Tough Love. The Club Championship
It all starts with the Club. And ends with the Club. So we are told. This week the Dublin GAA players didn’t have long to digest their two in a row success before its back to basics. Likewise the gallant Mayo GAA men don’t have time to wallow in defeat, they return to the warm embrace of their club and the championship.
Training Under Lights
You know you’re doing something right if your club training is still going strong into the fading Autumn evening and the floodlights are switched on. There’s something about that pool of yellow light, looks like success.
The Food Rota
In some clubs the grub’s laid on year round for the players. In some clubs, but in most outfits when success arrives it comes in the form of a tray laden with sandwiches, smoking tea and a few healthy snacks after training. Usually the mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters will take up a rota of preparing the grub. Brown bread, chicken, tuna or cheese and ham. One lad we know makes a fantastic sandwich, the flavours explode in the mouth, but his productions are too fancy for the players.
New Gear
Approaching the county final, or boldly going into the Provincial club championship its time to get a bit of new gear on board. A nice shiny half zip training top with county champions would do very nicely. Or one of those Gilets with the club crest on it. Look like the real deal. And a pair of skinny joggers to finish the deal. In fact the gear is one of the perks of being a winner. And don’t forget the club beanie hat. Essentially for wearing on those winter nights under lights.
Return of GAA Beo
There’s nothing like the Sunday afternoon in front of the telly, half glazed over after the early mass, feed of breakfast, followed too soon by the Sunday roast dinner. Slumped on the sofa, when the reminder comes up on the telly TG4 and GAABeo. Settling down to watch a couple of teams you’ve barely heard off rattle into one another. The occasional familiar sounding county name might echo as gaeilge but the screen is full of hardy lads bursting themselves all for the club. A corner back that’s closer to forty than thirty, an old school hurler who makes up for diminishing speed with longer reach in his caman.
The Club O’Neills Jersey
The O’Neills jerseys, typically a conservative and plain colour. Sponsor logo on the front? Not a bit of it. Big bold writing. Murphy’s Garage. Davidson’s Filling Station. Marty’s Fish and Chips, Dave’s Car Valet. The local names reveal the DNA of the club, a business to busy too bother with a thing like a logo and happy enough to have their name on the jerseys for a few hundred and plenty of goodwill.
The Toughest
The other things we know and love. Every decent club team that wants to progress must have a decent free taker. Think Cross, think McConville. Maybe a former county player, you didn't know he still played, but there he is togging in the corner, older, heavier, slower but sharper than ever. A hardy corner back. The midfield dynamo. Matches at county grounds with small crowds and a big passion. We’ve seen unfancied teams start out with a dozen or so supporters end up at Croke Park with the whole county behind them. That’s just the way the club championship rolls.
The Toughest they call it? The Toughest to win. The Toughest time of the year to train. The Toughest to lose. Like everything else that’s tough, it tends to be worth it.
Good luck to all our teams on their Championship journey.