CLARE SENIOR HURLING manager Davy Fitzgerald has met with a local journalist to clear the air after the pair clashed last year.
Fitzgerald made his feelings known to the Clare Champion’s Peter O’Connell in the Cusack Park tunnel following last summer’s drawn All-Ireland senior hurling championship qualifier at Cusack Park.
Fitzgerald later stated that he would not conduct any future interview with O’Connell and would not talk to the print media after games if the reporter was present.
But Fitzgerald met O’Connell yesterday morning at the Templegate Hotel in Ennis and the best bits can be read in this week’s Clare Champion.
In the interview, Fitzgerald discussed a number of topics, beginning with how on earth he was sitting down with the man he had confronted last year:
Peace talks:
“It was suggested that me and you talk. When it was put to me would I, I said fair enough. We might have had issues in the past.
“Things I wouldn’t have been happy about and you have things you wouldn’t have been happy about. But listen, this is moving forward.
The way I look at things any more is, I’m not looking into the past, I’m looking forward. That’s not going to stop you writing stuff or it’s not going to stop me having my opinions and that’s it.”
Referees:
“If you take the end of the 1990s, it was definitely there.
“We had a big problem with referees. I don’t have any major problem with them.
He (Colm Lyons) came over to me the last day (against Limerick) because I questioned a ball that was thrown in front of me.
We discussed that there and then and he understood what I was doing. I think it is pretty unfair that the camera seems to be on me all the time.
“RTE will probably show three or four minutes of me over 75 minutes but isn’t it funny they get me when I’m asking a question?
“If I’m like a dummy on the sideline and say nothing, I’ll have the Clare crowd giving out about me for not saying anything. You can’t win in my position.”
Tactics:
“Like any team you’ll have a certain few tactics or a pattern of play but you take a fella like Tony Kelly, nine times out of ten my words to to Tony are ‘go and play where you want.’
“That would be to the likes of him, other guys you might ask them to track back.
“It’s nothing exceptional and they are not tied to anything. We might have two or three different game plans we can change to with formations. The formations are to allow freedom up front and maybe to help in defence a small bit.
“We might have a certain amount of tactics but the biggest message for me is play with freedom and that’s even at training for the last few nights.
“I feel, even the last day, they are trying to do everything so well and do everything on the button.”
Micro-management:
“There is a bit of slack. The only thing is when they are off the drink at a certain spell, I ask them to ring me when they are going out so that someone won’t ring me and say ‘I heard x or y was out’. I trust them.
“Every now and again a guy will make a mistake. I’m not going to kill him over that. It’s just about keeping a happy medium so that we don’t go absolutely ballistic.”
THAT interview with RTE’s Clare McNamara:
“I haven’t looked at that interview. The only thing, for the record, that I was upset about, was the four minutes. I saw four minutes on the fourth officials board.
“I was adamant, I asked the question and I didn’t get a proper answer to it. That’s all that annoyed me. I’m a passionate Clare man and I’m not going to change that.
“While there are certain things that I would like to change maybe in interviews, I can’t change that. That’s just the way it is.
“As much as certain people would like to think I like being in the pubic eye, I absolutely detest it. I live a very simple life. I’m not perfect but I don’t go out too much. I stay in my own environment.”
Colm Galvin:
“I’ve texted his dad. I don’t know yet if he’s coming back. I’m trying my level best.
“His dad is a massive Clare man and Clonlara man. You’d never know. Hopefully he might. He loves his county and his club.”
Paul Kinnerk’s return in 2016:
“He told me he would. I trust Paul and I have great time for Paul.
“We’d be really tight. He’s going away travelling now for a few months which he said he was going doing. I want to make sure himself and Maggie have a great time.
“He deserves a good break. My ambition and hope is that he will be back with Clare next year. That was always the plan but we’ll have to sit down when he comes back and see what the story is.
“I think it wasn’t a bad thing for Paul to take a year out because Paul had worked with the guys for a long time and I think a year out will be no harm.
“Hopefully he won’t have changed his mind from what he told me last year. If he does he’d be welcome back. Anyone of my team that are gone, I’d love to have them back.”
Let’s hope Scotland bottle it like they did in their independence referendum.
To be honest I’ll be disappointed enough if, atleast a handful of lads don’t moon em shouting freedom!
this is a proper game
okay deflection but I still think a decent keeper would have saved it
what’s he takin Wes off for?!!
I’m sorry but where was the f*cking urgency in those last 5 to 10 minutes
One word-drab
Not the team I would have picked but I am not the manager. Here’s hoping MO’N knows something the rest of us don’t! COYBIG!
No anya in Scotland team!!
not confident at all to be honest. n ire, Scotland and Wales all on the rise while we seem to be gettin worse, or at least not progressing much
we reap what we sow, total lack of support & investment in our league
Anyone else agree that Ronnie Whelan shouldn’t have the commentary gig for such an important match? I think every second thing he says makes me grind my teeth. Why couldn’t they have given the job to Giles?
Playing with a diamond midfield I think, 1-0 Ireland win. COYBIG
Rte player down. What the hell do I do???
watch porn instead
Is there a more unlikeable player around than Naismith?
Ronaldo. At least he’s a great player though
Looked like offside, 5 million to Scotland
You have stay positive #COYBIG
COYBIG
Scottish jersey looks like someone puked on it
That Naismith is an awful pr*ck. He’d also give Tom Daley a run for his money in the diving stakes.
This game is made for McClean & Long
And walters…. G’won
Nice start, keep it up! COYBIG
why is shane long still sitting on the bench?baffling.
C’mon Ireland! 1 more now!
And no dirty stuff!!!!
Get McCarthy off now. The lads head isn’t in the game at all. looks like he’s trying to get himself sent off
Mon now Ireland ta f**k! doesn’t even have to be pretty. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr just feckin do it lads
Great atmosphere. The fans are really noisy. The team are playing with great attitude. And it’s 1-0… This game reminds me of Irl v Holland in 2001 when we won 1 nil courtesy of McAteer and we went on to qualify for the World Cup. It was a Saturday too if I remember correctly.. More of the same please!!!!!!!!
Really hoping for an Ireland and a Laois win!!
Scotland have this won from the National Anthem. We are a disgrace.
it’s the euros Ryan, not the eurovision
Given, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Deflected in fairness to him. O.G.
Deflected
Yes I know this,but as a keeper myself he really should have gotten something on that playing at international level
Also, does Given know he’s allowed throw the ball to one of his defenders?
given should have readjustd simple as
Cant believe Shane Long not starting, he’s a proven scorer at premier level. Murphy ok, but scoring in lower league,
Proven scorer? Once every 4 games or so?
Really hope Ireland wins.( support Celtic after all) green`s my favorite colour ) Dunno what colour scotland’s strip supposed to stand for? Great goal from Ireland.
I’ve been prepared for the thumping we’re going get since the Poland game and this lineup offers no hope.
That’s the spirit!
O’Neill and Keane will get plenty of criticism after this but it’s time for the likes of McCarthy, Wilson, and Whelan to stand up in games like this. They are all playing for top half premier league clubs and their influence on the game today was negligible. It was poor, but I don’t think any other manager could have conjured up a performance from that group of players. Just a complete lack of leaders on the pitch when they were needed.
Is O Neill waiting for us to go 2-1 down before making a change.Murphy hasn’t done a thing
And bizarre decision to take Hoolahan off for Keane. Agree, should have been Murphy off
thought Murphy played well actually
Sorry, Murphy did play well, but faded later
Anyone else think we should have kept Trappatoni?
no.
Route 1 football on show,hoof it up and hope for the best,pure dogged effort,it’s like watching a mix between afl and tennis.Whelan and Walters thriving on it
Robbie Brady’s left foot should be made a patron saint #COYBIG
In my drunken state I have appointed him Fed Ex Brady because of his great delivery.
his delivery was brutal, don’t get that
It’s great to see Ireland winning, another home nation at the euros next year !
Home nation?
Ireland are a home nation like Wales
‘There were estimates that around 20,000 fans would travel over for the weekend — let’s hope that they don’t all have tickets’ – what a dreadful unsporting comment to make.
Well shut up about it
Murphy was terrible, look disinterested in the game, no urgency to get across defenders to try and get a header in, don’t know how o’neill and co could leave him on for 80mins and take-off Holohan. actually at half time o’neill must have told them relax Folks we have won because as a team they had no desire in that second half.
So are we out or what??