YOUNG GALWAY HURLER Jason Flynn admits that Anthony Cunningham’s departure as manager got ‘messy’.
And the classy 21-year-old forward admits that the Tribesmen have put themselves under pressure to produce next year having ousted the county’s most successful boss in nearly 30 years.
“Anthony has brought on Galway hurling a lot,” explained Flynn, who was speaking in Boston where he is playing in today’s AIG Fenway Hurling Classic at Fenway Park.
“Even personally the last two years he has been very good to me and he gave me my debut. He developed me as a hurler, he’s a gentleman and there’s nothing behind it.
“As a group, collectively, we felt this was the best for Galway hurling. The vote went the way it did and that’s it now.
“It got a bit messy for a while and there was a lot of pressure on players, county board, management and everyone around the county.
“Look, it was bad to be going to matches and everyone getting asked questions about what was going on.
“It’s nice now to be able to say we can move on and look to the future. We’re looking forward to 2016, we’re looking to the future and the past is in the past.”
In his four years in charge of Galway, Cunningham led them to a Leinster title and two All-Ireland final appearances.
Even though both of those ended in defeat to Kilkenny, in the case of 2012 it was after a replay, the players decided that they needed a new man in charge if they were going to win the Liam MacCarthy.
They passed a vote of no confidence in Cunningham and he eventually walked away from the job having initially dug his heels in.
Having forced their manager to resign Flynn knows that they now have to deliver the silverware, but he firmly believes that they can.
“Why wouldn’t we?” he responded when asked did he believe that Galway could win the All-Ireland soon. “We’re a young panel with a nice blend of older players too.
“This year six or seven of us played in our first All-Ireland final and the experience we got from that is huge.
“To lose in an All-Ireland is so tough, it follows you around everywhere and that’s why getting back in to training as quick as we can is the best thing we can do.”
Flynn was also quick to scotch rumours about a dressing-room bust up at half-time in the All-Ireland final.
Galway were three points up at that stage, but they were blown out of the water in the second half and eventually lost on a 1-22 to 1-18 scoreline.
“Nothing happened like that and I don’t know where that came from,” he said. “We were in a great place at half-time – four points up against Kilkenny.
“We were in a great place and had a great team talk at half-time. I couldn’t believe it when I heard that, but I can say 100 per cent nothing happened.
“It’s still hard to put a finger on it. Kilkenny ground us down and they were able to confine us as forwards.
“They really made it tough for us, won primary possession and made it tough for us to get on the ball. A lot of it experience from them, I suppose.
“They came out a different animal in the second half – they lay down a marker straight off and a few hard hits went in even before the ball was thrown in.
“You’d know by them that they were up for it and it just shows the level they’re at and where we have to reach.”
Dublin and Galway meet in this weekend’s AIG sponsored Fenway Hurling Classic, an eleven-a-side game on a small pitch with goals-only allowed.
Already in excess of 20,000 tickets have been sold for the game at one of America’s oldest and most revered sports venues.
Flynn, who only turned 21 last Monday, has taken a year out of his business course in GMIT and is working on the family farm with his father until next September.
This means he won’t have Under-21 hurling or Fitzgibbon Cup to worry about next year and the dashing inside-forward is hoping that this will help him to kick on in 2016.
“I won’t know myself,” he smiled. “I’ll have lots of time on my hands so I’ll have no excuses.
“I haven’t stopped hurling since the All-Ireland because we had the club and we had a lot of matches. It’ll be nice next year just to have two teams to concentrate on; senior with club and county.
“This year I found it tough with all the teams. It’s nice to have a chance to chill out and hopefully I’ll have a bit more time next year to do that.
“If you told me when I was 14 that I’d be playing in an All-Ireland final at the age of 20, I’d have been over the moon.
“I only turned 21 the other day and I think there’s always room for improvement. Joe Canning is still improving and he’s 27, Colm Callinan is improving and he’s near the end of his career so there’s always room for improvement and to learn new things.
“Absolutely, I have improved an awful lot this year from last year, but hopefully I get better year after year. It’s great to be young and looking forward for another year.”
About winning the all Ireland “why wouldn’t we”.They were 7-8pts up in 2012 and had to cone from two points down to draw it.In the replay they were 5 or 6pts up early on and ended up getting bet out the gates.In 2014 they were in the clear with 15mins to go against Tipp only for them to have a dramatic collapse and loose by a huge margin(about 17pt turnaround in them 15mins) and then in the all Ireland this they were utterly spineless when had to step up.”why wouldn’t we”………after we just stabbed our manager in the back.That sickens me.And I’m a Kilkenny fan,I shouldn’t be hopping around delighted but when you see this crap happening it would vex you,no matter where your from.I really hope this isn’t the last we have seen of Cunningham as a manager with a top team
“I should” instead of “I shouldn’t”
Maybe ye could give Anthony some work in Kilkenny?
What are you talking about, as a manager you are judged on success. Cody knows this. Do you think he’d be still there if he hadn’t won an all ireland in 5 years? The players were asked to vote and they voted, simple as. I would trust a players opinion over administrators from clubs, wouldn’t you? They’re actually dealing with the manger on a daily basis. These players have short careers and are putting their necks on the line and striving for success. A new manager will prob drop some of these players, so it’s definitely not self serving
Yeah but im adiment Galway’s failings isn’t his fault.I think the blame is with the players and their actions on the pitch.Did you see the wides they got in the in the second half of this years final when it was theres for the taking…….like tell me what Anthony can do to stop them missing handy points from 30yards in the front if the posts.What can he do if they just get trampled on by tipp last year.Cody wouldn’t go that long without one because KK players are actual men,they are united and will suck it up,shut up and work harder than ever when they have setbacks(eg 2010,everyone including myself though Kilkenny were spent,what happened??………..they worked like dogs and won back what they wanted most) I don’t think the Kilkenny players care who manages them,they just want to work and win.Galway on the other hand wanted to find a certain someone to blame and say that they needed a change………even though they SHOULD have winning the all Ireland in 12 and 15
Would have, should have, could have.. simple fact is they didn’t. Winning can involve small margins but it’s everything. Time and again Cody’s teams have found what’s needed to win tight games regardless of personnel at his disposal. Time is moving on for some of these Galway players and close moral victories don’t amount to anything at the end. It would be wrong to say nothing and keep the head down and not achieve anything again next year when there were doubts there
is that what you think? that’s great!
Yes……they didnt!that’s exactly my point.Anthony can’t be blamed as its the players on the pitch that lost the games.I was just explaining all the times they cramped up and lost major games.I don’t think people had doubt’s about him as 99% of people around the country are calling this a joke of a move from the galway players.Them players can’t be living in a bubble so much that they don’t realise how good he is,they are just running away from the sad and blatant truth of the times that they chocked
So what happens if the new manager whoever he comes in & decides that 5 or 6 players on the panel are not in his plans do they throw a strop again . We’re still waiting to hear why exactly the galway players wanted rid of cunningham . A few silly storys Leaked out about his lack of tactics or man management skills were like something 14 year old kids would come out with . The truth about galway hurlers lies in the row at half time in the all ireland final (even though its being denied ) a player that was taken off early in the 1st half threw a strop because of his own personal situation rather than think of his county or his team hoping to win an all ireland for the 1st time in 27 years . That scenario sums up the mentality of galway players. Players behind the scenes who were not picked were stirring things up because they were not playing even though. Players that were picked ahead of them won all stars .
The new manager would be perfectly entitled to drop any players he wanted, particular considering the players themselves gave him the mandate to do so. Are you seriously saying the players would “throw a strop”as you put it and that anyone would support it? And anyway why is voting on a manager after 4 years termed a “strop”
Why bother giving players a vote at all if there’s only one acceptable result?
So much anger Ionathan ! Kilkenny will always be competitive, as they’re basically the All Blacks of hurling and in this era ye have had the Alex Ferguson equivalent also…. Let’s see how how smooth things go when Cody moves on…. BTW your talking through your arse about Cunningham… Nice guy though … There in lies the problem… Signed Frustrated Galway man
Yeah Im sorry if I came across as a sorta uppy talking about Kilkenny but I’m just using them as an example.I fully accept that Cody will leave an gaping hole that will be impossible to fill but I was just pointing out that even without Cody I think all great teams in all sports are very united and be very critical of themselves if they don’t preform.They would feel more shame than being sad(2010 u will see from interviews that it was the shame of their performance that killed the players most),it was more if a revolt this year than shame with galway.I don’t know how I’m talking through my arse about Cunningham though as the majority of people agree that he was hard done by
It’s a results business, I’m sure not everyone in Galway think he’s hard done by
This sort of thing happens in every County, except the respective County Boards grab hold of it and deal with it before it becomes a media circus normally, it should have been dealt with internally and no one should have known that there was a problem
I’m not sure it does happen in every county, if you’re Tipp, cork, Galway, Kilkenny etc with decent teams then your fans expect success, if it doesn’t come after 3 or 4 years pressure builds on the manager, in Tipp’s case managers have gone quickly of their own choosing, sometimes too quickly. For instance oShea would be gone now whether they won an all ireland or not, just like Sheedy left as a winning manager
Looking at this exhibition match …Tactically Galway defence is a joke… With or without a manager.
What is consistent is that Skehill is a loose cannon. Why Cunningham brought him back at all amazes me.
Rousing speech Conor !! Well said Sir !! BTW since you have the inside line why did Sheedy leave Tipp after 2010. Was it the old ” work commitmentsorooney” line ?
Whatever the reason was for Sheedy he left gracefully with his head held high and his integrity intact, it never turned out to be a sorry debacle and shambles that the Galway County Board has let this circus turn into.
Did think it was odd at the time that sheedy walked away from that team, they looked st the time like they would kick on to more AI’s
I dont know why sheedy left maybe he saw that to beat the greatest team ever took a monumental effort & players playing at the very best of their ability .maybe he thought he couldnt give that commitment or reach that acheivement again . Hes the only manager to have led his team to victory over this kilkenny jugernaught on all ireland final day .who knows maybe hes going to take the galway job
It’s all about the money, sheedy didn’t have a cosy teaching job, he saw opportunities coming up in rte and within the bank opening up on the back of his success, is it right that he took those opportunities? It certainly hurt tipp hurling but I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same
So he had the rte gig guaranteed did he ?
Aw Hon D Mines your comments makes me laugh ! If you only knew… Shur Tipp really kicked on from there alright… Lar Corbett following Tommy Walsh round croke park… (Q Bennie Hill music)…
What has that debacle got to do with off field problems, Is it just your sad way of trying to drag an individuals name through the mud, youre dragging up something that bears no similarities towhat is happening in galway
If they can reach an all-Ireland final with a manager they wanted rid of before the summer, they could definitely do it again with the man they do want…BUT…if they don’t, well then they will just have to start taking the blame themselves. All eyes on them next year.
I think that’s a reflection on the competition rather than the brilliance of Galway.
I.e Tipp and Cork are manure