Championship

Cork to win the All Ireland Final and a star studded Kerry team of trainers/managers

September 7th, 2010
by Weeshie Fogarty

I must admit I fancied Kildare to beat Down and advance to meet Cork in the All Ireland final. I should have known better having watched the Mourn men win their five All Ireland's since they first shocked Kerry away back in 1960. Sitting high up on the old Hogan stand that day I was in the company of a great club mate long since gone to his eternal reward. Mickey o Leary was a baker in T. T. o Connors in High St Killarney. He and I had adjacent tickets courtesy of our club draw. My one great abiding memory is seeing Down literally exploding on to the field in their now so distinctive red jerseys and black togs. They were the first team I have ever seen doing some form of warm up and also the first I have seen using up to ten footballs in the pre match kick around. They exuded confidence and they were, in the nicest possible way "a cocky looking bunch".  They were for me the county who developed the tactic of "breaking" the ball around the middle of the field. At a memorable function to honour the great Mick o Connell in Killarney some years ago their legendary full fordward Sean o Neill remarked that they had to come up with some play to thwart the magnificent fielding of Mick. And so the tactic, I would not for one minute call it an art, of breaking the ball was born. Sadly it has had a massively detrimental effect on the wondrous beauty of high fielding from the kick outs.

Cork will be under fierce pressure to deliver. Yes they will have more experience than Down and are National League champions however they have not been setting the place on fire and their slow across the field hand passing system of play will suit Down who break fast and their fordward keep interchanging all over the place. Their final flourish against Kerry when they kicked a series of breakaway points was very impressive. Benny Coulter is in line for footballer of the year and his fellow forwards Mart Clarke, Paul McComiskey, Danny Hughes and Mark Poland are visibly getting better and better as their year unfolds. For me the first signs that this Down side was a real threat was back in July when they kicked a massive 3-20 against Sligo. This was superb scoring in any mans language and indeed Sligo had looked a real danger side earlier on having beaten Mayo and Galway. Cork dare not fail again. Which side will handle the massive build up and hype the best. It should be Cork as they have been down this road a lot in recent years, however there is the small statistic of Down winning all their five previous All Ireland appearances. Its promises to be a fascinating contest.

What is it with umpires at the canal end in Croke Park? We had it in the Leinsters final when Louth were highly blackguarded when the goal umpire dived for the flag when Meath threw that ball over the goal line. No hesitation, no consultation, do doubts in his mind, he was right. And that umpire was the closest person apart from the players nearest the incident. And then again last Sunday week when Benny Coulter punched to the Kildare net the  goal was allowed despite the fact  thousands present in Croke Park could plainly see that he was planked in the square before the ball dropped in.  Again the umpire could not wait to wave the green flag.  The question must be asked, if everyone else including Benny Coulter knew it was a blatant square ball why did the umpire whome we are told was an inter county referee put up the green flag? Any man with any bit of common sense would have had a consolation with the referee, his other umpire and then decide what proper decision should be. This consultation procedure is and has always been the accepted method of dealing with dicey decisions. It takes about sixty seconds and has in the past during my fifteen years of refereeing help me avoid any major controversy. It's so simple and every referee in my time was strongly advised and lectured as to consultation. So why these two shocking decisions and I just pose the question. Is because some, and I emphasis some of our referees and umpires are above being advised and now "know it all". Is there a little bit of arrogance and self importance after creeping into some of our officials? It's just my opinion.

Last week I mentioned some former managers/trainers of Kerry teams all who had won All Ireland medals in some grade and remarked that we must have the greatest collection of football brains in this county , far more than any one else and more use should be made of their expertise. Well I attended a function in Killarney last week and as the hours unfolded the topic for discussion among a group of die hard Kerry supporters waxed and waned until we came around to those ex Kerry footballers I had written about. As always in this county and this is my life long experience one debate always leads to another and so it was in relation to last weeks column and those managers/trainers. Then some one had the bright idea as we discussed the strengths and weakness of each individual that in fact you could field a team that would most probably be unequalled in any other county in Ireland. And at the end of the night the following side comprising men a few who had managed not only Kerry at some grade but some other counties as well was finalized. I must say a fascinating exercise and hugely enjoyable. So including in brackets the counties managed/trained can any other county equal this fifteen Kerry stars. I must add that we set out to choose men of more or less the present era. And what a team we finished up with.

Johnny Culloty (Kerry), Seamus McGearailt (Kerry),  John o Keeffe (Kerry/Clare) Paudie o Se (Kerry /Westmeath),  Tom Prendergast (Kerry), Johnny Mulvihill (Tipperary), Mick o Dwyer (Kerry/ Laois/ Wicklow), Jack o Shea (Mayo), Liam Kerins (Limerick/Laois), Mickey "Ned" o Sullivan (Kerry/Limerick) Ogie Moran (Kerry), John Kennedy (Clare/Kerry), Pat o Shea (Kerry/ Limerick), John Sugrue (Kerry), Jack o Connor (Kerry)
Subs John Evans (Kerry/ Tipperary), Thomas o Flahertha (Westmeath), Alan o Sullivan (Kerry) Pat Flanagan (Kerry). Other Kerry trainers of the past who would get on any team in Ireland include, Bob Stack (Kerry), Jim Brosnan (Kerry), Gerald o Sullivan (Kerry), Timmy o Leary (Kerry), Paul Russell (Kerry), Jackie Lyne (Kerry), Joe Keohane (Kerry) and Jack McCarthy (Kerry).



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