Congratulations to Down’s Senior Gaelic Footballers on an historic win yesterday. 1-16 to 1-14 over Kildare may be the scoreline, but it hardly does justice to the drama as Down tried and succeeded to get back to Croke Park 50 years after their first Final success.
Why am I bothered? Well, I live in the county. In my days with BBC sports, I feel I did a little to help increase BBC NI’s coverage of the sport, not least in introducing the habit of securing post-match interviews with key players and managers on Sunday Sportsound (can you believe there was a time it did not happen on a regular basis?). I also played a support role in securing Down’s sponsorship by Ulster Bank in the 1980s, and have had the pleasure of watching my wife (a lifelong resident of County Down) looking dazed and confused at an All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final (don’t ask … no really … please).
So, good luck Down on 19th September. And good luck to those reporting on them. You will do well to beat my former colleague and mentor, BD, who told Radio Ulster’s audience one evening all about the building excitement about the “up and coming Down net minder ”
Now, bring on the anthems. Status Quo “Down Down Keeper and Down.” Yazz “The Only Way Is Up”. Robbie Robertson “Somewhere Down The Crazy River” (with apologies to the Liffey). Or lets just stick with Nicholas Parsons introducing The Price is Right from Norwich all those years ago on ITV: “Come On Down!”.
While I agree with your sentiments, how does it sit with your support for Tom Elliot who says he would never attend a GAA match nor would he, I assume, as a senior Orangeman enter a Catholic church?
I think it would have been more honest for you to have supported Basil McCrae whose politics would seem to be a lot closer to yours. Was your original decision because you didn’t expect him to have a chance, a situation which seems to be a lot less obvious now?
Not that I suppose it matters too much as the tipping point may already have passed some time ago and it is just too late to reverse the decline regardless of who wins, many fellow members think so.
A couple of points in response. Firstly, my post was a reference to sport, not politics. But as you bring up politics, I have spoken to Tom Elliott, and would, therefore, challenge you to provide the evidence that he said he would never attend a GAA match, because that is not what he tells me.
It is also disappointing to be accused of a lack of honesty. I am not backing Basil because of what I have heard in my conversations to date with him and his core backers.
Mike , When Tom was the guest speaker at Portrush coffee evening on the night of Billy Armstrongs BBQ he stated that and i quote” there are those who would attend Gay Pride Parades and Gaa matches but let me tell you folks I”ll not be doing that”