only came in this season. One allows a player who has won a free to restart the game by moving the ball one yard and then continuing play himself. I didn't know this and was not impressed when my man took advantage.
I rotated in and out for the rest of the game and enjoyed every minute of it. Its the first time I have played on the same team as the bro so that was a bonus too. While I didn't always appreciate Bandon's maverick approach to their play when I was with UCC, I always appreciated the effort they needed to put in to keep their club going in the face of the significant pulling power of Quins and CofI. If I was still in Ireland, I would have returned to play with them without doubt. The ease at which I could blend back in last weekend demonstrates why.
Of course, all through my hockey days I was ridiculed for playing this overly prodestant sport. It was always just banter though and plenty of our lads spend their winters playing other sports like soccer & rugby during and we're always interested in how eachother are getting on. I gave hockey as much committment as I gave the G.A.A., even playing a hockey league game the morning of a Championship match on one occassion. Of course, there would only ever have been one winner if I had to choose but fortunately I didn't.
I head back to Belgium tomorrow night enthused about finding a team and getting back into it. If I'm realistic, I know that my back won't hold up to it but while it does, I'll enjoy every minute. I've two more weekends where I'm available for Bandon before Christmas so hopefully I'll don the black jersey again soon. This is how I spend my winters.
In recent years, I've spent my free time playing for FC Irlande. Soccer is not a game that comes naturally to me but the sport and the club helped me settle in Brussels. I spent most of my first season on the seconds and held down a first team spot for most of last year, my endeavour rather than skill being my key atribute.
This year I've been minding myself and have not really engaged with it so much due to the G.A.A. I have played a few games for the seconds though and enjoyed each one. It's a very compatable squad this year and the team finds itself topping the league heading into this weekends game against British United. It will surely occupy a fair share of my winter but I'm not sure how much yet.
This is mainly due to my interest in another sport for which regular readers will have picked up on previous references. For those who haven't, I must disappoint you and confess to being an enthusiastic hockey player! The back has curtailed my activity in recent years but I'm determined to give it a good go this winter.
I played in school and also occasionally with Bandon Hockey Club's third team in 6th year. After that I spent six years playing with U.C.C., often in opposition to my brother, who plays with Bandon. When at home in August, I joined in a Saturday afternoon training game with them. Their current captain, Andrew Kingston, is a former teammate from school and UCC. I asked him to sort my release forms from College so I could be available to play for one of their teams when I'm home.
He duly did and last weekend provided the first such opportunity. His brother Mark is captain of the seconds and I sneaked into that squad for last weekends clash with C of I. The environment was very familiar. Mark would have been a year ahead of me but was young enough to captain my teams on the way up. I'd know Horse and Fordey well from school also. Trevor Martin would have been a regular sparring partner. Jason and my brother John were all too familiar defenders. The rest of the squad was a younger generation who I knew little of except that they were blessed with some talented skills.
Before the game, the lads were asking me was I playing much in Belgium. To keep my chances of getting a game high, I told them I was tipping away alright. However, I was quickly found out as I was sprung from the bench early to replace an injured player. There are two new rules in hockey which only came in this season. One allows a player who has won a free to restart the game by moving the ball one yard and then continuing play himself. I didn't know this and was not impressed when my man took advantage.
I rotated in and out for the rest of the game and enjoyed every minute of it. Its the first time I have played on the same team as the bro so that was a bonus too. While I didn't always appreciate Bandon's maverick approach to their play when I was with UCC, I always appreciated the effort they needed to put in to keep their club going in the face of the significant pulling power of Quins and CofI. If I was still in Ireland, I would have returned to play with them without doubt. The ease at which I could blend back in last weekend demonstrates why.
Of course, all through my hockey days I was ridiculed for playing this overly prodestant sport. It was always just banter though and plenty of our lads spend their winters playing other sports like soccer & rugby during and we're always interested in how eachother are getting on. I gave hockey as much committment as I gave the G.A.A., even playing a hockey league game the morning of a Championship match on one occassion. Of course, there would only ever have been one winner if I had to choose but fortunately I didn't.
I head back to Belgium tomorrow night enthused about finding a team and getting back into it. If I'm realistic, I know that my back won't hold up to it but while it does, I'll enjoy every minute. I've two more weekends where I'm available for Bandon before Christmas so hopefully I'll don the black jersey again soon. This is how I spend my winters.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Down But Not Out
We will leave the reflections on the season as a whole for another week. For now, a brief report on the last tournament of the year in Maastricht. Our strongest team travelled to play in the toughest of groups with Den Hague and Budapest.
First up were Den Hague. They travelled en masse and had a few unfamiliar recruits in their ranks. They're a big physical team and the tight pitch was definitly in their favour. We lost 2-6 to 1-5, conceding two poor goals in the first half. The tackles were uncompromising but again our discipline was poor as we conceded silly frees. Its been our achilles all year. Sheanon gave us hope with a goal after some quick thinking from David Collins but the gap was too great. It was not to be and it left us needing a win against Budapest to quaify.
So, we moved to the open spaces of the main pitch for the next fixture. Where Den Hague were big, Budapest were their equals if not bigger. We opted to play Rochey as a third midfielder and leaving Eoin inside on his own. Enda and Olof were to break ball and myself and Rochey were to hoover it up. It was working a treat as we got ball forward and men followed quickly. There was a point in it just before half-time when Rochey landed on a straight leg and joined a growing list of our team who have been carted off to hospital during the year. To add to that, we already had to withdraw David Collins before the game even started.
Budapest hit us early in the second half and we were left chasing the game. Rochey's absence disrupted our plan and we had no replica to put in his place. We created lots of chances though but may have sought goals to early. The defeat left us in a 5th/6th place playoff against Rennes which we won at a canter, despite some awful defending in the first half. Cluxton was sprung from goal and delivered a green flag at the opposite end with the last kick of our season and maybe his Belgian sojourn.
As I said, we can reflect later on the season as a whole but one plus this year has been the team spirit. We've had no defections (permanent anyway!), no big fall-outs and left Maastricht with a solid basis to build upon next year.
The Hague won it overall and they deserved to. It was a competitive year and they can be proud to have come out on top. Our Ladies took the their tournment and overall trophy, thanks in a large part to a flurry of goals from their sharp shooter Caragh O'Connor.
Our B's had their strongest team of the year and must feel they underachieved somewhat. Narrow defeats could easily have been narrow victories and the story could have been told very differently. The spirit on their side of the camp remains upbeat too and they will look with optimisim to 2010.
On Saturday, there were over 60 people in Maastricht from Belgium G.A.A. There is no doubt that results and winning are important but as Mide alluded to in her victory speech, the club hasn't just won trophies in the last two years, it has built a community. The evidence of that was clear to see straight through from 7am at Shuman roundabout on Saturday morning until 6am in Celtica in the early hours of Monday.
Roll on 2010.
First up were Den Hague. They travelled en masse and had a few unfamiliar recruits in their ranks. They're a big physical team and the tight pitch was definitly in their favour. We lost 2-6 to 1-5, conceding two poor goals in the first half. The tackles were uncompromising but again our discipline was poor as we conceded silly frees. Its been our achilles all year. Sheanon gave us hope with a goal after some quick thinking from David Collins but the gap was too great. It was not to be and it left us needing a win against Budapest to quaify.
So, we moved to the open spaces of the main pitch for the next fixture. Where Den Hague were big, Budapest were their equals if not bigger. We opted to play Rochey as a third midfielder and leaving Eoin inside on his own. Enda and Olof were to break ball and myself and Rochey were to hoover it up. It was working a treat as we got ball forward and men followed quickly. There was a point in it just before half-time when Rochey landed on a straight leg and joined a growing list of our team who have been carted off to hospital during the year. To add to that, we already had to withdraw David Collins before the game even started.
Budapest hit us early in the second half and we were left chasing the game. Rochey's absence disrupted our plan and we had no replica to put in his place. We created lots of chances though but may have sought goals to early. The defeat left us in a 5th/6th place playoff against Rennes which we won at a canter, despite some awful defending in the first half. Cluxton was sprung from goal and delivered a green flag at the opposite end with the last kick of our season and maybe his Belgian sojourn.
As I said, we can reflect later on the season as a whole but one plus this year has been the team spirit. We've had no defections (permanent anyway!), no big fall-outs and left Maastricht with a solid basis to build upon next year.
The Hague won it overall and they deserved to. It was a competitive year and they can be proud to have come out on top. Our Ladies took the their tournment and overall trophy, thanks in a large part to a flurry of goals from their sharp shooter Caragh O'Connor.
Our B's had their strongest team of the year and must feel they underachieved somewhat. Narrow defeats could easily have been narrow victories and the story could have been told very differently. The spirit on their side of the camp remains upbeat too and they will look with optimisim to 2010.
On Saturday, there were over 60 people in Maastricht from Belgium G.A.A. There is no doubt that results and winning are important but as Mide alluded to in her victory speech, the club hasn't just won trophies in the last two years, it has built a community. The evidence of that was clear to see straight through from 7am at Shuman roundabout on Saturday morning until 6am in Celtica in the early hours of Monday.
Roll on 2010.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Cherishing Competition
So, the European Football Championship came to an end as the floodlit Maastricht G.A.A. grounds fell away into the winter's darkness. The season review will follow in the coming days but for now we must wallow in defeat and decide between bitterness at a season that could have delivered so much or the graciousness which is deserving to the victors. Of course, we choose the latter and must congratulate Den Hague, who deservingly took hold of the cup which we dug so deep to win in 2008. I've yet to be told of a team who has retained the European Football Championship and this year has been no different. I knew from the beginning it would take a titanic effort to overcome the obstacles that would stand in our way and I was not wrong.
This cannot be seen as a bad thing, however disappointing. I received a link from Johnny P last week which brought me to an article in The Times newspaper. It was about Nadal, the Spanish tennis player. He had just been beaten in the French Open after a stretch of 30+ games undefeated. He made a simple pronouncement to the waiting media vulchers; saying that sometimes, 'You need a defeat to give the value to your victories.' How right he is. Our results this year make me value last year’s triumph even more.
Our Hurlers swept all before them in 2009, winning 5/5 tournaments and maintaining an unbeaten run which stretches back to September 2008 in Zurich. Like the football, it’s a difficult Championship to be retained. Zurich were all conquering when their 3-in-a-row started back in 2003. Since then Den Hague and Luxembourg have swapped seats at the top table. We've knocked on the door in the last few years but couldn't sneak in until now. An avalanche of hurlers arrived to transform our fortunes and now it’s our turn. I think we lost one game all year, in the group against Den Hague down in Luxembourg. With barely a team to field, we regrouped and won that truly epic final after three periods of extra time, against the team who beat us earlier in the day. Still, we wished for more enduring battles but they were not to come. If the trend of recent seasons continues than we expect the rest to stand up and come roaring out of the blocks next year.
The football has not been such a one horse race up to now. Before our arrival, Munich, Paris, Den Hague and Lux were all eager contenders. Throw in the wild card that is Budapest and you have the makings of a competition which anyone could win on a given day. This year, Paris have won two, Den Hague two and we contested 2 finals. It is hard when at the end of the day's games there is no cup to take home. What would be harder though, is waking up on a Sunday morning, your body missing the cuts and bruises and stiffness that comes with hard fought games. The European Football Championship provides this and in doing so it provides fantastic competition for its players. There are no walk-overs, there are no games which pass without incident or are won without sufficient guile. Long may it continue.
This year, defeat has given value to our previous victories. I hope it will be the stimulus for future ones.
This cannot be seen as a bad thing, however disappointing. I received a link from Johnny P last week which brought me to an article in The Times newspaper. It was about Nadal, the Spanish tennis player. He had just been beaten in the French Open after a stretch of 30+ games undefeated. He made a simple pronouncement to the waiting media vulchers; saying that sometimes, 'You need a defeat to give the value to your victories.' How right he is. Our results this year make me value last year’s triumph even more.
Our Hurlers swept all before them in 2009, winning 5/5 tournaments and maintaining an unbeaten run which stretches back to September 2008 in Zurich. Like the football, it’s a difficult Championship to be retained. Zurich were all conquering when their 3-in-a-row started back in 2003. Since then Den Hague and Luxembourg have swapped seats at the top table. We've knocked on the door in the last few years but couldn't sneak in until now. An avalanche of hurlers arrived to transform our fortunes and now it’s our turn. I think we lost one game all year, in the group against Den Hague down in Luxembourg. With barely a team to field, we regrouped and won that truly epic final after three periods of extra time, against the team who beat us earlier in the day. Still, we wished for more enduring battles but they were not to come. If the trend of recent seasons continues than we expect the rest to stand up and come roaring out of the blocks next year.
The football has not been such a one horse race up to now. Before our arrival, Munich, Paris, Den Hague and Lux were all eager contenders. Throw in the wild card that is Budapest and you have the makings of a competition which anyone could win on a given day. This year, Paris have won two, Den Hague two and we contested 2 finals. It is hard when at the end of the day's games there is no cup to take home. What would be harder though, is waking up on a Sunday morning, your body missing the cuts and bruises and stiffness that comes with hard fought games. The European Football Championship provides this and in doing so it provides fantastic competition for its players. There are no walk-overs, there are no games which pass without incident or are won without sufficient guile. Long may it continue.
This year, defeat has given value to our previous victories. I hope it will be the stimulus for future ones.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Final Destination
A season that brought us as far east as Dubai, North to Copenhagen, West to Rennes and South to Zurich, will come to an end when the floodlights are switched off in Maastricht on Saturday evening. 24 teams, nearly 400 players and guests will attend. When the days activities conclude, all will disappear into the winter months. Some will never appear again whilst others will return with Spring.
Over 60 Belgium G.A.A. Members will make the short journey across the Dutch border in an almighty demonstration of the growth of our club. Those of you who follow the blog will have read all the prematch torment i normally write about, with players missing for all sorts of reasons. Tomorrow the A team will have 14, the B's 16. There were lads that on another day would have played big roles in the A squad. Tomorrow our only absentees are long term injury victims Crusher and Emmett. Although in Crusher's case, if we asked him to play he probably would as he has been bombing around in training, only five months after doing his cruciate. February will be time enough though.
The A's will have to do it the hard way as our group contains Championship contenders Den Haag and the talented Budapest side. It truly is a magnificant challenge. The B's face Copenhagen, Zurich and Valencia.
From an A team perspective, we can still win it, although with an extravagent series of results which Cluxton sent me today. Our goal is simple though; carry the form from Tir Chonnail Gaels into tomorrows games and enjoy it. If we can dig out sufficient drive then we can really rattle it. There is no hiding that the A team has not trained enough and has yet to show the necessary hunger but hopefully we can find it tomorrow.
The post tournament festivities will take place in Maastricht Football Club's stadium and if last years 'do' is anything to go by, it should be a massive evening. The Ladies will be crowned European Champions regardless of tomorrows outcome and the Hurlers will also collect the European Cup. If the footballers were to complete a treble with a victory in the Shield or Championship, it would be a great end to a turbulent year.
Over 60 Belgium G.A.A. Members will make the short journey across the Dutch border in an almighty demonstration of the growth of our club. Those of you who follow the blog will have read all the prematch torment i normally write about, with players missing for all sorts of reasons. Tomorrow the A team will have 14, the B's 16. There were lads that on another day would have played big roles in the A squad. Tomorrow our only absentees are long term injury victims Crusher and Emmett. Although in Crusher's case, if we asked him to play he probably would as he has been bombing around in training, only five months after doing his cruciate. February will be time enough though.
The A's will have to do it the hard way as our group contains Championship contenders Den Haag and the talented Budapest side. It truly is a magnificant challenge. The B's face Copenhagen, Zurich and Valencia.
From an A team perspective, we can still win it, although with an extravagent series of results which Cluxton sent me today. Our goal is simple though; carry the form from Tir Chonnail Gaels into tomorrows games and enjoy it. If we can dig out sufficient drive then we can really rattle it. There is no hiding that the A team has not trained enough and has yet to show the necessary hunger but hopefully we can find it tomorrow.
The post tournament festivities will take place in Maastricht Football Club's stadium and if last years 'do' is anything to go by, it should be a massive evening. The Ladies will be crowned European Champions regardless of tomorrows outcome and the Hurlers will also collect the European Cup. If the footballers were to complete a treble with a victory in the Shield or Championship, it would be a great end to a turbulent year.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Booked
Des Bishop says the Irish are only happy when they're miserable. Maybe that explains why some of the best selling pieces of Irish literature feature horrid stories of war, religious misdemeanours, battles with alcohol and other struggles and continue to entice us to turn the page. G.A.A. books are no different and are being delivered all over the country at a frantic rate in recent weeks.
These books aren't like books about other sports. They are differentiated by the real life element which is sorely lacking from other codes which have morphed into a form of sports entertainment and moved away from the ideals from which they grew.
Pick up any G.A.A. book and you will read about sacrifice, hardship & difficulties managing family, money, work etc. There will be stories of struggles with administrators, teammates, managers and supporters. The player doesn't live the pampered lifestyle enjoyed by those across the water or those on the Southside of the Liffey. He lives life; all aspects of it.
I particularly enjoyed Davy Fitz's book. Especially the story about breaking onto the Clare panel as a young fella. He used to get up at the crack of dawn every morning and cycle to a certain spot on the road to Shannon. He'd bait the sliotar against the wall until the Clare keeper at the time passed on his way to work. Once he had, Davy would hop back on the bike and head home for breakfast before leaving for work himself. He was chipping away at his mind. Others like Charlie Carter, Brian Corcoran, Dessie Farrell all had stories worth reading regardless of what you think about them or the counties from which they hail.
I've only read the extracts in the newspapers from the recent publications but in keeping with my habit of expressing an opinion on a range of topics I may know very little about, I will do so about some of the latest editions.
First up is Brian Cody's. No interest. I imagine it to be dry, clinical and lacking in depth. Great respect for the man but does he lift the lid on Charlie Carter or any other rows which inevitably occurred along the way? Not from what I hear.
Tadhg. Oh darling Tadgh! Will he be run all the way back to Sydney after his admission to doing a job on Nicolas Murphy in the AI Final? He offended a lot of football folk both in Kerry and across the County bounds. Folk who were proud of the untarnished honest endeavour which has characterised the fixture through the ages. I'll buy it though. He went to Oz and made it in an environment which has caused so many others to pack their bags. He must have something about him to stick it out.
Donal Og. His 'shock' revelation shouldn’t have really been a shock. We all heard the rumours, just didn't believe a Hurler would have such a declaration to make. As his brother said to his father though, 'that'll broaden your mind'. I'm totally opposed to Donal Og's militant approach to items like the strikes but I've total respect for his passion for hurling. He trained his club to a couple of County finals while still in his mid-twenties. He had them up at the crack of dawn when, of all people, he didn't have much spare time on his hands.
Billy Morgan. The man is an icon. Growing up, he was Cork football to all of us. As I read on a forum last week, if blood was blue, Billy would still bleed red. I hear the writing is kind of simple but Billy is a raw kind of guy so I expect it to contain some great tales. I'm especially looking forward to reading about his club Nemo. I think they are a fantastic club and what their inter-county stars put back in after they retire is admirable.
Micky Harte is Micky Harte. A bit of a revolutionary. I read his last book, a diary of the 2003 (?) All-Ireland success. The Nordies brought training to a new level in the last decade and he was one of the leaders in this field. He is an inspiring character.
However, the book I expect to top my list is called 'Working on a Dream'. It follows the Division 4 Waterford footballers around every twist and turn on the backroads of the All-Ireland football Championship. Led by the maverick character that is John Kiely, you can be sure the stories will be plentiful and filled with colour. I saw them play Cork in May in Dungarvan and you'd never believe he was an inter county manager as he trapsed across the pitch in his work boots, jeans and Waterford rugby style top.
We can all relate to these lads. You only play for Waterford footballers if you really love the game and your County. There's nothing sexy about playing the likes of Kilkenny in football's basement battles. They plough on with great endeavour though, despite the impoverished conditions which they are often exposed too. The purity of their approach and their love for Waterford is summed up for me in one passage. In the book, player Cillian O'Keeffe, recalls receiving a circular email from Donal Og. It was at the height of the Cork strike and sought to rally support for the players from their GPA colleagues around the country. O'Keeffe emailed a response: "Stop sending me this rubbish. Either go back and play with your county or retire!"
They all promise to be thoroughly enjoyable reads, giving us real insight into the life of an inter county player and the struggles attached. I'll buy them all, but Cody can wait another year.
These books aren't like books about other sports. They are differentiated by the real life element which is sorely lacking from other codes which have morphed into a form of sports entertainment and moved away from the ideals from which they grew.
Pick up any G.A.A. book and you will read about sacrifice, hardship & difficulties managing family, money, work etc. There will be stories of struggles with administrators, teammates, managers and supporters. The player doesn't live the pampered lifestyle enjoyed by those across the water or those on the Southside of the Liffey. He lives life; all aspects of it.
I particularly enjoyed Davy Fitz's book. Especially the story about breaking onto the Clare panel as a young fella. He used to get up at the crack of dawn every morning and cycle to a certain spot on the road to Shannon. He'd bait the sliotar against the wall until the Clare keeper at the time passed on his way to work. Once he had, Davy would hop back on the bike and head home for breakfast before leaving for work himself. He was chipping away at his mind. Others like Charlie Carter, Brian Corcoran, Dessie Farrell all had stories worth reading regardless of what you think about them or the counties from which they hail.
I've only read the extracts in the newspapers from the recent publications but in keeping with my habit of expressing an opinion on a range of topics I may know very little about, I will do so about some of the latest editions.
First up is Brian Cody's. No interest. I imagine it to be dry, clinical and lacking in depth. Great respect for the man but does he lift the lid on Charlie Carter or any other rows which inevitably occurred along the way? Not from what I hear.
Tadhg. Oh darling Tadgh! Will he be run all the way back to Sydney after his admission to doing a job on Nicolas Murphy in the AI Final? He offended a lot of football folk both in Kerry and across the County bounds. Folk who were proud of the untarnished honest endeavour which has characterised the fixture through the ages. I'll buy it though. He went to Oz and made it in an environment which has caused so many others to pack their bags. He must have something about him to stick it out.
Donal Og. His 'shock' revelation shouldn’t have really been a shock. We all heard the rumours, just didn't believe a Hurler would have such a declaration to make. As his brother said to his father though, 'that'll broaden your mind'. I'm totally opposed to Donal Og's militant approach to items like the strikes but I've total respect for his passion for hurling. He trained his club to a couple of County finals while still in his mid-twenties. He had them up at the crack of dawn when, of all people, he didn't have much spare time on his hands.
Billy Morgan. The man is an icon. Growing up, he was Cork football to all of us. As I read on a forum last week, if blood was blue, Billy would still bleed red. I hear the writing is kind of simple but Billy is a raw kind of guy so I expect it to contain some great tales. I'm especially looking forward to reading about his club Nemo. I think they are a fantastic club and what their inter-county stars put back in after they retire is admirable.
Micky Harte is Micky Harte. A bit of a revolutionary. I read his last book, a diary of the 2003 (?) All-Ireland success. The Nordies brought training to a new level in the last decade and he was one of the leaders in this field. He is an inspiring character.
However, the book I expect to top my list is called 'Working on a Dream'. It follows the Division 4 Waterford footballers around every twist and turn on the backroads of the All-Ireland football Championship. Led by the maverick character that is John Kiely, you can be sure the stories will be plentiful and filled with colour. I saw them play Cork in May in Dungarvan and you'd never believe he was an inter county manager as he trapsed across the pitch in his work boots, jeans and Waterford rugby style top.
We can all relate to these lads. You only play for Waterford footballers if you really love the game and your County. There's nothing sexy about playing the likes of Kilkenny in football's basement battles. They plough on with great endeavour though, despite the impoverished conditions which they are often exposed too. The purity of their approach and their love for Waterford is summed up for me in one passage. In the book, player Cillian O'Keeffe, recalls receiving a circular email from Donal Og. It was at the height of the Cork strike and sought to rally support for the players from their GPA colleagues around the country. O'Keeffe emailed a response: "Stop sending me this rubbish. Either go back and play with your county or retire!"
They all promise to be thoroughly enjoyable reads, giving us real insight into the life of an inter county player and the struggles attached. I'll buy them all, but Cody can wait another year.
Monday, October 26, 2009
When Its Good Its Great
When Championship time roles round the excuses begin to dry up and heads pop out from under every stone. Brian O'Regan used to goad the lads at home, heralding their return with his favourite phrase; 'ye smell a medal ye f**kers!' Different country, same behaviour. We had two of our most energetic sessions in months last Saturday and tonight.
Determined to enjoy the calm I have found in the last few months, I have cruised through the last few weeks and enjoyed each session. I even did the unheard of and allowed us play indoor soccer on some occassions. Of course, all the time I wondered why the numbers at girls training were so good, when they didn't even have a trainer alot of nights! Maybe thats the hint!! Seriously though, they all work in the same areas as the lads but still go out of their way to train. This is one reason why training girls can be more rewarding. When they commit to something, they show up religiously, listen and put in effort.
They don't miss training because they are eating Tiramasu (I'm going easy on you Rochey) or because they can't pull themselves together on a Saturday morning (i'm looking at you Hudson....and you too Ollie after I heard you live with him). They don't turn up and get sick after the warm-up either 'Star'. Still, as I say, I'm in a happy place. When Sheanon texts and says he can't make training because he has to be at work at 8 the next morning, I no longer rise to the bait.
Back to training. Saturday mornings are an awful time for it and its important to keep their concentration the entire time or their minds will wander. Gill and Clux were assigned warm-up duty with the clear direction to set a lively tone. We rattled through a series of competitive conditioned games with the minimum rest time.
Tonight was the same. A few ball drills and then straight into it. Fellas look lively and energetic. We've one session left on Wednesday night to ensure we carry that into the final tournament of the year in Maastricht. My only concern is that they don't have a resevoir of hard work and pain built up. That was the difference between Paris and ourselves on the last two occassions. They have the drive and the will. Say what you want, it makes a difference.
Our approach will be a pressure free one on Saturday. Just go out and play ball. Move it and yourself at pace. Block scores, kick scores, get the ball. We shouldn't win but we might just win. Why not? The pressure is on the rest and we have it in our locker to upset the best of them.
Determined to enjoy the calm I have found in the last few months, I have cruised through the last few weeks and enjoyed each session. I even did the unheard of and allowed us play indoor soccer on some occassions. Of course, all the time I wondered why the numbers at girls training were so good, when they didn't even have a trainer alot of nights! Maybe thats the hint!! Seriously though, they all work in the same areas as the lads but still go out of their way to train. This is one reason why training girls can be more rewarding. When they commit to something, they show up religiously, listen and put in effort.
They don't miss training because they are eating Tiramasu (I'm going easy on you Rochey) or because they can't pull themselves together on a Saturday morning (i'm looking at you Hudson....and you too Ollie after I heard you live with him). They don't turn up and get sick after the warm-up either 'Star'. Still, as I say, I'm in a happy place. When Sheanon texts and says he can't make training because he has to be at work at 8 the next morning, I no longer rise to the bait.
Back to training. Saturday mornings are an awful time for it and its important to keep their concentration the entire time or their minds will wander. Gill and Clux were assigned warm-up duty with the clear direction to set a lively tone. We rattled through a series of competitive conditioned games with the minimum rest time.
Tonight was the same. A few ball drills and then straight into it. Fellas look lively and energetic. We've one session left on Wednesday night to ensure we carry that into the final tournament of the year in Maastricht. My only concern is that they don't have a resevoir of hard work and pain built up. That was the difference between Paris and ourselves on the last two occassions. They have the drive and the will. Say what you want, it makes a difference.
Our approach will be a pressure free one on Saturday. Just go out and play ball. Move it and yourself at pace. Block scores, kick scores, get the ball. We shouldn't win but we might just win. Why not? The pressure is on the rest and we have it in our locker to upset the best of them.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Bound By The Pre-Match Ritual
Jim Butler. The most famous thing he ever did on a hockey pitch was, when 2-0 down against CofI in the last game of the 2000 (?) season, he stepped up to take a penalty stroke. It was supposed to breath life into our quest for the great escape. His shot dribbled against the post. Butler was lucky though, his deficiences were compensated by the mixed bag of talents surrounding him. We came back and grabbed the winner in the closing moments when a diving Elmer connected with a cross. UCC survived against the odds.
Jim liked the nightlife and was a dependable wingman, whatever the night, whatever the occassion. What amused me though, was from Saturday through Thursday he used to lead a red bull and vodka fuelled existence. However, once Thursday morning arrived, it was water, pasta and all that craic, in preparation for the big game on a Saturday. I think I tried to debate with him on occassion, about the value of this inconsistent behaviour. It never worked for me anyway as my body didn't like the instant change and deprevation of Four Star Pizza. The one point I could agree on was the value of abstaining from drink though.
During those UCC days we had an elaborate set of fines laid out which were applied to missing training, drinking on a Thursday/Friday before a match, being late, mobile phones during team talks and that kind a jazz. We also had ones for indiscipline on the pitch, which were often referred to the committee! It was good craic though and we'd drink the proceeds on an appointed occassion.
However, the hockey season was my off season from G.A.A. and I liked to loosen the the grip on the social life a little. I was a regular in Fast Eddies and Redz those days and they were safe havens on Thursday nights. I used to run into Andy Barber regularily and occassionally Eoinzy. They were inevitably drinking so our secret was safe. The only time I nearly slipped was a weekend when we were due to travel to Monkstown in The Irish Senior Cup. I can't remember where i ended up on the Thursday night but I had to be at The Star by noon on the Friday to get the bus. I just made it and instantly cited a bad flu to explain my demeanour after arriving.
I'd say I could count on one hand the times I've drank anything the night before a game though. One occassion was when we were due to play Courceys in 2001 in the league final. It was the last weekend before Christmas and the hockey had just finished for the winter break. The girls were out and there was probably one who had pricked my interest and that was sufficient to engage me. We ended up in Redz but I was still probably in bed for three.
The game was in Kinsale the next morning at 11h30 so i hopped in the car and headed bown from Brookfield. It was a sh1tty morning; wet and windy. Perfect for blowing the cobwebs off and even better for a back who was marking the speedster David Hayes. The game went well, we won and I survived in tact. I'd injured my ankle after the South-East final so it was one of my first games back. The hangover factor was probabaly a blessing as it took my mind off the ankle.
I don't really remember any other instances where i strayed. Mentally, I just can't do it. Not even one or two. On St. Stephens Day the UCC old boys play the current XI and i wouldn't even drink on Christmas Day purely because of that. Totally over the top i know but I play sport to enjoy it and i enjoy it more when i play well. Rocking up with a hangover is one good way to try and ensure you won't do either.
It was only when I moved to Belgium and was going home to visit that I realised how many lads would be in The White Lady the night before games. I was disgusted but there ya go.
Even though the sporting realm within which I operate in Belgium will never mean as much to me or motivate me the way playing with UCC or Kinsale did, I still follow the same approach. I left work late on Friday evening and the traffic had died down. Brussels is the kind of place where everyone heads out of at the weekend and leave deserted streets behind. Still, the feeling takes hold of you as you drive down the road to Shuman roundabout and swing right past the Commission in the direction of watering holes such as The Hairy Canary and The Oak. Those wintry after work pints in the warmth of the bar. I love the thought of it but I kept on my way up Rue Franklin.
It was worth it on Saturday as FC Irlande seconds won a top of the table clash away at Pharma. I played in the holding midfield role; a negative and destructive job! Whatever about how I played, I felt good, was able to bomb around the place and thoroughly enjoyed the many pints after. The day will come for those wintry pints but for now those old habits live on.
Jim liked the nightlife and was a dependable wingman, whatever the night, whatever the occassion. What amused me though, was from Saturday through Thursday he used to lead a red bull and vodka fuelled existence. However, once Thursday morning arrived, it was water, pasta and all that craic, in preparation for the big game on a Saturday. I think I tried to debate with him on occassion, about the value of this inconsistent behaviour. It never worked for me anyway as my body didn't like the instant change and deprevation of Four Star Pizza. The one point I could agree on was the value of abstaining from drink though.
During those UCC days we had an elaborate set of fines laid out which were applied to missing training, drinking on a Thursday/Friday before a match, being late, mobile phones during team talks and that kind a jazz. We also had ones for indiscipline on the pitch, which were often referred to the committee! It was good craic though and we'd drink the proceeds on an appointed occassion.
However, the hockey season was my off season from G.A.A. and I liked to loosen the the grip on the social life a little. I was a regular in Fast Eddies and Redz those days and they were safe havens on Thursday nights. I used to run into Andy Barber regularily and occassionally Eoinzy. They were inevitably drinking so our secret was safe. The only time I nearly slipped was a weekend when we were due to travel to Monkstown in The Irish Senior Cup. I can't remember where i ended up on the Thursday night but I had to be at The Star by noon on the Friday to get the bus. I just made it and instantly cited a bad flu to explain my demeanour after arriving.
I'd say I could count on one hand the times I've drank anything the night before a game though. One occassion was when we were due to play Courceys in 2001 in the league final. It was the last weekend before Christmas and the hockey had just finished for the winter break. The girls were out and there was probably one who had pricked my interest and that was sufficient to engage me. We ended up in Redz but I was still probably in bed for three.
The game was in Kinsale the next morning at 11h30 so i hopped in the car and headed bown from Brookfield. It was a sh1tty morning; wet and windy. Perfect for blowing the cobwebs off and even better for a back who was marking the speedster David Hayes. The game went well, we won and I survived in tact. I'd injured my ankle after the South-East final so it was one of my first games back. The hangover factor was probabaly a blessing as it took my mind off the ankle.
I don't really remember any other instances where i strayed. Mentally, I just can't do it. Not even one or two. On St. Stephens Day the UCC old boys play the current XI and i wouldn't even drink on Christmas Day purely because of that. Totally over the top i know but I play sport to enjoy it and i enjoy it more when i play well. Rocking up with a hangover is one good way to try and ensure you won't do either.
It was only when I moved to Belgium and was going home to visit that I realised how many lads would be in The White Lady the night before games. I was disgusted but there ya go.
Even though the sporting realm within which I operate in Belgium will never mean as much to me or motivate me the way playing with UCC or Kinsale did, I still follow the same approach. I left work late on Friday evening and the traffic had died down. Brussels is the kind of place where everyone heads out of at the weekend and leave deserted streets behind. Still, the feeling takes hold of you as you drive down the road to Shuman roundabout and swing right past the Commission in the direction of watering holes such as The Hairy Canary and The Oak. Those wintry after work pints in the warmth of the bar. I love the thought of it but I kept on my way up Rue Franklin.
It was worth it on Saturday as FC Irlande seconds won a top of the table clash away at Pharma. I played in the holding midfield role; a negative and destructive job! Whatever about how I played, I felt good, was able to bomb around the place and thoroughly enjoyed the many pints after. The day will come for those wintry pints but for now those old habits live on.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Earning Your Stripes
This entry has been a while in the making and the fury with which it was first conceived has since subsided. Myself and Ricky were in the jacks in The Greyhound one night in August and were joined by Wardy, Brian C and maybe Peter Fitz. They are the young generation who are making their way on the Intermediate team for the last year or two. Myself and Ricky have long gone and these fellas would have only been giddy pups when we were around.
There was a bit of banter flying and then they managed to get an almighty rise out of us when they referred to us as 'Junior Footballers'. If anything were to light our fuse it was going to be these young fellas making a remark like this. We've had two very good Minor teams, of which these lads were part of, who have now come through and given new impetus to our Intermediates. However, the timing of their arrival allowed them bypass the mine field that is the Cork Junior Football Championship.
From 1997 through to 2005 we were knocking on the door but couldn't find the key. There is one major difference between the Junior and Intermediate format. The Intermediate is an open draw so you can play a team from anywhere in the County. This offers games which generally don't have the embedded local spite and so allow for more attractive, free flowing football.
However, the Junior structure is different as it is split according to the 8 geographically determined Divisions. The winners progress to the County section quarter-finals and need to win that to go up. It’s the local Divisional games which are probably the biggest hurdle to achieving success in any grade in the County. I've seen fellas blow their nose in opponent’s jerseys, spit, pull hair and do an assortment of other unsavoury things, at a fair more frequent rate than in County section games.
We had some monumental battles over the years. The '97 final went to a replay against the Courceys. I don't remember was it the first or the second game but in one, a massive brawl broke out on our sideline with subs, mentors and players swinging. I was on the bank that time and watched with amusement when, in another incident, two Courcey players lay panned out about twenty metres from eachother. The culprit, a Kinsale man, stood somewhere in between the two bodies. Local games are riddled with intensity and a deep sense of local pride. Fellas were often schooled together, grew up playing against each other and generally found themselves rubbing shoulders in The White Lady on a Saturday night. All heightens the rivalry.
In '98, a spectacular performance from Jeremy O'Donovan wasn't enough to get past Crosshaven in the final. Ricky made his debut as a minor that day, at wing-back I think. In '99 we got revenge on the Courceys in the semi-final. It was my debut and this time Ricky found himself in the forward line, just off a flight from America. We would have been hot favourites for the final against Tracton but against the run of play, Gerry Murphy had to kick a massive last gasp score. Tough tackling epitomised the occasion with Barry Gray stretchered off in the first half and spending the rest of the game lying flat out on the dressing room floor. Having overcome Muskerry champions Canovee, we were blitzed by an Ilen Rovers team, laden with Cork players, in the Semi Final. If ever confirmation of the strength of the Junior ranks in Cork was needed, the fact this team could not clear the last hurdle is it.
On to 2000 and our team was in disarray as the Courcies beat us. Controversial team selections and some fortunate goals saw us trudge out of Ballygarven having lost another Divisional final. We regrouped in 2001 though and on a red hot day in Brinny, we turned around a 0-7 to 0-1 half-time deficit to win a fantastically intense final. Ricky was centre back that day. We marched through a replay against Mitchelstown and on to a semi final against Adrigole. They were led by Cork starlet Brendan Jer O'Sullivan. Kenny marauded up and down the wing, Ricky frustrated Brendan Jer into a red card and we headed for a rematch in Bandon against Ilen Rovers. Two years on from our last meeting, Ilen still hadn't climbed the mountain. 1-04 to 0-7 at half-time; the holy grail was in sight. It was Ilen who climbed the steps and picked up the cup though. They would march through subsequent Championship campaigns and run Nemo close in a Senior final. We had to go back to a first round Divisonal clash with Ballinhassig the following May.
It’s difficult to make you understand how hard it is to get out of the Junior ranks and what a mortal blow it is when you get so close but are sent packing all the back to the beginning. We went to a replay against Ballinhassig in round 1 in 2002. They barely play any football but like nothing more than taking the scalp of the seasiders from Kinsale. We huffed and puffed back to the final. Courceys were knocked along the way but not before Gearoid Condon landed a haymaker on one of the Hayes. He got the line.
Ballygarvan in Carrigaline and another trip behind the pipe band. A poxy goal set them on the way. We were riddled with injury and running on empty. They had the momentum having won a Minor county in recent years. Driven on by Ger Spillane and brother Joe, they had too much for us. They ultimately bowed to Carbery Rangers, Ilen's successors in the Carbery Divion. Again, they were a talented outfit. Cork players Michael O'Sullivan, Kevin McMahon and John Hayes (along with his talented brothers and cousins) send the 'Garvan back to the start line.
2003 was a blow out. So many broken dreams and long roads to nowhere travelled, the tank and the mind were empty. We exited to Shamrocks in one of the worst Championship games I was ever involved in. They put three men on Gerry Murphy and we had no plan B. I sat out the 2004 season for various reasons (saving it for the book!!) and can't quite remember at which point we failed but it was the semi at latest.
Gerry Murphy had the manager's reign in 2005 and there was a freshness about the whole thing. We'd brought very little through since 2001 but the hunger was back. Something like 5 points down to Ballinhassig with ten minutes to go in the Quarter-final, we never had to dig so deep. Our goalkeeper Andy's quad went in the second half and i think Mick Sull was struggling with an injury. I was on kick-out duty and was barely finding the half-back line. Who stepped up? Ricky O'Hanlon, with his brotherly sidekick Fergal 'The Horse'. We charged on to a final in Riverstick. The pitch was heavy, the wind blowing the rain around it, all contributing to an awful game. I watched the game on DVD after and it was dire stuff but full of commitment. We snuck through.
On to play Ballyclough in the quarter-final. Led by Cork youths Colm O'Neill and Paul O'Flynn, we went to a replay before advancing. Gerry Murphy, who held himself on the line all year, came out of retirement in the County section. The pounding he was receiving in the Divisional games pushed him towards retirement in 2003. However, he was a surprise package that year in the County section and sprung himself when required. The luck was on our side that year and it was the one when, after nine gut wrenching campaigns, that we stepped up to Intermediate ranks.
You surely can't grasp the intensity with which some of those games were played. We laboured past Valley Rovers second team a couple of years, when we would have been a match for their Intermediate team. We played our best football outside the Division but those games were inevitably played in atrocious wintry conditions when an unfortunate slip could be the difference.
I intentionally focused on Ricky on a number of occasions. His versatility saw him line out in around seven or more positions through those campaigns. He was on the first Underdog team which launched Kieran Donaghy's career. He fought as much as anyone to achieve Intermediate status.
When we came back down the stairs after the banter with the young fellas we rejoined Gerry Murphy and some of the lads. His disgust matched mine as he proclaimed that fellas hadn't proved themselves by beating Courceys in a first round Intermediate Championship, instead they needed to do it in a melting pot like a South-East final. A significant comment from a man who scaled the height s when captaining Laune Rangers to an All-Ireland club in 1996.
In fairness, the young fellas were probably just winding us up to a certain extent. They are at a loss because they didn't get the experience of those character building wars on the local battlefields. If there were there, it would surely heighten their commitment to sustaining and improving on our Intermediate ranking. Without it, they must bring the momentum of underage success to the table. They are in a privileged position; one which myself and Ricky covet. They have a responsibility to do everything they can to progress things on from here. I hope they understand.
There was a bit of banter flying and then they managed to get an almighty rise out of us when they referred to us as 'Junior Footballers'. If anything were to light our fuse it was going to be these young fellas making a remark like this. We've had two very good Minor teams, of which these lads were part of, who have now come through and given new impetus to our Intermediates. However, the timing of their arrival allowed them bypass the mine field that is the Cork Junior Football Championship.
From 1997 through to 2005 we were knocking on the door but couldn't find the key. There is one major difference between the Junior and Intermediate format. The Intermediate is an open draw so you can play a team from anywhere in the County. This offers games which generally don't have the embedded local spite and so allow for more attractive, free flowing football.
However, the Junior structure is different as it is split according to the 8 geographically determined Divisions. The winners progress to the County section quarter-finals and need to win that to go up. It’s the local Divisional games which are probably the biggest hurdle to achieving success in any grade in the County. I've seen fellas blow their nose in opponent’s jerseys, spit, pull hair and do an assortment of other unsavoury things, at a fair more frequent rate than in County section games.
We had some monumental battles over the years. The '97 final went to a replay against the Courceys. I don't remember was it the first or the second game but in one, a massive brawl broke out on our sideline with subs, mentors and players swinging. I was on the bank that time and watched with amusement when, in another incident, two Courcey players lay panned out about twenty metres from eachother. The culprit, a Kinsale man, stood somewhere in between the two bodies. Local games are riddled with intensity and a deep sense of local pride. Fellas were often schooled together, grew up playing against each other and generally found themselves rubbing shoulders in The White Lady on a Saturday night. All heightens the rivalry.
In '98, a spectacular performance from Jeremy O'Donovan wasn't enough to get past Crosshaven in the final. Ricky made his debut as a minor that day, at wing-back I think. In '99 we got revenge on the Courceys in the semi-final. It was my debut and this time Ricky found himself in the forward line, just off a flight from America. We would have been hot favourites for the final against Tracton but against the run of play, Gerry Murphy had to kick a massive last gasp score. Tough tackling epitomised the occasion with Barry Gray stretchered off in the first half and spending the rest of the game lying flat out on the dressing room floor. Having overcome Muskerry champions Canovee, we were blitzed by an Ilen Rovers team, laden with Cork players, in the Semi Final. If ever confirmation of the strength of the Junior ranks in Cork was needed, the fact this team could not clear the last hurdle is it.
On to 2000 and our team was in disarray as the Courcies beat us. Controversial team selections and some fortunate goals saw us trudge out of Ballygarven having lost another Divisional final. We regrouped in 2001 though and on a red hot day in Brinny, we turned around a 0-7 to 0-1 half-time deficit to win a fantastically intense final. Ricky was centre back that day. We marched through a replay against Mitchelstown and on to a semi final against Adrigole. They were led by Cork starlet Brendan Jer O'Sullivan. Kenny marauded up and down the wing, Ricky frustrated Brendan Jer into a red card and we headed for a rematch in Bandon against Ilen Rovers. Two years on from our last meeting, Ilen still hadn't climbed the mountain. 1-04 to 0-7 at half-time; the holy grail was in sight. It was Ilen who climbed the steps and picked up the cup though. They would march through subsequent Championship campaigns and run Nemo close in a Senior final. We had to go back to a first round Divisonal clash with Ballinhassig the following May.
It’s difficult to make you understand how hard it is to get out of the Junior ranks and what a mortal blow it is when you get so close but are sent packing all the back to the beginning. We went to a replay against Ballinhassig in round 1 in 2002. They barely play any football but like nothing more than taking the scalp of the seasiders from Kinsale. We huffed and puffed back to the final. Courceys were knocked along the way but not before Gearoid Condon landed a haymaker on one of the Hayes. He got the line.
Ballygarvan in Carrigaline and another trip behind the pipe band. A poxy goal set them on the way. We were riddled with injury and running on empty. They had the momentum having won a Minor county in recent years. Driven on by Ger Spillane and brother Joe, they had too much for us. They ultimately bowed to Carbery Rangers, Ilen's successors in the Carbery Divion. Again, they were a talented outfit. Cork players Michael O'Sullivan, Kevin McMahon and John Hayes (along with his talented brothers and cousins) send the 'Garvan back to the start line.
2003 was a blow out. So many broken dreams and long roads to nowhere travelled, the tank and the mind were empty. We exited to Shamrocks in one of the worst Championship games I was ever involved in. They put three men on Gerry Murphy and we had no plan B. I sat out the 2004 season for various reasons (saving it for the book!!) and can't quite remember at which point we failed but it was the semi at latest.
Gerry Murphy had the manager's reign in 2005 and there was a freshness about the whole thing. We'd brought very little through since 2001 but the hunger was back. Something like 5 points down to Ballinhassig with ten minutes to go in the Quarter-final, we never had to dig so deep. Our goalkeeper Andy's quad went in the second half and i think Mick Sull was struggling with an injury. I was on kick-out duty and was barely finding the half-back line. Who stepped up? Ricky O'Hanlon, with his brotherly sidekick Fergal 'The Horse'. We charged on to a final in Riverstick. The pitch was heavy, the wind blowing the rain around it, all contributing to an awful game. I watched the game on DVD after and it was dire stuff but full of commitment. We snuck through.
On to play Ballyclough in the quarter-final. Led by Cork youths Colm O'Neill and Paul O'Flynn, we went to a replay before advancing. Gerry Murphy, who held himself on the line all year, came out of retirement in the County section. The pounding he was receiving in the Divisional games pushed him towards retirement in 2003. However, he was a surprise package that year in the County section and sprung himself when required. The luck was on our side that year and it was the one when, after nine gut wrenching campaigns, that we stepped up to Intermediate ranks.
You surely can't grasp the intensity with which some of those games were played. We laboured past Valley Rovers second team a couple of years, when we would have been a match for their Intermediate team. We played our best football outside the Division but those games were inevitably played in atrocious wintry conditions when an unfortunate slip could be the difference.
I intentionally focused on Ricky on a number of occasions. His versatility saw him line out in around seven or more positions through those campaigns. He was on the first Underdog team which launched Kieran Donaghy's career. He fought as much as anyone to achieve Intermediate status.
When we came back down the stairs after the banter with the young fellas we rejoined Gerry Murphy and some of the lads. His disgust matched mine as he proclaimed that fellas hadn't proved themselves by beating Courceys in a first round Intermediate Championship, instead they needed to do it in a melting pot like a South-East final. A significant comment from a man who scaled the height s when captaining Laune Rangers to an All-Ireland club in 1996.
In fairness, the young fellas were probably just winding us up to a certain extent. They are at a loss because they didn't get the experience of those character building wars on the local battlefields. If there were there, it would surely heighten their commitment to sustaining and improving on our Intermediate ranking. Without it, they must bring the momentum of underage success to the table. They are in a privileged position; one which myself and Ricky covet. They have a responsibility to do everything they can to progress things on from here. I hope they understand.
Gimmicks et al
SAQ training became a bit of a rage in the late 90's, early 00's. SAQ stands for Speed, Agility, Quickness and is considered by many to be a more appropriate alternative to old fashioned methods like laps, for improving players fitness, speed, strength etc. In the past I attended the Foundation, Level 1 and Conditioning courses with my brother and fellow Kinsale club man Gearoid Condon, under the tutelage of Jim Kilty. Whilst I was deeply suspicious that the course was more of a roadshow whereby Jim demonstrated different things using his expensive equipment with the ultimate view of boosting sales, I was still impressed.
I was first introduced to this style of training by Eddie Kirwan when he was training us in U.C.C. Alot of people were sceptical about it at the beginning, mainly because we had been so stuck in old methods. Eddie was taking the same approach with Nemo footballers and confirmed that they also had their concerns initially. When implemented properly you have very short, snappy warm ups. Dynamic stretches, short bursts of game specific movements and small sided games to prepare the body for full on training. The running aspect of training focuses on multi-dimensional sprints involving changing direction, controlling speed by quicken your stride and slowing it down and improving agility. Ladders, hurdles etc are used to improve your technique and quicken your feet.
Regular fears from players would be that because they have not gone through their regular few laps and long stretches for warm-ups that they will pull muscles. It's a change of mindset that is required. In a game you will make sharp sudden movements and your muscles need to be prepared for this. If you buy into it, you will understand that 3/4 second stretches are actually more appropriate to prepare your muscles for what they are about to do. Moving on to the fitness aspect of the training, guys need to understand that a game is made up of a serious of runs varying in length and speed. You will jog, stride, sprint, jog, stride etc. Never will you be asked to run twenty laps in a game. So, if you simulate the amount, distance etc of runs that you expect a player to make in a game, tailor your regime to meet that, then you should have a better prepared player. Of course, the whole thing can be explained much more scientifically but that is the jist of it.
During a winter of discontent back around 2003, we were left trainerless in early January. I enlisted the help of Trevor Collins, who had been a teacher in my school. Trev would be well linked into coaching through the IRFU and had all the gadgets and gizmos that accompany the SAQ model. I found the training brilliant, intense and sport specific. In that league campaign our movement was as good as I ever seen it and we racked up some massive scores. For whatever reasons, Trev wasn't around come the summer and we fell to one of our most embarrassing Championship exits on a windy day down in Crosshaven. We should have built on the early season work but didn't. Still, from training under Eddie and Trev, I was sold on its value and took the courses in parallel.
Since then, i've always tried to bring a SAQ element to training. It has been less successful in Brussels even though it was generally well receieved by the players. With FC Irlande you simply could not do it with the quantity of players involved; sometimes up to 50. You would need too much equipment and would not be able to give enough attention to fellas who were struggling with the technique. Also, you have such a turnover of players that you would be constantly trying to teach fellas and they would, by no fault of their own, disrupt to fluidity of the drill.
At the beginning of this year, we did a good bit of ladders with the G.A.A. lads. Again turnover is a problem but the consistency fellas show up is also an important factor. In my opinion, to see the improvement from SAQ, you need to be training at least twice a week on a regular basis. When fellas do get a run of it you can see the improvement in their footwork expecially. I lessened the focus as the months went on because of the reasons I just mentioned not being aligned. However, in the last week or so, to try and bring some freshness to the sessions as the long season draws to a close, I've brought back in elements of it.
My personal favourites are the breakaway belts. Positioned in a grid the size of a badminton court, both you and your parter put on nylon belts, with a velcro tag hanging out of it. A piece of nylon cord connects both of you by attaching to the velcro. One player is a defender and the other an attacker (he holds the ball). The attacker must try and break the connection by evading the defender. He can move sideways, backwards, forwards but cannot turn and run away from him. Its all about footwork. While all this is going on though, the defender is trying to slap the ball out of the attacker's hands. There is no soloing or hopping, he just has to hold the ball. We do it in thirty second bursts and it is very aggressive and very intense. The lads love it, even if a few stray slaps come their way.
Last nights session worked on speed and footwork, with a bit of handling thrown in. These drills don't exhaust the lungs but if done properly will make the muscles in the legs burn. They also tap into the mind as you need to do a bit more thinking about the requirements of the drills. Our concentration levels are generally quite poor so last night we tried to make fellas think all the time. After each bit of running we would do some different exercises to keep the brain ticking over. One involves a small ball that would fit in the palm of your hand, which has bumps sticking out of it. You throw it at the ground in front of your partner and he must catch it before it hits the ground again. The bounce of the ball is difficult to predict so you need to adjust you feet quickly and have good hand-eye coordination. It's another enjoyable drill to make the most of the 'rest' time.
I was first introduced to this style of training by Eddie Kirwan when he was training us in U.C.C. Alot of people were sceptical about it at the beginning, mainly because we had been so stuck in old methods. Eddie was taking the same approach with Nemo footballers and confirmed that they also had their concerns initially. When implemented properly you have very short, snappy warm ups. Dynamic stretches, short bursts of game specific movements and small sided games to prepare the body for full on training. The running aspect of training focuses on multi-dimensional sprints involving changing direction, controlling speed by quicken your stride and slowing it down and improving agility. Ladders, hurdles etc are used to improve your technique and quicken your feet.
Regular fears from players would be that because they have not gone through their regular few laps and long stretches for warm-ups that they will pull muscles. It's a change of mindset that is required. In a game you will make sharp sudden movements and your muscles need to be prepared for this. If you buy into it, you will understand that 3/4 second stretches are actually more appropriate to prepare your muscles for what they are about to do. Moving on to the fitness aspect of the training, guys need to understand that a game is made up of a serious of runs varying in length and speed. You will jog, stride, sprint, jog, stride etc. Never will you be asked to run twenty laps in a game. So, if you simulate the amount, distance etc of runs that you expect a player to make in a game, tailor your regime to meet that, then you should have a better prepared player. Of course, the whole thing can be explained much more scientifically but that is the jist of it.
During a winter of discontent back around 2003, we were left trainerless in early January. I enlisted the help of Trevor Collins, who had been a teacher in my school. Trev would be well linked into coaching through the IRFU and had all the gadgets and gizmos that accompany the SAQ model. I found the training brilliant, intense and sport specific. In that league campaign our movement was as good as I ever seen it and we racked up some massive scores. For whatever reasons, Trev wasn't around come the summer and we fell to one of our most embarrassing Championship exits on a windy day down in Crosshaven. We should have built on the early season work but didn't. Still, from training under Eddie and Trev, I was sold on its value and took the courses in parallel.
Since then, i've always tried to bring a SAQ element to training. It has been less successful in Brussels even though it was generally well receieved by the players. With FC Irlande you simply could not do it with the quantity of players involved; sometimes up to 50. You would need too much equipment and would not be able to give enough attention to fellas who were struggling with the technique. Also, you have such a turnover of players that you would be constantly trying to teach fellas and they would, by no fault of their own, disrupt to fluidity of the drill.
At the beginning of this year, we did a good bit of ladders with the G.A.A. lads. Again turnover is a problem but the consistency fellas show up is also an important factor. In my opinion, to see the improvement from SAQ, you need to be training at least twice a week on a regular basis. When fellas do get a run of it you can see the improvement in their footwork expecially. I lessened the focus as the months went on because of the reasons I just mentioned not being aligned. However, in the last week or so, to try and bring some freshness to the sessions as the long season draws to a close, I've brought back in elements of it.
My personal favourites are the breakaway belts. Positioned in a grid the size of a badminton court, both you and your parter put on nylon belts, with a velcro tag hanging out of it. A piece of nylon cord connects both of you by attaching to the velcro. One player is a defender and the other an attacker (he holds the ball). The attacker must try and break the connection by evading the defender. He can move sideways, backwards, forwards but cannot turn and run away from him. Its all about footwork. While all this is going on though, the defender is trying to slap the ball out of the attacker's hands. There is no soloing or hopping, he just has to hold the ball. We do it in thirty second bursts and it is very aggressive and very intense. The lads love it, even if a few stray slaps come their way.
Last nights session worked on speed and footwork, with a bit of handling thrown in. These drills don't exhaust the lungs but if done properly will make the muscles in the legs burn. They also tap into the mind as you need to do a bit more thinking about the requirements of the drills. Our concentration levels are generally quite poor so last night we tried to make fellas think all the time. After each bit of running we would do some different exercises to keep the brain ticking over. One involves a small ball that would fit in the palm of your hand, which has bumps sticking out of it. You throw it at the ground in front of your partner and he must catch it before it hits the ground again. The bounce of the ball is difficult to predict so you need to adjust you feet quickly and have good hand-eye coordination. It's another enjoyable drill to make the most of the 'rest' time.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Perfect Game
Most of my football days in Kinsale were spent occupying the corner back slot. Barry Gray once praised my versatility as a footballer, saying I could play in the left or the right corner!! When I was up to the age at minor I'd have played midfield. At a similar stage of my U-21 lifespan, I'd have lined out at centre back but would ultimately end up playing a 'sweeper' roll from corner back when Championship came round. My adult debut came against Ballincollig at wing forward and I slotted over a point with one of my first touches. There were other, infrequent assignments which gave me a release but my destiny lay inside a #2 or #4 geansai.
When I was coming through we must have had ten or twelve backs vying for just six slots. Kenny and Lyndon were regularly around Cork Minor, U-21 and Junior panels, Michael O'Leary captained our '98 Minor team, Ricky was an Underdog, Brian O'Connell won a Sigerson with Queens, Keohane and Mick Sull were genuine Senior footballers, Brian 'Corcoran' was a versatile animal of a defender. There were others who would have found their best position in defence too, fellas like the Buckleys and later Rich Sull, Mark Coughlan and Conor Lane. Don't let me forget Cian Quigley, Colm Mac or former Nemo stalwarth Tony Griffen. It was an unbelievable selection of backs to choose from and catering for us all was not possible, even if we were repositioned further out the field.
In that company, I was happy to sneak in anywhere and it was the right corner where it all started. Once Mick Sull joined the ranks I was moved to the left and he took #2. It was a bit bizarre as I was right footed and he was left footed. Our strongest six was probably in the County final year of 2001. Mick Sull, Lyndon and myself in the full back line, fronted by Kenny, Ricky and Keohane. We knew each other inside out after winning Minor and U-21 South-Easts in previous years.
In '05 the full back line was still intact. We complimented each other very well; Lyndon was a powerhouse, Mick Sull a calm commanding presence and then me sweeping in front and behind them. Between us we were equipped for most types of forwards and that year we were all thrown into the fire at some point. Mick Sull would become well acquainted with Vincy Hurley and Michael O'Donovan in the South-East final while I was assigned to follow Seamus Hayes around Riverstick. In the quarter-final against Ballyclough I was despatched to deal with Colm O'Neill. He was only 17 then but you could see the potential. In the semi it was Lyndon who got the honour, taking up the task of marking Fergus Murphy. I wondered about the logic in some of the assignments at times but the fact the selectors trusted us all with different jobs gave us confidence. I loved the buzz when we were all on form, beating our men and watching each others backs.
People look down on the job of corner back but my counter was always, who is the opposition’s most potent attacker? Usual it is in the most attacking line of the pitch. Look at any list of scorers on a Monday morning and they will be the ones headlining. I accepted my role and motivated myself by trying to achieve one thing; what, in my head, I called 'The Perfect Game'.
I'm not sure if I ever shared this with any of the lads before. The Perfect Game would be achieved if your man didn't touch the ball and thus didn't score or assist a score. It was more than that though. A backs job doesn't start and finish with his direct opponent. The Perfect Game idea also involved playing without fear of leaving your man to support your teammate by either showing for a pass or covering his back. You had to do everything in your job spec, not just keep your man scoreless.
I came close in 2002 against Ballinhassig in the first game and the replay. I think the lad I was on might have touched the ball once, maybe twice, the first day. The replay was similar. It was a mini obsession of mine at the time and every time I took the field my goals were centred around achieving that.
As backs, we got great advice along the way. I remember Tony Griffen telling us to race our man to the ball, Humphrey Moynihan preaching about getting a hand or a foot on it and deny the man possession. Simple things but they stroke a cord. Buckley and O’Connell brought they experiences too. Marking fells like the Humph, Farrissey and Gerry Murphy at training was invaluable also. Their movement, cuteness and devilment made you think through your game.
It's up there, where all the thinking goes on, that you need to always develop as a player. Reading the game was one of the key things for me to overcome a pace deficiency! The corner back needs to be the corner forward; watch the spaces opening up, watch the body shape of the man in possession, think out the next move before your man does. Is it going to come in high or low, is the guy on his strong foot or weak foot? If you've processed all this quickly then you don't need to be fast or strong because when the crowd’s eyes shift to follow the flight of the ball, you will be standing there, looking like the beneficiary of an act of luck. There's nothing lucky about it though. Against weaker players it will play out like that, they will kick you the ball because they can't adjust their thinking quickly enough to identify a Plan B. Against a better team though, the ball won't have been delivered because the player will quickly adjust. Either way it doesn't matter. Whether it be denying your man possession by getting to the ball first or just closing another door in the face of the ball carrier, you have done your job. What people don't understand is sometimes you don’t have to touch the ball as a corner back to have a great game, if you win the game of chess then you have also made your contribution to the team.
The lads used to rib me about never kicking the ball. I probably went months of matches only taking a few kicks. It didn't bother me though. Win possession, give it off, go again, give it off again, retreat. Keep it all very simple. I couldn't play there again I don't think. The concentration level over an hour is too high for too few touches of the ball. I was conditioned to it back then, dedicated to my obsession.
You must remember though, you can't play The Perfect Game without the contribution of those around you. I had two massive battles in Pairc Ui Rinn with O'Neill but the pressure on the ball coming in was immense and Buckley's deep lying play provided the cover. At the same venue in '02 I was at sea when James O'Shea made a right prick out of me. That night the cover was AWOL and I was cleaned out.
The corner is unforgiving. You are always one misjudged ball or slip away from a green flag. Even the greatest resistance will be broken if those around you aren't pulling their weight. Rarely will you get the acclaim that a marauding wing back or sharp shooting forward will get. That's not what corner backs want though. They are bastions of a selfless art.
If I were giving a corner back advice now I’d repeat what Tony said about racing your man to the ball. I’d tell him that you have every right to win every single ball and that should be his goal. To never stop attacking the ball, never stop believing in yourself. Don’t resort to fouling as its a degrading act to the institution. The final bit and most important; demonstrate selflessness. Sometimes you must sacrifice yourself for the team. Whether that means playing a position you don’t want or whether it means leaving your man to stop a goal but concede a point. You are an important cog, but just a cog in something bigger.
When I was coming through we must have had ten or twelve backs vying for just six slots. Kenny and Lyndon were regularly around Cork Minor, U-21 and Junior panels, Michael O'Leary captained our '98 Minor team, Ricky was an Underdog, Brian O'Connell won a Sigerson with Queens, Keohane and Mick Sull were genuine Senior footballers, Brian 'Corcoran' was a versatile animal of a defender. There were others who would have found their best position in defence too, fellas like the Buckleys and later Rich Sull, Mark Coughlan and Conor Lane. Don't let me forget Cian Quigley, Colm Mac or former Nemo stalwarth Tony Griffen. It was an unbelievable selection of backs to choose from and catering for us all was not possible, even if we were repositioned further out the field.
In that company, I was happy to sneak in anywhere and it was the right corner where it all started. Once Mick Sull joined the ranks I was moved to the left and he took #2. It was a bit bizarre as I was right footed and he was left footed. Our strongest six was probably in the County final year of 2001. Mick Sull, Lyndon and myself in the full back line, fronted by Kenny, Ricky and Keohane. We knew each other inside out after winning Minor and U-21 South-Easts in previous years.
In '05 the full back line was still intact. We complimented each other very well; Lyndon was a powerhouse, Mick Sull a calm commanding presence and then me sweeping in front and behind them. Between us we were equipped for most types of forwards and that year we were all thrown into the fire at some point. Mick Sull would become well acquainted with Vincy Hurley and Michael O'Donovan in the South-East final while I was assigned to follow Seamus Hayes around Riverstick. In the quarter-final against Ballyclough I was despatched to deal with Colm O'Neill. He was only 17 then but you could see the potential. In the semi it was Lyndon who got the honour, taking up the task of marking Fergus Murphy. I wondered about the logic in some of the assignments at times but the fact the selectors trusted us all with different jobs gave us confidence. I loved the buzz when we were all on form, beating our men and watching each others backs.
People look down on the job of corner back but my counter was always, who is the opposition’s most potent attacker? Usual it is in the most attacking line of the pitch. Look at any list of scorers on a Monday morning and they will be the ones headlining. I accepted my role and motivated myself by trying to achieve one thing; what, in my head, I called 'The Perfect Game'.
I'm not sure if I ever shared this with any of the lads before. The Perfect Game would be achieved if your man didn't touch the ball and thus didn't score or assist a score. It was more than that though. A backs job doesn't start and finish with his direct opponent. The Perfect Game idea also involved playing without fear of leaving your man to support your teammate by either showing for a pass or covering his back. You had to do everything in your job spec, not just keep your man scoreless.
I came close in 2002 against Ballinhassig in the first game and the replay. I think the lad I was on might have touched the ball once, maybe twice, the first day. The replay was similar. It was a mini obsession of mine at the time and every time I took the field my goals were centred around achieving that.
As backs, we got great advice along the way. I remember Tony Griffen telling us to race our man to the ball, Humphrey Moynihan preaching about getting a hand or a foot on it and deny the man possession. Simple things but they stroke a cord. Buckley and O’Connell brought they experiences too. Marking fells like the Humph, Farrissey and Gerry Murphy at training was invaluable also. Their movement, cuteness and devilment made you think through your game.
It's up there, where all the thinking goes on, that you need to always develop as a player. Reading the game was one of the key things for me to overcome a pace deficiency! The corner back needs to be the corner forward; watch the spaces opening up, watch the body shape of the man in possession, think out the next move before your man does. Is it going to come in high or low, is the guy on his strong foot or weak foot? If you've processed all this quickly then you don't need to be fast or strong because when the crowd’s eyes shift to follow the flight of the ball, you will be standing there, looking like the beneficiary of an act of luck. There's nothing lucky about it though. Against weaker players it will play out like that, they will kick you the ball because they can't adjust their thinking quickly enough to identify a Plan B. Against a better team though, the ball won't have been delivered because the player will quickly adjust. Either way it doesn't matter. Whether it be denying your man possession by getting to the ball first or just closing another door in the face of the ball carrier, you have done your job. What people don't understand is sometimes you don’t have to touch the ball as a corner back to have a great game, if you win the game of chess then you have also made your contribution to the team.
The lads used to rib me about never kicking the ball. I probably went months of matches only taking a few kicks. It didn't bother me though. Win possession, give it off, go again, give it off again, retreat. Keep it all very simple. I couldn't play there again I don't think. The concentration level over an hour is too high for too few touches of the ball. I was conditioned to it back then, dedicated to my obsession.
You must remember though, you can't play The Perfect Game without the contribution of those around you. I had two massive battles in Pairc Ui Rinn with O'Neill but the pressure on the ball coming in was immense and Buckley's deep lying play provided the cover. At the same venue in '02 I was at sea when James O'Shea made a right prick out of me. That night the cover was AWOL and I was cleaned out.
The corner is unforgiving. You are always one misjudged ball or slip away from a green flag. Even the greatest resistance will be broken if those around you aren't pulling their weight. Rarely will you get the acclaim that a marauding wing back or sharp shooting forward will get. That's not what corner backs want though. They are bastions of a selfless art.
If I were giving a corner back advice now I’d repeat what Tony said about racing your man to the ball. I’d tell him that you have every right to win every single ball and that should be his goal. To never stop attacking the ball, never stop believing in yourself. Don’t resort to fouling as its a degrading act to the institution. The final bit and most important; demonstrate selflessness. Sometimes you must sacrifice yourself for the team. Whether that means playing a position you don’t want or whether it means leaving your man to stop a goal but concede a point. You are an important cog, but just a cog in something bigger.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Exiles Rising
Before the All-Ireland final, the only other competitive fixture the Cork footballers lost this year was away in the league up in Monaghan. Their opponents that day moved the game way out into the country where the team bus had to negotiate the toughest driving conditions. The Rebels were greeted by a tight pitch where they could nearly feel the supporters breathing on their backs. Cork had been ambushed and went home empty handed.
Parc Cinq in Brussels is a bit like that and it was there where The Exiles Cup took place today. Our opponents Tir Chonnail Gaels, 2008 British Champions, travelled by Eurostar the morning of the game. The G.A.A. put up a trophy for the occassion and the match was officiated by Will Cashin.
However, there was work to be done before throw-in. We rent our pitch and only get the key at the designated time so there is no chance to prepare the pitch or facilities beforehand. So with the gate open we quickly assembled the posts. Rochey was sent home to get ties for the nets. Whilst all this was going out there was something happening in the middle of the field which may be as good an example as you'll ever see of what the G.A.A. is all about. We've had days of rain in Brussels and our beloved pitch showed all the signs of it. Keary and Conan weren't having it though and Conan stood, rubbish bag in hand while Keary scooped water into the bag with a butter container. Classic stuff.
Our opponents looked formidable. Rochey had been checking their website the night before and informed us they were all at least 13 or 14 stone and approaching six feet tall. We were not disappointed. As we were warming up, Aylward hobbled over to me to ensure I told the lads 'not to get caught in possession....serious, don't get caught in possession against these lads!!'.
The details of the game haven't come back to me yet so this will be brief. It was close throughout. We set about crowding out their attack and gettting quick ball forward. Eoin Sheanon benefited from his and others industry as we won and he converted a high percentage of frees. We contested the sh1tty scrappy balls and didn't let them break the line too often. Hudson and Keary had to deal with alot of difficult ball in on top of them but found good support in the form of Rochey and Dave Bourke outside them.
Midfield was crowded with myself, Johnny, Olof, Colin and Enda trying to make it hard for our opponents to find space. Our trump card turned out to be our newest player. Dave Collins was sprung from the bench towards the end of the first half and was onthe scoresheet instantly. We went in at the half 0-9 to 0-9.
The Londoners got a great boost early in the second half with a goal. It originated from an off target pass from me to Eoin. Someone fouled the recipient and from the resultant free, the ball landed in our square and eventually found the net. Dave Collins went close to goal shortly after and the teams continued to exchange points. I think Rochey may have nailed a couple, maybe Johnny too. We got right back into it then when I went someway to making up for the earlier error. Dave Collins had broke free and my sideline ball fell into his path and his finish was cool as.
Back down the other end, Cluxton tells me they got a penalty. I only vaguely remember it. He says he saved it. A boost. Our opponents were using their full panel and rotating substitutes to freshen things up. Our only other change was to bring Jim into the backs which allowed us release Hudson's energy out the field. It was in the melting pot with time up. We led by a point. It was level. Then Sheanon, from a deadball on the sideline, steered the winning score between the shticks. 1-20 2-16.
There was a good buzz after the game. It's not often we get to play proper football matches i.e. not tournament format. Those boys play every week and are a very organised bunch. Of course, we know the score, the travelled without their Seniors but still had alot of footballers in their ranks. It was a great occassion, totally unique. Such a fixture has never occurred before and if we do eventually relinquish our crown in Maastricht then at least we will have claimed this cup, on behalf of Europe, in its first outing.
On to The Oak now, and wherever the night may lead.....
Parc Cinq in Brussels is a bit like that and it was there where The Exiles Cup took place today. Our opponents Tir Chonnail Gaels, 2008 British Champions, travelled by Eurostar the morning of the game. The G.A.A. put up a trophy for the occassion and the match was officiated by Will Cashin.
However, there was work to be done before throw-in. We rent our pitch and only get the key at the designated time so there is no chance to prepare the pitch or facilities beforehand. So with the gate open we quickly assembled the posts. Rochey was sent home to get ties for the nets. Whilst all this was going out there was something happening in the middle of the field which may be as good an example as you'll ever see of what the G.A.A. is all about. We've had days of rain in Brussels and our beloved pitch showed all the signs of it. Keary and Conan weren't having it though and Conan stood, rubbish bag in hand while Keary scooped water into the bag with a butter container. Classic stuff.
Our opponents looked formidable. Rochey had been checking their website the night before and informed us they were all at least 13 or 14 stone and approaching six feet tall. We were not disappointed. As we were warming up, Aylward hobbled over to me to ensure I told the lads 'not to get caught in possession....serious, don't get caught in possession against these lads!!'.
The details of the game haven't come back to me yet so this will be brief. It was close throughout. We set about crowding out their attack and gettting quick ball forward. Eoin Sheanon benefited from his and others industry as we won and he converted a high percentage of frees. We contested the sh1tty scrappy balls and didn't let them break the line too often. Hudson and Keary had to deal with alot of difficult ball in on top of them but found good support in the form of Rochey and Dave Bourke outside them.
Midfield was crowded with myself, Johnny, Olof, Colin and Enda trying to make it hard for our opponents to find space. Our trump card turned out to be our newest player. Dave Collins was sprung from the bench towards the end of the first half and was onthe scoresheet instantly. We went in at the half 0-9 to 0-9.
The Londoners got a great boost early in the second half with a goal. It originated from an off target pass from me to Eoin. Someone fouled the recipient and from the resultant free, the ball landed in our square and eventually found the net. Dave Collins went close to goal shortly after and the teams continued to exchange points. I think Rochey may have nailed a couple, maybe Johnny too. We got right back into it then when I went someway to making up for the earlier error. Dave Collins had broke free and my sideline ball fell into his path and his finish was cool as.
Back down the other end, Cluxton tells me they got a penalty. I only vaguely remember it. He says he saved it. A boost. Our opponents were using their full panel and rotating substitutes to freshen things up. Our only other change was to bring Jim into the backs which allowed us release Hudson's energy out the field. It was in the melting pot with time up. We led by a point. It was level. Then Sheanon, from a deadball on the sideline, steered the winning score between the shticks. 1-20 2-16.
There was a good buzz after the game. It's not often we get to play proper football matches i.e. not tournament format. Those boys play every week and are a very organised bunch. Of course, we know the score, the travelled without their Seniors but still had alot of footballers in their ranks. It was a great occassion, totally unique. Such a fixture has never occurred before and if we do eventually relinquish our crown in Maastricht then at least we will have claimed this cup, on behalf of Europe, in its first outing.
On to The Oak now, and wherever the night may lead.....
Friday, October 9, 2009
Europe v Britain
One of the things we felt necessary to get the football off the ground here was to provide as many games as possible to the players. With this in mind we have tried hard to get teams to visit Brussels and so far Peregrines of Dublin, Clare Island and Coventry's Roger Casements have all crossed the sea to mainland Europe. Conan takes the lead with this and I spend more time trying to dampen his enthusiasm then encouraging it. If he had his way we'd be lining up against the likes of Donegal on a regular basis. Some of the things he dreams up are particularly off the wall.
The best to date was The Exiles Cup; pitting the 2008 European Champions against the 2008 British Champions Tir Chonnail Gaels. Its over six months in the mixer but tomorrow the Irish Ambassodor Brian Nason will throw the ball in between the two teams in Parc Cinq at 13h.
It's a unique occasion, the first time something like this has ever been played. The challenge facing us is massive with the G.A.A. in the UK at a far more advanced stage then in Europe. Playing numbers are incomparable and are growing rapidly across the channel as the emigration again takes a grip of our island. I'd expect this to be the toughest game we have played to date. The British Champions will be seasoned G.A.A. men, hard, fast, physical and street wise. It will be a great test for everyone. Whilst some of the stars of the 2008 campaign have moved on, we have a strong panel tomorrow so will give it a good lash.
There's also a date for our ladies who will take on London's Tara G.F.C in The Channel Cup. One fixture which had to be cancelled this morning was the Brussels Cup which was due to be played between our Hurlers and Dublin's Setanta. However, tragedy struck their club when a young daughter of one of their players passed away yesterday. It puts it all in perspective and are best wishes go the family.
The best to date was The Exiles Cup; pitting the 2008 European Champions against the 2008 British Champions Tir Chonnail Gaels. Its over six months in the mixer but tomorrow the Irish Ambassodor Brian Nason will throw the ball in between the two teams in Parc Cinq at 13h.
It's a unique occasion, the first time something like this has ever been played. The challenge facing us is massive with the G.A.A. in the UK at a far more advanced stage then in Europe. Playing numbers are incomparable and are growing rapidly across the channel as the emigration again takes a grip of our island. I'd expect this to be the toughest game we have played to date. The British Champions will be seasoned G.A.A. men, hard, fast, physical and street wise. It will be a great test for everyone. Whilst some of the stars of the 2008 campaign have moved on, we have a strong panel tomorrow so will give it a good lash.
There's also a date for our ladies who will take on London's Tara G.F.C in The Channel Cup. One fixture which had to be cancelled this morning was the Brussels Cup which was due to be played between our Hurlers and Dublin's Setanta. However, tragedy struck their club when a young daughter of one of their players passed away yesterday. It puts it all in perspective and are best wishes go the family.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Rennes Out Of Luck
Where to start? The beginning, the middle or the end? Depending on what slant you take on it, then it could be any of the three. We had set up camp at the far end goal before the final and it was there where we had to retreat when referee Tony Bass blew his whistle for the final time last Saturday. The Parisians, deserving winners, ran to congratulate eachother. After exchanging handshakes we trudged, heads hanging heavy on dreary frames, back to base. I was one of the last down there and was taken back a little by the genuine disappointment on fellas faces. The silence unbroken. No corridors or dressing room walls to conceal it. I doubted all year whether fellas cared enough and whatever went on prior to Rennes, they certainly gave everything on Saturday.
Friday
After a quick bite to eat at mine, myself and Alan headed to Zaventem to grab Emmett. Emmett had been a doubt up until the week before having told Alan he was unlikley to travel. He'd said not to say anything but Alan tipped me off that he was due to talk to me at training the following Monday. Now Emmett and his wife Lisa have had a baby girl this year and he has used up alot of his credits for the G.A.A. already. However, he is also a very important driving force for our team; the type of wing back that makes you mark him. Training was cancelled on the Monday so I took the chance to get the retaliation in first and massaged his ego with a lovely little text. He was onto Alan promptly and the deal was sealed. Thanks to a very generous wife Lisa Byrne for indulging him.
With the three of us loaded up we set off to race the Friday traffic West. First challenge was to the get the GPS lady to take us north towards the Normandy bridge or South towards Paris. We managed to get her to redirect us north. Loaded with water though, we managed about three pit stops in the first two hours. Still, the plan was solid and only a diversion caused us delay as we ate road down. We landed at the hotel around 20h30. Having had a bad accommodation/drinking experience in Rennes last year we were not arriving with smiley faces. However, everything was spot on. The hotel was ideally located, across from a car park with lots of restaurants and bars in the square.
The lady on reception was a fantastic advertisement for the French nation. Long dark hair, an engaging smile and eyes staring out at us that made us clamber for support to stay upright. We peppered her with questions to try and keep her attention for as long as possible. Ultimately though, the stomachs were rumbling so we had to move on. With McDonalds vetoed we settled on a little frenchy diner type spot. It had something for everyone, which meant pizza for me. I should have known better. Who serves a Margherita with a raw egg in the middle and covered in pesto. Rennes was falling quickly after its early gain.
I was rooming with Colin Byrne. This didn't go well in Copenhagen as I discovered his habit of snoring. This time he brought he plugs though, so at least he couldn't hear himself. I tossed and turned but in fairness, got a reasonable night sleep.
Saturday
For once, we had a late start (11am) so there was no early alarm or rushing around. Having the cars was handy too as we didn't have to fart around with metros and buses and all that craic. The A's were first up against Rennes. They were fit, strong and full of energy but we knew we would have more football. I won't elaborate on our tactics due to the audience which this blog is now reportedly reaching. However, I can say that to my amazement, we actually followed some pattern of play for the first time since we started this little escapade. We were trying to move the ball quickly without using too much energy. One man never seems to grasp this though. I mentioned Emmett's importance to us earlier and he started in his usual fashion, bombing up and down the pitch. I must have told him three or four times to cool the jets. He was mad eager though given he hadn't played for a while. His day came to an abrupt halt when he chased down a nothing ball and went over on his ankle. His face told the story and he sits at home this week, foot up and in a cast. It was a cruel blow to him and to the team.
We ploughed on though and build up a sufficient lead to rotate most of the team for the second period. This allowed Rennes back into it but the lads kept the attacks at bay and we secured a reasonably comfortable win. Hough and Sheanon had done well in attack while debutant Dave Bourke showed well at the back.
The B's took on Liffre in the next game and ran up a big score. I'm never the best on the details but the game was notable for a number of things. Firstly, Armagh man Paul Hagan notched a cracking 1-1. Then there was Ollie. He had a bet on with Sheanon. €10 for every point Ollie scored, €1 for everyone Sheanon scored. Needless to say, Ollie's first goal was greeted with joyous celebrations and a restrained pitch invasion. Other notable mentions to Rennes native Matti and Alan who won alot of ball.
With Paris having beaten Lux, it effectively made our game against Lux a semi-final. Lux aren't the force they were in recent years but still possess enough Corkmen in their ranks to make them a difficult opponent. Aylward came in for Emmett and I went wing forward, in a swap with Johnny O who went midfield. To win we needed to get a hold of midfield and Giller and Johnny managed that. Myself and Colin Byrne got on a good bit of ball which kept the supply lines into Hough and Eoin alive. At the back Paul Quinn attacked every ball with a tigerish abandon. In front of him Dave Bourke was growing in stature with every possession whilst Keary did his dirty work out of the limelight as per usual. It was a goal from Hough that gave us breathing space and it proved enough.
The B's faced up to Jersey in their second group game and found the going tough. Willie was solid in goal for them and Ruairi, Johnny and Matti were involved in some good movements up the field. It remains a big challenge to compete against other clubs A teams, especially when we are missing so many in the first place.
The final group game for the A's was against Paris, which would be the same pairing as for the final. They had a huge panel and it was a stick up for us wearing out the bodies. It was a good chance to rotate the squad and give as many B's a run as possible. Whilst it’s hard to say there was intent in any of it, some of the tackling was clumsy. It resulted in Paul Quinn getting split and Cluxton, now at wing forward, getting a finger in the eye. We quickly called for reinforcements and withdrew the remaining A's. Credit to the full panel for getting through this game.
By virtue of some elaborate maths, the B's ended up in a semi-final against Jersey. It was more competitive this time as Ollie's scoring brought him closer to the €50 mark. Despite the difficulties, the B's never give up and wise old heads like Denzer are great men to keep going when the tide is against you (this would be from playing with FC Irlande 4ths for years!). Jersey went on to win the Shield so there is so consolation in that.
In Copenhagen, Paris beat us for the first time in five attempts. They got a big lead with the wind and we ran out of time in our quest to claw them back. I felt we were a better team than them up there but the score line didn't back me up. They have a strong sense of purpose about them this year and you can see in the way they behave during the day. I didn't recognise some of their lads in Rennes and from early round games, they looked to have picked up a few handy lads.
Victory would catapult us right back into the reckoning, defeat would leave us relying on a delicate combination of results in Maastricht to see us retain the crown. So the message was simple; stick to the plan, leave it all out on the pitch & do everything you can to make sure in an hour’s time we are still in a position to retain the Championship.
We started with great purpose, flowing forward but our early raids were characterised by balls flying everywhere except over the bar. We came within a whisker of a goal when I pumped a long ball over the head of Hough's marker. He had little space to play with though as he pulled it down just inside the end line. Another chance gone. Paris looked dangerous themselves and whilst they kicked wides under pressure, they also kicked three points to our one in the first half.
We were well in it at this stage, matching our opponents in each sector except finishing. There was little to be said at half time. Fellas effort was good, the heads were right, it was just a case of adjusting the radar. We exchanged early points in the second half and got within one. At this stage i gathered the ball moving towards the left corner went for an effort from distance. Too far for the left, i hit is with the outside of the right. Radar was on but i didn't give it enough. I dropped 4 or 5 balls into the keepers hands on the day, mortal sin.
It was around this point when Paris took over. Every pass they seemed to hit was on the money whilst ours were always just a yard or so off. Within five minutes they struck for two goals. Whilst they came from great passes, lack of marking and tracking by ourselves were a contributing factor. When teams in Paris situation get to this point they are hard to stop. Their energy levels seem to go to another level, their believe grows with every passing passage of play. We've been there, seen it, recognised it; which makes it all the harder when it plays out in front of you. There were no complaints when the final whistle went and I had no qualms about shaking their hand and congratulating them. The team we had on the pitch gave everything they had and there is no shame in defeat when you can say that.
There were many positives to be taken from the day. Clux was outstanding in the final making a couple of great saves and steering his kick-outs well. Keary is edging back towards full fitness. Aylward showed great drive when called upon, as did Paul. Dave Bourke is a great find, a tough defender with a good brain. Johnny O and Colin Byrne had their best tournaments yet and combined well around the middle with All-Island Champions Olof. Hough (a fantastically gifted footballer who makes those around him look good!!) and Sheanon worked well. Maybe we didn't give Hough his share, maybe we should have started Sheanon on the left where the free he would have earned would have favoured a right footer. There were things we could have done but we were running a tight ship so the room to manoeuvre was not so great.
With us wallowing in our sorrows we were not such a supportive force to the B's as they took on Liffre in the 3/4 place playoff. At this point, our lads were bait, many having played nearly 5 games. The French were full of energy and were not to be contained. A season best 4th for the B's and a 2nd for the A's was the story the final tables told. No glory but no shame either.
This blog is five days late so to keep it someway relevant I will summarise the other key points;
The Gladies; They won again. Maybe one of the more satisfying as they too were missing an abundance of players and came from behind in the final to win. Great saves by Clare, a penalty from Laura, tenacious defending by Steph and marauding play by the sisterly duo of Mide and Cuba. Of course they were backboned by Cork woman Sylvia.
Joe McDonagh; The former President of the G.A.A. was on official duty in Rennes at the weekend. He is everything I would imagine of a former/current G.A.A. President. A man of the people. He talked with myself and Keary for ages about players, GAA issues and Junior football matches. Keary was more coherent then I was at that stage. His patience was admirable.
Girlfriends; Alex Ferguson talked last week about how he liked his players to settle down early in life. Hopefully this is what is happening Sheanon. He mentioned his girlfriend four times in one sentence last week. He's not back to his best yet, but he is on the way.
Paris' New Zealand connection; She was one of the girls who distracted me when I was in goal back in April in Paris. I think she may be the blogs biggest fan and insisted on being mentioned. Here you are...
Saturday night drinking; France and myself will never fall in love. I don't like Kronenburg, I don't like French toilets, I don't like French taximen......We got home around 3am.
Sunday
Alan manned the wheel. It was Colin's first experience. He blessed himself more then once but he had us in The Hairy for 18h30. We were joined by Jane, Sylvia, Olof, Clare and Colin. Olof pinned each of the girls up against the wall. Only Sylvia tilted her head. The banter ended at mine around midnight.
The end.
Friday
After a quick bite to eat at mine, myself and Alan headed to Zaventem to grab Emmett. Emmett had been a doubt up until the week before having told Alan he was unlikley to travel. He'd said not to say anything but Alan tipped me off that he was due to talk to me at training the following Monday. Now Emmett and his wife Lisa have had a baby girl this year and he has used up alot of his credits for the G.A.A. already. However, he is also a very important driving force for our team; the type of wing back that makes you mark him. Training was cancelled on the Monday so I took the chance to get the retaliation in first and massaged his ego with a lovely little text. He was onto Alan promptly and the deal was sealed. Thanks to a very generous wife Lisa Byrne for indulging him.
With the three of us loaded up we set off to race the Friday traffic West. First challenge was to the get the GPS lady to take us north towards the Normandy bridge or South towards Paris. We managed to get her to redirect us north. Loaded with water though, we managed about three pit stops in the first two hours. Still, the plan was solid and only a diversion caused us delay as we ate road down. We landed at the hotel around 20h30. Having had a bad accommodation/drinking experience in Rennes last year we were not arriving with smiley faces. However, everything was spot on. The hotel was ideally located, across from a car park with lots of restaurants and bars in the square.
The lady on reception was a fantastic advertisement for the French nation. Long dark hair, an engaging smile and eyes staring out at us that made us clamber for support to stay upright. We peppered her with questions to try and keep her attention for as long as possible. Ultimately though, the stomachs were rumbling so we had to move on. With McDonalds vetoed we settled on a little frenchy diner type spot. It had something for everyone, which meant pizza for me. I should have known better. Who serves a Margherita with a raw egg in the middle and covered in pesto. Rennes was falling quickly after its early gain.
I was rooming with Colin Byrne. This didn't go well in Copenhagen as I discovered his habit of snoring. This time he brought he plugs though, so at least he couldn't hear himself. I tossed and turned but in fairness, got a reasonable night sleep.
Saturday
For once, we had a late start (11am) so there was no early alarm or rushing around. Having the cars was handy too as we didn't have to fart around with metros and buses and all that craic. The A's were first up against Rennes. They were fit, strong and full of energy but we knew we would have more football. I won't elaborate on our tactics due to the audience which this blog is now reportedly reaching. However, I can say that to my amazement, we actually followed some pattern of play for the first time since we started this little escapade. We were trying to move the ball quickly without using too much energy. One man never seems to grasp this though. I mentioned Emmett's importance to us earlier and he started in his usual fashion, bombing up and down the pitch. I must have told him three or four times to cool the jets. He was mad eager though given he hadn't played for a while. His day came to an abrupt halt when he chased down a nothing ball and went over on his ankle. His face told the story and he sits at home this week, foot up and in a cast. It was a cruel blow to him and to the team.
We ploughed on though and build up a sufficient lead to rotate most of the team for the second period. This allowed Rennes back into it but the lads kept the attacks at bay and we secured a reasonably comfortable win. Hough and Sheanon had done well in attack while debutant Dave Bourke showed well at the back.
The B's took on Liffre in the next game and ran up a big score. I'm never the best on the details but the game was notable for a number of things. Firstly, Armagh man Paul Hagan notched a cracking 1-1. Then there was Ollie. He had a bet on with Sheanon. €10 for every point Ollie scored, €1 for everyone Sheanon scored. Needless to say, Ollie's first goal was greeted with joyous celebrations and a restrained pitch invasion. Other notable mentions to Rennes native Matti and Alan who won alot of ball.
With Paris having beaten Lux, it effectively made our game against Lux a semi-final. Lux aren't the force they were in recent years but still possess enough Corkmen in their ranks to make them a difficult opponent. Aylward came in for Emmett and I went wing forward, in a swap with Johnny O who went midfield. To win we needed to get a hold of midfield and Giller and Johnny managed that. Myself and Colin Byrne got on a good bit of ball which kept the supply lines into Hough and Eoin alive. At the back Paul Quinn attacked every ball with a tigerish abandon. In front of him Dave Bourke was growing in stature with every possession whilst Keary did his dirty work out of the limelight as per usual. It was a goal from Hough that gave us breathing space and it proved enough.
The B's faced up to Jersey in their second group game and found the going tough. Willie was solid in goal for them and Ruairi, Johnny and Matti were involved in some good movements up the field. It remains a big challenge to compete against other clubs A teams, especially when we are missing so many in the first place.
The final group game for the A's was against Paris, which would be the same pairing as for the final. They had a huge panel and it was a stick up for us wearing out the bodies. It was a good chance to rotate the squad and give as many B's a run as possible. Whilst it’s hard to say there was intent in any of it, some of the tackling was clumsy. It resulted in Paul Quinn getting split and Cluxton, now at wing forward, getting a finger in the eye. We quickly called for reinforcements and withdrew the remaining A's. Credit to the full panel for getting through this game.
By virtue of some elaborate maths, the B's ended up in a semi-final against Jersey. It was more competitive this time as Ollie's scoring brought him closer to the €50 mark. Despite the difficulties, the B's never give up and wise old heads like Denzer are great men to keep going when the tide is against you (this would be from playing with FC Irlande 4ths for years!). Jersey went on to win the Shield so there is so consolation in that.
In Copenhagen, Paris beat us for the first time in five attempts. They got a big lead with the wind and we ran out of time in our quest to claw them back. I felt we were a better team than them up there but the score line didn't back me up. They have a strong sense of purpose about them this year and you can see in the way they behave during the day. I didn't recognise some of their lads in Rennes and from early round games, they looked to have picked up a few handy lads.
Victory would catapult us right back into the reckoning, defeat would leave us relying on a delicate combination of results in Maastricht to see us retain the crown. So the message was simple; stick to the plan, leave it all out on the pitch & do everything you can to make sure in an hour’s time we are still in a position to retain the Championship.
We started with great purpose, flowing forward but our early raids were characterised by balls flying everywhere except over the bar. We came within a whisker of a goal when I pumped a long ball over the head of Hough's marker. He had little space to play with though as he pulled it down just inside the end line. Another chance gone. Paris looked dangerous themselves and whilst they kicked wides under pressure, they also kicked three points to our one in the first half.
We were well in it at this stage, matching our opponents in each sector except finishing. There was little to be said at half time. Fellas effort was good, the heads were right, it was just a case of adjusting the radar. We exchanged early points in the second half and got within one. At this stage i gathered the ball moving towards the left corner went for an effort from distance. Too far for the left, i hit is with the outside of the right. Radar was on but i didn't give it enough. I dropped 4 or 5 balls into the keepers hands on the day, mortal sin.
It was around this point when Paris took over. Every pass they seemed to hit was on the money whilst ours were always just a yard or so off. Within five minutes they struck for two goals. Whilst they came from great passes, lack of marking and tracking by ourselves were a contributing factor. When teams in Paris situation get to this point they are hard to stop. Their energy levels seem to go to another level, their believe grows with every passing passage of play. We've been there, seen it, recognised it; which makes it all the harder when it plays out in front of you. There were no complaints when the final whistle went and I had no qualms about shaking their hand and congratulating them. The team we had on the pitch gave everything they had and there is no shame in defeat when you can say that.
There were many positives to be taken from the day. Clux was outstanding in the final making a couple of great saves and steering his kick-outs well. Keary is edging back towards full fitness. Aylward showed great drive when called upon, as did Paul. Dave Bourke is a great find, a tough defender with a good brain. Johnny O and Colin Byrne had their best tournaments yet and combined well around the middle with All-Island Champions Olof. Hough (a fantastically gifted footballer who makes those around him look good!!) and Sheanon worked well. Maybe we didn't give Hough his share, maybe we should have started Sheanon on the left where the free he would have earned would have favoured a right footer. There were things we could have done but we were running a tight ship so the room to manoeuvre was not so great.
With us wallowing in our sorrows we were not such a supportive force to the B's as they took on Liffre in the 3/4 place playoff. At this point, our lads were bait, many having played nearly 5 games. The French were full of energy and were not to be contained. A season best 4th for the B's and a 2nd for the A's was the story the final tables told. No glory but no shame either.
This blog is five days late so to keep it someway relevant I will summarise the other key points;
The Gladies; They won again. Maybe one of the more satisfying as they too were missing an abundance of players and came from behind in the final to win. Great saves by Clare, a penalty from Laura, tenacious defending by Steph and marauding play by the sisterly duo of Mide and Cuba. Of course they were backboned by Cork woman Sylvia.
Joe McDonagh; The former President of the G.A.A. was on official duty in Rennes at the weekend. He is everything I would imagine of a former/current G.A.A. President. A man of the people. He talked with myself and Keary for ages about players, GAA issues and Junior football matches. Keary was more coherent then I was at that stage. His patience was admirable.
Girlfriends; Alex Ferguson talked last week about how he liked his players to settle down early in life. Hopefully this is what is happening Sheanon. He mentioned his girlfriend four times in one sentence last week. He's not back to his best yet, but he is on the way.
Paris' New Zealand connection; She was one of the girls who distracted me when I was in goal back in April in Paris. I think she may be the blogs biggest fan and insisted on being mentioned. Here you are...
Saturday night drinking; France and myself will never fall in love. I don't like Kronenburg, I don't like French toilets, I don't like French taximen......We got home around 3am.
Sunday
Alan manned the wheel. It was Colin's first experience. He blessed himself more then once but he had us in The Hairy for 18h30. We were joined by Jane, Sylvia, Olof, Clare and Colin. Olof pinned each of the girls up against the wall. Only Sylvia tilted her head. The banter ended at mine around midnight.
The end.
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