The Silver & Black

Anyone with an iota of interest in sport should browse through the full list of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series. And I can guarantee two things. They’ll find an episode relevant to them and their interests and that they’ll thoroughly enjoy it too. One evening some years ago, Irish sports broadcaster Setanta Sports were showing ‘17th July 1994’. This was one such ESPN effort that relayed the events of that fateful day when several high profile sporting events coincided with mass media event that was OJ Simpson’s car chase. It was a well-crafted piece of television that I enjoyed. It would be a year or so later, when in search for this episode, that I came across many more. They were all a part of a series ESPN were creating in honour of their 30^th anniversary as a broadcaster. Although my main interests of Soccer and GAA weren’t well represented, there was still some titles that immediately jumped out at me. ‘The 16^th Man’ (Nelson Mandela’s impact on the South African Rugby team and the country in the 1995 World Cup) and ‘The Two Escobars’, widely lauded as one of the best sport documentaries ever made. A lot of the American Sport stuff went over my head except for one. Straight Outta L.A.


I have ESPN and in particular Ice Cube to thank for starting my devotion to an NFL team on the West Coast of America.


The Oakland Raiders.


I like Ice Cube as a rap artist and a film maker (he’s done some good stuff to be fair). And even before I watched Straight Outta L.A., I came across a song he recorded called “Come And Get It”. It was a song for the Oakland Raiders and their fans, collectively called the Raider Nation. He was listing off names that at the time had no meaning or relevance to me. It sure as hell sounded good though. Ice Cubes lyrical flow was one thing, the names he was dropping was another. And I would soon put faces and reputations to these names in watching the documentary itself. In 1982, the Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles. It wasn’t long before they began to captivate the minority communities in the city with a swagger and charisma that personified their new home. This swagger and charisma soon found itself inspiring one individual in a rap group called N.W.A. Both the Raiders and N.W.A. would ascend to the top of their respective environments and would inspire each other to a new generation. As N.W.A broke new ground in hip-hop music, the Raiders would swagger their way to winning Superbowl XVIII. Under the leadership of Tom Flores and key players such as Marcus Allen, Lester Hayes, Howie Long, Jim Plunkett et. al. the source of this charisma stemmed from the top, from their owner. From Al Davis.


While watching this documentary, I was fascinated by Davis. At the time of filming, he was 80 years of age, and his body was failing him. However, you could immediately sense his passion, his desire, his pride in talking about the Raiders and their mystique. He was still the owner and general manager yet to quantify his contribution to the Raiders in titles would be remiss. Quintessentially, he was the man who defined the Raiders from when he first joined them in 1963 to his death in 2011. Unlike any other team owner, this was an individual who did it his way. He never let the culture of the NFL or the America itself at any time tell him what to do. He moulded the team in his own image and philosophy. In his own words, he wanted “to build the finest organisation in professional sports”. However he wanted to give certain traits if he was going to do so. To give them a distinct identity of a fearless attitude and take all mentality. He started out as a coach in Los Angeles before moving to Oakland and immediately applied this bravado to his coaching. When asked to define his philosophy, he replied “Take what they give you.’ That all sounds good to everybody but I always went the other way, ‘We’re going to take what we want!” 5 years coaching the Raiders laid the groundwork for the culture that followed. When he returned as general manager a few years later, his approach transferred to the management of his team. Even in conversation with Ice Cube, he still oozed a defiance and an authority that made him one of the most iconic people in the NFL’s history. He said “history will dictate what my legacy is. Maverick is fine, cause I am”.


The Raiders would soon be regarded as footballs evil empire and Davis never held back in perpetuating that image. Throughout his career, he was embroiled in lawsuits and legal battles with the League and many others. Everything ranging from rule changes to relocation matters, Davis fought tooth and nail for his Raiders. It took two years of court cases alone for him to successfully move his franchise from Oakland to Los Angeles. It wasn’t because he thrived upon conflict, or sought confrontation. He felt it wasn’t important to be consistent, it was important to be right. Such views on life saw him pave the way for minority coaches in the NFL, and provide an outlet for those players whose careers had stalled. He was an individual who did it his own way, and wasn’t interested in seceding to popular opinion or tradition. His facet for creative slogans could have fooled you into thinking he was a marketing genius. Coining phrases such as “Commitment To Excellence” and “Just Win, Baby” became slogans for the franchise, for the Raider way of life. And winning, was something he done a lot. The move to Los Angeles saw them win a third Superbowl. It also gave them a whole host of new fans. N.W.A. often wore Black Raiders memorabilia in promo shoots or press conferences to match their rebellious outlook on life. Snoop Dogg followed suit. The minority communities of the city and county aligned themselves to the Raiders and would soon be selling out the 90’000 seated capacity of the Los Angeles Coliseum. While the Raiders would eventually return to Oakland in 1995, the impact of their time spent in LA is still felt to this day. Fans actively campaigned to have them return to Hollywood two years ago. However, their fanbase stretches far beyond those two cities.


The NFL has a growing worldwide presence. The most recent Superbowl viewing figures peaked at 172 million. Social Media accounts of the 32 teams in the NFL are always on hand to present images of fans across the World. The NFL has been hosting regular season games in London since 2007 and last year returned to Mexico City for a match-up that involved the Houston Texans and yes, the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders will once again be returning to the Azteca Stadium in 2017 for an eagerly awaited match-up with the reigning Superbowl champions New England Patriots. What influenced Al Davis’ decision to perpetuate an image of outlaws and villains for his franchise was the city of Oakland itself. It’s working-class background, compared to its neighboring city of San Francisco lent itself to an underdog status. Davis set the mould in place. Players, like Ken Stabler, Jack Tatum, Ted Hendricks and many more played a kind of football that followed suit. Before long the fans embraced every aspect of a rebel pirate fantasy that is cited as the foundation of the Raider Nation and its image. Elaborate costumes, alter egos, a distinct silver and black colour scheme centered around a section of the Alameda Coliseum called the Black Hole. These fans would take pride in the image associated with Raiders. Aside from Ice Cube, other celebrity fans of the Raiders include: Metallica lead vocalist James Hetfield, actor Tom Hanks (who grew up in the nearby city of Concord, CA), rapper and Oakland native MC Hammer. When the team moved to LA in the 80’s, Tiger Woods became an instant life-long fan. The aforementioned allegiance amongst minorities in the city, coupled with a return to Oakland in the 90’s gave way to the label of a Raider Nation. Their support spread throughout the US and turned the team into an internationally transcendent brand; notorious for their culture and their unrelenting devotion.


The very next day after watching this 30 for 30 documentary, I logged onto a Sport streaming website and saw American Football games on. The Oakland Raiders were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in a regular season game. I turned it on and saw the Raiders prevail 21 points to 18 points. It wasn’t a classic but from that evening on I have followed them. It wasn’t my first introduction to American Football. I had watched a couple of Superbowls previously. I would not watch a single second of the regular season or playoffs before it but once the Superbowl was on the TV listings, I thought, Why Not? Of course my parents wouldn’t have let me stay up til 4 on a school night back then even if Ireland were in the World Cup (although that scenario never did arise sadly). I would watch the first quarter live before taping the rest and going to bed. I bucked that approach in 2008 for Superbowl XLII. I thought I found an allegiance to the New York Giants based on their blue uniforms, and their stunning upset victory in that Superbowl over the New England Patriots. I was wrong. The next time I made an effort to watch the Giants was 4 years later in Superbowl 46, against the Patriots again. And the next time I watched them after that was in Week 9 of the 2013 season against the Oakland Raiders. I couldn’t identify with the Giants. And maybe deep down, no part of me would shout for the Patriots. Which makes a lot of sense as a Raider fan today.


I wasn’t so much watching for the sport back then but for the hype, the glamour, the event that was the Superbowl. When I first began to follow the Raiders, there was none of that. The franchise was so far removed from the Superbowl that it was almost a relic of the NFL. Its glory days well past, its brief resurgence in the early 00’s a tragic story. What followed since their heavy defeat in Superbowl XXXVII to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a decade and more of inferiority on and off the field. No winning season, no divisional playoff, no playoff appearance, few players worthy of mention on the highlight reel, games and plays that were often featured on a gag reel if nothing else. Coaches who were inept and an owner who seemed a shadow of the maverick figure who created a dynasty of greatness. Draft picks had bombed. There was a growing consensus amongst American Football fans that Davis had lost it. He was now a crazy old man stuck in the past with his ideals. Much ignored is the fact that Al Davis was on the verge of creating a team just about to make the playoffs once again. In hiring his sixth head coach in nearly a decade, Hue Jackson, the Raiders almost made the playoffs under his guidance in 2011. They lost their final game to the San Diego Chargers where a win would have guaranteed their place in the postseason. Davis wouldn’t live to see this, passing away 2 months earlier at the age of 82.


The organisation has taken a different road since his passing. However it’s not been without its setbacks. When I started watching the Raiders, they were midway through the second season under head coach Dennis Allen. Allen was a high pitched unintimidating young man who didn’t inspire confidence in either me or, it seems, his players. Two consecutive seasons were spent winning 4 games and losing twelve. I’m keen to stress at all times, that I never jumped on any bandwagon. In that 2013 season, I watched two wins against Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans. In between and after those games, I saw disasters. Conceding 56 and 49 points respectively to Kansas City and the Philadelphia Eagles, last minute defeats in high scoring but ultimately one score margin of defeats. The Raiders of 2013 generally played terrible football. It continued into 2014 when, even after sacking Allen after four games, the Raiders would go onto lose their first ten games of the season. They were a laughing stock and expected to finish the season without winning a game.

Why did I stick around? I was watching these games that stretched 3 or 4 hours long to see a team lose week in week out? There was talent, a brilliance in the Raiders that just wasn’t consistent enough. Part of me easily related to the defiance of following a struggling team, against the odds. Ireland was the prime example, underdogs who always punched above their weight. We’d reach World Cups during the 90’s and again in 2002 but miss out ever since (to this day). In GAA, since I’ve been born, Galway have ended droughts of 32 years in football and 29 years in hurling before they would win All-Ireland titles. In Soccer, I followed Liverpool and Celtic when I was growing up. Liverpool’s trials speak for themselves whereas Celtic were struggling to finish 2^nd, never mind 1^st in their domestic league during the 90’s. They would of course famously stop their great rivals Rangers, from doing 10 in a row in 1998 when I was only 7 years old. In Europe, the allure and prospect of facing the big teams and recording an upset captivating the imagination of many football fans. While I would love for teams I follow to be consistently successful, the moments where droughts end, upsets happen, or performances where everything clicks are a joy to watch. You’ve been there when it’s woeful, and don’t know what to do with yourself when everything goes perfect.

Aside from the Raiders mystique and their brief sparks of light, I studied their entire history while waiting for the 2014 NFL season to begin. I learnt of their dominance, their Superbowl success, their great players and near misses. The highs and lows of the entire franchise I recounted through documentaries, YouTube and articles online. I began to develop an affinity to a team and a sport I never gave a seconds thought years previous. Their culture and identity just resonated with me in a way no other NFL team could ever do. The Raiders were my team and that was that. I see far more Tom Brady jerseys in Ireland than Raiders apparel but I feel content in the knowledge he cheated his way past them on his way to his first Superbowl. It’s not important to be consistent, it’s important to be right. Soon Sunday evenings in the Autumn were all about sitting back in my chair, maybe with a drink or two by my side, firing up the laptop, finding a good stream and watching the Raiders in action. At half-time, there would usually be a Pizza, (another great love affair I’ll speak about if I ever have a food blog) and all the while I would be tweeting about the game in progress. I’ve 256 followers on Twitter, nearly half of which are Raider fans or relevant accounts. We’d laugh, cry, curse to the high heavens and celebrate for the Silver and Black until the final play had passed.

The Raiders turned a corner in that 2014 season. After going 0-10, they would record their first win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. I roared to my hearts content at 4:30am when they secured a late win. I roared like they’d just win a Superbowl. Primetime games meant extremely late nights for myself. Regardless if I’m working the next day, I would follow every play as usual and suffer for it the next morning. They would win twice more that season but it was beginning to become apparent that their draft picks, under new General Manager Reggie MacKenzie, were the cornerstones to better things ahead. Derek Carr at Quarterback and Defensive End Khalil Mack signified the beginning of a new era. They would find guidance under a new head coach Jack Del Rio and they not only began to be competitive, they started winning games more regularly. The 2015 season saw the Raiders finish 7-9, another losing season but one that held positives throughout. It was the benchmark for what followed. In 2016, the Raiders would end the regular season with a 12-4 record. Their first winning season in 14 years, confirming their first post-season appearance in the playoffs in the same period. The majority of those wins were often secured with the last play of the game, in the final seconds. The mantra for the season was set in the very first game. Down 34-27 to the New Orleans Saints, Carr led the Raiders down the field to an equalising touchdown score. However, instead of going for an extra point to tie the game, Del Rio decided to go for two, an incredibly risky move. However, Carr found Wide Reciever Michael Crabtree for the two-point conversion and the win. The Silver and Black were Back!

It was incredibly exciting watching the Raiders dominate once more. They were winning, but they were doing it in such an exciting passion that it was liable to give you a heart attack watching them win. I hear such distain for American Football that it irritates me greatly when anyone dismisses it. Sure the broadcasts are long, but once you understand the game, it can be the most exciting thing you can watch in sport. There was never a dull moment following the Raiders in 2016 and talk began to surface that this team were dark horses for the Superbowl. They had a porous defence defending the deep pass but their attack was unstoppable. They had a young fearless quarterback and a head coach willing to risk everything to win. Everything was going perfect until the penultimate game, where Carr would break his leg being tackled. Despite the efforts of his back-ups, the Raiders were a shadow of the offensive threat they were during the season and exited the playoffs in the first round to the Houston Texans. I sat in a pub that night drowning my sorrows.

Since the 2016 season has ended, Mark Davis, son of Al and current owner of the Raiders, successfully earned the right to relocate the team to Las Vegas in a landmark move for the NFL and indeed the franchise. Davis had sought for years to find a new stadium in Oakland and LA before deciding on building one in Sin City. It’s a move I don’t agree with. Personally it doesn’t affect me one bit living in Ireland but a huge part of the Raiders identity was forged in Oakland and later Los Angeles that it comes across as a smack in the face to the people and city of Oakland. While it is argued the City could have done more to keep them, I don’t think the Raiders themselves did everything they could to stay home. For a local fanbase who stuck by through thick and thin in the last 22 years since they returned, it was terrible to think that just when the team was returning to the top, they were going to leave again. I feel terrible for die hard locals who have lost their team for the second time around. I didn’t know what to think about the future itself but as the 2017 season grew closer, I couldn’t ignore the passion I have for the team itself. I have grave doubts about the move to Vegas and will wait and see how it pans out. However, for the time being, they are the Oakland Raiders. If ice Cube could remain loyal even when they left LA, why can’t I do the same?

Today the 2017 season for the Raiders begins with a trip to play the Tennessee Titans. Just like last year, I have a great excitement brewing inside about the season ahead. Regardless of the outcome, I’m a member of the Raider Nation, no matter what. Ice Cube and Al Davis ignited a passion that will continue burn long into the future.

One Day In September

Not for the first time, a difficult decision involving the Irish National Football team and Galway GAA left me wondering.

And I wondered throughout May and June.



On the 2^nd September, Ireland are due to play Georgia in a World Cup qualifier in Tbilisi. Having not travelled to an away game since the Euros of last summer, I was extremely eager to attend this qualifier. This was despite the fact Georgia is the back end of Europe and require at least 2 flights to get there. On the 3rd September, the 130^th All-Ireland Hurling Final will take place in Croke Park. Galway have spent most of the summer as favourites to win their first title in 29 years. It’s a narrative that has progressed to a state of affairs of “This is the Year” amongst fans and experts alike. There was always a strong chance of them reaching the final but then again, this was Galway hurling I was talking about. They had a history of letting me down. I wanted to go to Tbilisi, but I had to consider the prospect of flying home the very next morning if the Tribesmen were to be playing hurling on the first Sunday of September.

I spent the month of July researching this prospect.


Was it feasible? Yes!
Was it arduous, expensive, ludicrous and insane? Absolutely.
Did this put me off? No!
Did I book the flights…….


It would cost me a mere €81 to fly out to Georgia on the 31^st August. And I secured accommodation for €45 a night til the 3^rd September, the day of the hurling final. In setting me up for a fall, getting home was where my heart was torn and hours were lost. Direct flights didn’t exist between Georgia to Ireland. Even my usual approach of getting a connecting flight was out of the question. It was possible to make it back to Dublin that day for a reasonable enough price, but not in time for a 3:30pm throw in. There were several early flights out of Germany to Dublin around 11am, only I had no way of getting to Germany from Tbilisi in time for them. After days of searching, having my hopes dashed time upon time and considering the prospect of flying to Dubai at least once, I managed to find a route home that worked. Tbilisi-Istanbul-Copenhagen-Dublin was a series of flights that would begin at 5am and have me in Dublin Airport at 2:40pm. All for €350 euro. I didn’t have the money at the time to book them. All that time, I reasoned with myself that I would wait until the final whistle of Galway’s semi-final encounter before I proceeded to book my way home.

And onto August…….


Everything was decided before Galway even knew their opponent for that semi-final. The GAA lords above decreed that I should break my ankle in a League game for Skerries Harps on the 27^th July. A Weber C fracture along with two ruptured ligaments necessitated the need for immediate surgery. With plates and screws inserted in my leg, I would be spending six weeks minimum on crutches with further surgery to follow. As I hobbled out of the hospital on my crutches, I realised I would be in no fit state to fly to Georgia. That was made abundantly clear within minutes of not elevating my leg. Even going to Croke Park to watch Galway play Kerry in the Football Quarter Final the day after I was discharged was out of the question. As frustrating as it was to watch that from home (and see us squander goal chances galore), I could live with it. And I made peace with the fact I would not be travelling to Tbilisi, missing another away game, and ultimately missing out on another eventful trip home for an All-Ireland final. Truth be told, it saved me a lot of hassle and money, regardless of the fact I would not have hesitated going through with it.


This September, I will make it clear.
No amount of swelling, pain, doctor or family advice will stop me being in Croke Park for this years All-Ireland Hurling Final, crutches and all.






Mundy has July, Galway have August. Will we be dancing in September?


Even with one leg, I was jumping for joy and screaming my lungs out as Joe Canning scored a miracle point to win the semi-final showdown against reigning All-Ireland Champions Tipperary. The man for the big occasion, he travelled back to his own 35 yard line to take a free, confident he was going to score. As it fell short, he burst a gut to get into position to have another go. It was a stunning way to win the final and mirrored the dramatic semi-final finish of two years previous. The similarities end in that regard. Prior to our 0-22 to 1-18 semi-final win, it’s been an efficient if unexciting route to this year’s final. The hype machine was launched with a stunning League final over Tipp by 16 points in May. After that, comfortable wins over Dublin, Offaly and Wexford resulted in only our 2^nd ever Leinster title and direct passage to the last four. The usual questions and doubts over Galway’s ability to win Liam McCarthy have been raised and one by one they are being answered. After winning the League final in emphatic fashion, Galway were propelled to the status of Championship favourites. It’s a position they have yet to relinquish or give tangible signs of reason not to be either.


Then there’s the history aspect of the hurling. It’s been 29 years since we last won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. I have been alive for 26 of them. Of the six finals we’ve lost since 1988, I vividly remember four of them. I’ve attended three finals involving Galway; the 2012 draw, its replay, and 2015. There’s probably a huge number who’ve attended each of the finals we’ve reached in those 29 years. For this decade alone, for all the positivity in the build-up, and moments during those finals when I thought “Holy Fuck we’re on a roll here”, Kilkenny managed to defy us each time. Two years ago, losing the final broke my soul. And all the controversy that followed with player mutiny and managers stepping aside, it was all turmoil that could have been avoided if the 2nd half had gone to plan. Galway hurling fans have been left to rue what might have been time and time again. If they had just defended the goal better in 1990. If the referee just played advantage and we got a third goal in 2001, if Hnery Shefflin just fucked off at half-time in 2012. And many more besides. It’s the closest thing to being from Mayo a Galway person can experience without living on the right side of Shrule and Ballindine. While year after year, a Galway football fan like myself can laugh at our neighbours misfortune, we’re no strangers to heartbreak in September. People have asked me all summer, are Galway going to win it? Anyone who says to me they’re going to do it is promptly dismissed for me to tell them “Don’t Jinx It”. For many Galway hurling fans, they’ll believe it when they see it. We’ve gone into too many finals confident in our own ability for it not to happen.





That pessimism can take away from the build-up itself. Why immerse yourself in the excitement, it will only end in tears anyways? I never focus too much on the prospect of losing for any team I follow. Sure, there are many times where the team I support have the odds stacked against them. And taking a dose in reality in the build-up can temper expectations and help cope with any defeat when it happens. However, I’ve never let myself dismiss my team from having any chance whatsoever. It’s why, with the help of alcohol, I firmly believed we were going to take points off Spain at Euro 2012. I was wrong on that occasion. Then there are the times when hope pays off, when the unexpected happens before your eyes. When Shane Long struck the top corner in front of me and the South Stand in the Aviva exploded. When you witness a moment like, hope will never leave you. 99 times out of 100, it can be punctured and leak away with your optimism. That one time it delivers will instill a belief within you. A belief that no matter what the odds are, what the experts think, what the record books say, you will believe the impossible can happen. It’s a beautiful aspect of sport. It isn’t played on paper or in superlatives from the media. It’s what happens on the pitch.





It’s why after 58 years, every man woman and child in Waterford believes that their drought is the one that will end. After their League campaign ended in a quarter-final defeat to Galway, they would lose a Munster Quarter-final to Cork by five points. They responded by first hammering Offaly in the 1^st round of the Qualifiers. Then they defeated Kilkenny for the first time since 1959 in the next qualifier round. While it is deemed that Kilkenny are not the force they once were, it was still a massive statement of intent from this Waterford team to get that elusive win. Wexford were swept aside after that before a rematch with Cork in the 2^nd semi-final awaited them. Cork were often the team that broke Deise hearts a decade ago so in the build-up a lot was made of past encounters. Despite the loss of Tádgh de Búrca, an integral part of their team, Waterford exacted the perfect form of revenge with an 11 point victory, 4-19 to 0-20. They are proceeding to tear up history before them, they have defied experts who said their sweeper system will hold them back. And Galway are next in line.


History is something these two teams don’t have at this stage. They have never met in an All-Ireland Senior Hurling final. And it’s the first time since 1996 that the final will not involve one of Kilkenny, Cork or Tipperary. Neutrals across Ireland are spoilt for choice, given the fact that both counties have not won an All-Ireland final for a significant number of years. While Waterford have been waiting 58 years, (twice what Galway have endured) they have lost two finals in that time period. As I mentioned above, Galway have lost six finals and drawn one since they were last victorious. Since Waterford’s last title in 1959, Galway have lost eleven finals. A noticeable fact to add to the Tribesmen worries is that in ten meetings, Galway have never beaten Waterford in the Championship. From a ten point victory in 1998 All-Ireland quarter-final to narrow one point victories at the same stage in 2009 and 2011, the Deise hold a perfect record they’ll be hoping to continue this weekend. However, the last time these sides met was earlier on in the year in the League. After leading by eight points after 20 minutes, Waterford held off an initial comeback from the home side to lead by 2-19 to 1-15 points with 14 minutes left. However, Joe Canning (that man again) converted a penalty that inspired Galway to win by 2-22 to 2-19. That was April. On September history and past meetings could count for nothing by half 5 Sunday afternoon. Every game takes on a life of its own.

Galway's heroic performance against Tipperary was overshadowed days later by the sudden passing of Tony Keady. Keady, a two-time All-Ireland winner, All-Star and Hurler of the Year in 1988 was universally admired as one of the greatest players ever to play the game. His exemplary displays on the pitch were matched by his humble and well liked personality off the field. His death and the sudden nature of it left the GAA and Galway hurling community in mourning. Keady had been in Croke Park to witness the victory over Tipperary and would have no doubt been looking forward to the final this Sunday. His passing brought up many memories and stories from his playing days, not least “The Tony Keady Affair” where he was suspended for 12 months in 1989 for playing illegally in America. It meant he missed out on playing for Galway that year, a summer where we were going for 3 in a Row. In the build-up to this final, a lot has been made of the helmet grabbing incidents in both semi-finals from Adrian Tuohy and Austin Gleeson of Galway and Waterford respectively. Tuohy was cleared before the 2^nd semi-final took place so therefore a lot of discussion preceded the decision over Gleesons availability for the final. Thankfully he will also be available to play the final and will receive no punishment. Sure enough, we might have a better chance if Waterford didn’t have Gleeson. However, in 1989 when voting on whether to rescind Keady’s ban, Tipperary; the county with the most to gain from his removal, voted to reinstate him. They figured it would be more appropriate to beat Galway full strength than to defeat them without Keady. It is only right and proper we apply the same logic this year.


And I hope on Sunday, we can honour the memory of Keady. I hope we can sing The Wests Awake in a manner befitting to that of Joe McDonagh who passed away last year and to all Galway people who may have passed in the intervening 29 years. May they lean over the bannisters of heaven (as Michael o'Muircheartaigh once said) and see David Burke lifting Liam McCarthy. On the day itself, I will let go of the rigidness and give myself to the frenzied nature of All-Ireland final day*. I will allow myself to be swept up in the carnivale and believe that today will be the day. An All-Ireland final is a magical experience if you are vested in the GAA. I've been lucky to see three of them, and although we lost all three, they are the days that just capture the imagination. It was why I was willing to spend three figures and travel across Europe to come home for it. The excitement and tension pre-game will result in roars of GAILLIMH ABÚ from the top of my lungs. I'll want it to echo across Croke Park, evoking passion and a level of ear drum damage not advisable to people nearby (apologies in advance to my beloved girlfriend Niamh who'll be there beside me). The only thing I can ask for is for Galway to win. To make the fourth that bit more special, I’m gonna be on crutches and will have to make my way up many steps to my seat. In the end, it will all be worth it. Following Galway always is.



* Not until I’ve said the rosary and had my breakfast that morning.

 

  

Georgia On My Mind

 

 

It’s over a year since I was in France watching Ireland compete in Euro 2016. The tournament was a culmination of travelling and support throughout the qualifying campaign that saw me attend 10 out of Irelands 12 qualifiers. After everything settled down, my bank account was very light. I was planning on moving to Dublin in less than two months and had to accept that any chance I had of attending the away games in Serbia, Moldova and Austria in our next campaign were slim to none. It was ludicrous to have 3 away games so soon after a major tournament anyways but then again, its not often we qualify for them for the fixture makers to worry about it. As it was, from the comforts of my new surroundings in Dublin, I watched us secure 7 points out of 9. A positive if uncommon return for Irish football. There are people I know who attended all three trips, many more who attended one. They waxed lyrical about their time away which had positive brilliant results to add to their experience.


I had every intention of travelling to Georgia this weekend. I had my flights out booked, ticket ordered, the time off sheet at work requested and was in the midst of ongoing research of how to come home the morning after the game in time for the All-Ireland Hurling Final in Dublin the next day. If it was possible, and if Galway were to qualify, I was doing it. Sadly at the end of the July I suffered a pretty nasty broken ankle along with ruptured ligaments that has left me on crutches and painkillers as I write this. I reluctantly decided that flying to the other side of Europe for an away game would be too much in my current state. I can’t even get a train, 15 minutes walk from my house (without crutches), to Balbriggan from Skerries without it being a tortuous journey. I’ll be home this weekend watching it on TV, saving my strength for the All-Ireland final and the home qualifier against Serbia on Tuesday.



















Speaking of home, my attendance in the Aviva remains ever present. Moving to Dublin has been an interesting adjustment going to Ireland games. Not necessarily better but different. The games themselves have not been memorable occasions. They have been memorable for the wrong reasons if nothing else. Two draws and a turgid 1-0 win against Georgia, the national team that must be sick of us by now. We’ve played Georgia 7 times in the last 14 years and we’ve won all seven. A statistic like that would surely give you confidence going into the eighth encounter. However, in a series of games that has produced dodgy penalties, a pen-knife thrown from the crowd, a qualifier played in Mainz, a sublime last minute winner, and other goals scored from distance no greater than 3 yards out, doing things the easy way just would not be in the Irish make-up.


Georgia are not a bad team. They’re not a very good one but they are difficult to beat. This is a country that has recorded a friendly victory over Spain, held France to a draw in a qualifier, only lost to Germany by two goals to one in another. More importantly from an Irish perspective, they held Wales to a point in Cardiff in 2016 in this campaign. Georgia have done us massive favours in recent years that in return, we end breaking their hearts with narrow narrow victories. This time two years ago, it was Scotland who went to Tbilisi with momentum firmly on their side in the race for Euro 2016. I was sat in the Erins Isle pub in Albufeira, with another hundred Irish fans, watching that game. A huge roar went up when Valeri Kazaishvili put the Georgians one nil up and we spent the next hour enroute to Faro for our own qualifier wondering what the outcome was. It remained 1-0, we won by the same scoreline 3 nights later and the rest was history.




History has shown these games to be close and hard fought. It can take a moment of brilliance or stubbornness to decide it. Our winning goals have come from Gary Doherty playing up front to Robbie Keane diving full length to head home. The McGeady turn in injury time or Seamus Coleman beating three defenders and the keeper in one attack only to toe-poke the ball home from one yard.
Yes we’ve done it the hard way in style but we’ve won every time. And I honestly couldn’t care if the ball ricocheted off Shanes Duffy backside, from a Cyrus Christie overhead kick, to roll over the goal-line in the first minute. And if 89 minutes of backs to the wall, classic Irish panic-possession football ensued there-in after. Three points against Georgia are valued but those gained in Tbilisi are a precious currency we have a knack of obtaining.


Much like my last two Ireland related articles on this blog, we enter the International week in a position of strength, joint-top of Group D with Serbia edging in front only on goal difference. Austria and Wales came to the Aviva in our last two games four points adrift and left Dublin in the same position. Both games left a lot to be desired, we scored one goal in total and offered very little going forward. Our captain Seamus Coleman suffered a horrific leg break against the Welsh and we failed to make an extra man advantage for the remaining 20 minutes count. A win against either side would have eliminated them from the running. As it stands, permutations and predictions are becoming increasingly difficult to decide in determining what the best possible outcome is for Ireland is. Obviously six points from in our next two games is the best outcome. However when there are doubts being raised over your ability to beat Georgia in Tbilisi, do your expectations rise for the arrival of Serbia in what will be a campaign defining match 3 days later.


Martin O’Neill has whittled down his squad from 39 to 25 that has seen key players such as Jeff Hendrick and James McCarthy miss out because of injury. Uncapped players Matt Doherty and Seanie Maguire also missed the cut and will have to wait a bit longer for their first cap. The final squad itself shows no real surprises. Rob Elliot has made a welcome return to club football after missing a year through injury and reclaims his spot in the squad. It is expected however that Darren Randolph will retain the No.1 spot, having moved to Middlesbrough during the summer to ensure first team football. Kevin Long, who was a surprise starter in the game against Austria has cemented his place in the squad with his good start to the season with Burnley. He is one of the 5 Irish players at the Lancashire club, along with the aforementioned Hendrick, Stephen Ward, new summer signing Jon Walters and Robbie Brady. Brady was on hand to deliver a glorious assist in their last game, showing he is in the right kind of form heading into our next two qualifiers. More importantly, the squad has been confirmed as fully fit, allowing O’Neill a full hand to choose from.




Aiden McGeady enjoyed an excellent loan spell at Preston last season, with his form rejuvenated after a torrid time at Everton. He has linked up with his manager last season Simon Grayson at Sunderland, and finds himself scoring and creating goals for the Wearside club at the start of this new season. Given his impact in Tbilisi last time out, it would be foolish not to introduce him at some stage. In our two competitive encounters this year, McGeady appearances for Ireland have come from the bench. Against Austria, he barely had time to make an impact so therefore I’d like to see him start today. His inclusion, along with the likes of Harry Arter, Wes Hoolahan, and Brady on the opposite wing will give Ireland a creative stronghold that will control possession throughout the game. Looking back on each of our games against Georgia, and in some of their own games in this campaign, there is a frequent tendency for them to concede in the second half. Whether this points to a lack of fitness on their part is hard to tell, but with temperatures expected to 30 degrees Celsius, the conditions could be decisive. If we dictated the game and its tempo, forcing Georgia to work harder in order to get the ball, then we can wear them down quicker as the game goes on. The impetus is on Ireland to get the win but there is no way Georgia are laying down a defensive wall in those temperatures without wilting at some point. And that’s where our creativity will punish them.


Shane can run all night Long. However, it would be ridiculous to have him chasing dead ends in that heat. He’ll be sapped before the hour and would prompt a change from the bench. I would happily play two up front this evening, with either Daryl Murphy or Jon Walters partnering him up front. We may have only brought three forwards to Tbilisi but why not give them all game time. Any one is capable of producing the goods tonight and on Tuesday evening. And while James McClean has been arguably our standout performer in the last year, I think in this game, he would be more effective coming off the bench, with his direct running causing Georgia more problems later on. Moldova have scored three goals in their two games against Georgia. And while we have always tended to scrape out narrow victories, we should sell ourselves short. We have the necessary quality in midfield and up front to score goals tonight. It’s why I predicted a 2-0 win on YBIG.ie forum the other day. It may not be pretty but we’ll get the job done.




Defensively, a lot would depend if we are to play open or two up front. If we have one striker, then it’s a certainty Glenn Whelan will sit in front of the back four. I would be in favour of this set-up only in preparation for Tuesdays encounter where a midfield three is guaranteed. It would also give the potential duo of Arter/Hoolahan more freedom to push forward. The back four itself has to remain calm and composed throughout. Against Austria we conceded a poor goal from a set-piece and nearly allowed them through on other occasions. Our distribution of the ball from the back can’t just be lumped up to the front man. In this heat, it will necessitate needless running and invite Georgia onto us. You could put out any combination of defenders and they can handle what the Georgians will throw at them but what we do with the ball when we win it back in our own half will set the tone for this game.  


Three points is an absolute must. With Serbia playing Moldova, you can expect them to roll into Dublin on 15 points looking for the knockout punch and their ticket to Russia next summer. Meanwhile, with Wales travelling to Austria, one or both of them will be dropping points that will benefit our situation one way or another. A draw and a win in Tbilisi would be ideal. Four points from our next two games would be good too. Six from Six would be perfect. And we already have a perfect record against Georgia. There is no reason why we can’t be confident and continue that trend this evening. We not set up Tuesday evening for a winner takes all showdown. And have me swinging my crutches in style in the South Stand while I’m there!