Denis Walsh

Trading Places: A Team of Managers


NOWADAYS they decide who plays where and how. Time was, though, when the modern day manager was an inter-county player himself, a fact that sent WSC down the road of selecting a team of managers.


The qualification criteria were to be currently managing a inter-county senior team in the Liam McCarthy Cup or Christy Ring Cup competitions and also to have played senior inter-county championship hurling.


This only ruled out one, Clare's Mike McNamara, who, by default so becomes manager of the managers, no doubt leading to some interesting training sessions!


»First named county is that the player in question is currently in charge of, the second the county with which he played.


Pop Quiz


Wicklow


Ciaran Fitzgerald


The proud Wicklow man and loveable young fella you last saw on the back of a horse heading Into the West takes the GAA challenge.


1 Who are the current Wicklow senior football champions?


CF Eh... Rathnew. It's always Rathnew (Not any more. It's Kiltegan)


2 Which current Wicklow footballer lined out for Ireland in the International Rules series last year?


CF Can't remember (Leighton Glynn)


3 With which club does he play football?


CF I'll say Rathnew again... sure it's almost always Rathnew (correct)


4 With which club does he play hurling?


CF No idea (Glenealy)


5 Who is Wicklow's only football All Star?


CF Kevin O'Brien (correct)


6 Which team did Baltinglass beat in the 1990 All Ireland senior football club final?


CF Nah, no idea (Clann na nGael of Roscommon)


7 Which All Ireland winner, famous for his free taking, won a Leinster Vocational Schools title with Wicklow?


CF As before (Larry Tompkins)


8 Who preceded Mick O'Dwyer as manager?


CF Oh, Hugh Kenny, used to train us (correct)


9 Who was the last GAA president to come from Wicklow?


CF Should know that... but don't (Jack Boothman)


10 Who were Wicklow's opponents in 1986's Battle of Aughrim?


CF Laois, we beat them out the gate (Yes, you did)


Total 4/10


League table


Charlie McGettigan (Leitrim) 7


Ciaran Fitzgerald (Wicklow) 4


Richard Wallace (Limerick) 1


Where The Money Went


There ain't nothing like a televised Dublin match if you're a bookie. Early days, obviously, but last Sunday's Croke Park feature amounted to a seasonal high for Betfair, who matched over €190,000 in bets on the game. Very happy at the final whistle were those punters who had smashed into the Dubs at 1 -2 beforehand. Not nearly so happy, seeing that there was only two points in it at the end, were those punters who had lumped on Pat Gilroy's side to beat the handicap of 3.5 points.


Though Betfair saw rather less trading on Kerry-Cork – €103,000 in this instance – the twisty-turny nature of the proceedings in Killarney kept punters intrigued to the final whistle. Kerry opened at 8-11 and Cork at 2-1, positions that were emphatically reversed during the second half with the visitors seemingly destined for victory and now trading at 1-6 while Kerry were available at 8-1. The draw could be backed in running at 13-1 at one stage – so Bryan Sheehan's late free made some punters very happy – before shortening drastically due to the Kingdom's fight back.


As a result of their ebb and flow, GAA games are a natural medium for spread betters. Sportsspread.com were left grateful for Meath's strong finish last Sunday, having been bowled over by the rush of clients who bought Dublin at four points – ie bet on them to win by more than four – during the first half. By half-time, with Dublin six points up, the price had moved to 11, such was the weight of support from punters who fancied the Dubs to win handsomely. "There was a major move for Dublin during the first half and at half-time we were in a very bad place," according to Tom Scully of Sportsspread.com. "But Meath's comeback got us out of jail." The company did very little trading on the Kerry-Cork game. Whatever support did come came for Cork.


Thirteenth Time Lucky For LImerick In Thurles?


WHILE their overall Thurles record of played 74, won 27, drew 10, lost 37 reveals that 50 per cent of Limerick's trips home from Tipp have been free of the spectre of defeat, the Shannonsiders' more recent Semple Stadium stats are not good.


Would you believe since beating Waterford at the venue in the 1997 Munster quarter-final, Limerick's record in the field of legends reads played 12, won 0, drew 2, lost 10?


Waterford, in contrast, have thrived in Thurles. In fact it could be said the current Waterford renaissance kicked off with a win over Limerick in Semple Stadium in the 1998 National League semi-final.


And since the dawn of the new millennium Waterford's Thurles record reads played 11, won 8, drew 1, lost 2.


They've also won a league title there, so the tale of the Thurles tape certainly favours the lads in white and blue.


Limerick though did beat them in a league quarter-final there three years ago, while overall in championship head-to-head clashes in Thurles, Limerick have the edge with six wins to Waterford's four.


Mark Foley: A Paragon of Persistence


FOR 63 long years Timmy Ryan of Ahane has held the record of Limerick's most 'capped' championship hurler. However Adare's Mark Foley is inching nearer the old midfielder's long standing total of 45. Today in Thurles Foley will begin his 15th championship season and should move from joint third alongside the legendary Mick Mackey to join Mackey's brother John is second place.


Should the Shannonsiders enjoy an extended championship run Mark Foley could well break Ryan's six-decade old record.