The recent GAA county finals have provided some great entertainment, brightening weekends otherwise hijacked by the drifting in of the oft-dreaded ‘long evenings’.
The destination of the senior football title remains unknown following last Sunday’s tremendously exciting final, which was a real cliffhanger in the closing minutes.
A week earlier, Strokestown regained their senior status, defeating Éire Óg in the Intermediate Football final. It was a fine performance by Strokestown, and a welcome return for the club to the senior championship territory they’re so familiar with. There was widespread sympathy for Éire Óg as they experienced another relatively narrow defeat with the Promised Land within sight. I think all neutrals will hope the Loughglynn club succeeds in making the intermediate title breakthrough soon.
The weekend before last also saw St Croan’s move back up the football ladder, regaining intermediate status by winning the junior championship. St Croan’s were fairly strong favourites against Ballinameen, and they duly delivered in the final. Ballinameen had a memorable championship and one hopes that after coming so close in recent seasons, they too can get past the winning post soon.
Back then to last Sunday. The senior final turned into the thriller we had hoped for, particularly during a gripping, nail-biting second half. St Brigid’s and Pádraig Pearses, the two great titans of Roscommon football over recent years, both appeared to have the Fahey Cup in their grasp at different stages.
St Brigid’s led by seven points early on (but there was quite a strong breeze). They were still leading late on, before a Ronan Daly two-pointer put Pearses in front. As a dramatic finale continued, St Brigid’s levelled, Pearses went in front again, and then Brian Stack sent over a last-gasp equaliser. Pearses missed a late free to win it – mercifully, it ended in a draw! (I say ‘mercifully’ because neither team really deserved to lose on the day). This Saturday’s replay is very eagerly awaited.
Also last weekend, there was joy for Castlerea St Kevin’s when their young guns sparkled en route to winning an entertaining Division One County Minor Football final, defeating Pádraig Pearses (see report in this section).
Life lessons from ‘The Longest Feud’
‘The Longest Feud’ (Amazon Prime) needed to have a happy ending… instead, it was a sad insight into how human frailties involving ego and stubbornness can result in petty grievances lasting a lifetime.
In 1977, Ian Chappell was a veteran Australian cricketer. Ian Botham, 13 years Chappell’s junior, was a rising England star – with a big mouth. The two Ians had a nasty confrontation in a Melbourne hotel bar. Abusive words were exchanged, they squared up to one another, and to this day Chappell claims that Botham had to be restrained when holding an empty beer glass to the Australian’s throat. Botham denies this.
Botham was box office in his day, a player who attracted non-cricket fans to the sport through his exciting play and larger-than-life personality. He was one of the biggest sports stars of the 1980s, revered as one of cricket’s greatest all-rounders.
The trailer for ‘The Longest Feud’ looked promising. The documentary (made in 2023) would focus on “the bitter rivalry between legends Ian Chappell and Ian Botham”… “one of the most toxic feuds in the history of cricket.”
The original hotel bar incident began a feud that is now almost half a century old. In 2010, there was a clash in a car park when Botham had to be physically restrained from hitting Chappell; on another occasion, the duo shared commentary duties during an Ashes series without speaking to one another.
After interviewing the two former stars separately, ‘The Longest Feud’ ends with Chappell, then aged 79, and Botham (67), sitting down together (in 2023).
The exchanges between the two men were compelling, but also sad. Botham at least looked like he wanted to shake hands, have a beer and make up. Chappell was not for turning.
Infuriatingly stubborn, the Australian wouldn’t entertain talk of resolution. Asked to describe Botham, he ungraciously replied: “Apart from being the worst long-term commentator of all… (he’s) a coward, gutless, and they’re all the good things I can say.”
A disheartened Botham stood up and walked away.
They left with their grudges intact – with their big pay cheques too – but the air of sadness and bitterness that lingered was unmistakable.
When the goals won’t come…
“I cannot understand the attraction of soccer” a local GAA diehard said to the company in a bar in Roscommon. It was about 15 years ago. And yes, he said the word ‘soccer’ with a touch of disdain.
As a big soccer fan, the comment struck a chord with me. The man continued: “At least in the GAA, you get lots of scores…. in soccer, you could be waiting 90 minutes… and nothing!”
I thought of him last weekend, when browsing the results across the water.
In League One of the English Football League, there were ten games played. Wycombe Wanderers beat Huddersfield Town 3-0, while Blackpool won 2-1 at Peterborough United.
The other eight games? Five 1-0 wins, and three 1-1 draws. 18 of the 20 teams in action each scored one goal or less. The ten games produced just 17 goals (League Two: 34 goals in 12 games).
I don’t suppose my old soccer-sceptic friend was checking in on the scores anyway.
Stars that touched our hearts: PAT JENNINGS
(An occasional series, in which we remember sports stars who moved us – irrespective of medals, titles or longevity)
Of course time plays tricks with the mind. And it’s difficult to compare stars of the past with their successors. But this ‘occasional series’ is about feelings as much as facts, about how certain sportspeople moved us, thrilled us, making memories that live on through the decades.
Pat Jennings made us gasp – and smile.
As time passes, and especially with the daft obsession with the Premier League era across the water – at the expense of all that went before it – Jennings will occasionally be placed in insultingly low positions on some of the numerous online ‘Best ever’ lists (he obviously doesn’t qualify for ‘Best ever’ Premier League polls).
Happily, some lists – freed of the shadow of the Premier League – still have Jennings amongst the top 25 goalkeepers of all time. Most of my generation would have him in the top half dozen or so. Of the greatest goalkeepers the world has ever seen, that is.
What I loved about Jennings were a few characteristics that made him unique, unorthodox, riveting. Known for his big hands, the Newry native had an extraordinary talent for making one-handed saves. The sight of Jennings plucking the ball from mid-air just as a forward was anticipating a goal was a common, and always thrilling, feature of games. He also excelled at blocking shots with different parts of his body – long before Peter Schmeichel made that technique popular in more modern times.
There was something about Jennings that was utterly captivating… how he seemed to appear from nowhere to defy an attacker with one of those remarkable catches, or his smothering of the opponent, ball invariably drawn to his body, magnet-like. He excelled at tipping shots over the bar too. As a quick YouTube search will confirm, world class saves of this nature were a ‘Big Pat Jennings’ speciality.
After making his name with Spurs, Jennings was surprisingly sold to their London rivals, Arsenal. Thinking he was past his best, Spurs felt they could let him go. They were wrong. Jennings enjoyed eight seasons at Highbury, winning the FA Cup (as he had done with Spurs).
At international level, he played 119 times for Northern Ireland, including in the 1986 World Cup, when aged 41. In a 23-year professional career, he made over 1,000 appearances.
I’m a Leeds fan, but one of my fondest memories of the football scene in the 1970s and ‘80s is of the sight of the remarkably agile Pat Jennings making spectacular leaps into the air to tip goalbound shots over the crossbar.
As an aside, he appears to be a thorough gentleman. Now aged 80, Pat Jennings lives in London, has been a keen golfer all his life, and continues to do promotional work with Tottenham Hotspur. PFA Player of the Year in 1975-76 season, he was a Ballon d’Or nominee on three occasions.
In an era of great goalkeepers (Shilton, Clemence, Yashin, Zoff, Banks) Pat Jennings was one of the most accomplished. Not every goalkeeper is exciting to watch; the Newry man was captivating. Those of us who saw him in his prime will always think of Pat Jennings as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
