ITS CRITICS DISMISS it as whooping and hollering with little sporting content but in sitting rooms around the country, you can be sure you’ll find ‘Up for the Match’ on the TV the night before an All-Ireland final.
Why then has RTÉ’s traditional big match jamboree endured in its many forms for almost 40 years?
“I don’t know anybody who says they watch it but the figures are always great,” admits Des Cahill who again joins co-presenter Gráinne Seoige this evening to look ahead to the clash between Dublin and Mayo.
“It’s the classic line, people say they’re stuck at home watching ‘Up for the Match,’ but it’s certainly not cool to say you’re watching it.”
The critics have a point. If you’ve come looking for a preview or tactical analysis, you’ve come to the wrong place.
But that is not what ‘Up for the Match’ or its previous incarnations profess to be. Aside from one or two exceptions, the programme has long been the domain of RTÉ’s entertainment department rather than sport.
YouTube Credit: rte
Instead the focus is on tapping into the mainstays of Irish culture, its songs and its stories, and channeling the energy of All-Ireland weekend. The emphasis is on colour and atmosphere, a microcosm of the excitement that comes with every Championship final regardless of the participants.
Bye bye, sweeper system; hello, seannós songs and set dancing.
“It’s not meant to be in-depth analysis,” Cahill explains. “On Saturday night that’s not what people want. It’s more about the stories.
YouTube Credit: effineddie1
“I remember when I went in thinking that we should get young bands in from the counties and make it cool and hip.
“But the longer I’m there the more I realise, people don’t want that. On the night of ‘Up for the Match,’ they want the county song, they want to be able to sway from left to right if it’s a slow song, waving the county flag. They don’t want to do anything else.
“It’s an important expression of that culture.”
YouTube Credit: kennydead2008
It’s not everybody’s cup of tea but its longevity, and a glance at the viewing figures, tell you that someone is watching.
With the Irish disapora swelling again in recent years, that audience is spreading further afield as well.
“It’s amazing when you’re away from home, people tell you that they watch ‘Up for the Match’ from Sydney or Toronto and they get tears in their eyes when the county song comes on.
“It’s amazing what it means to some people. It’s about a sense of identity.
“The longer I’m there I realise, you’d don’t apologise for that. This is who we are and this is our culture.”
Kenny bang on to call him out.
@An tEoghanach: for what? Speaking the truth. Stephen Kenny was miles out of his depth and has found his level. That’s it. For all Kenny’s bluster he didn’t go to LOI players when he was in the job.
Once again playing victim that comments were personal attacks and motivated by something else. No they weren’t he couldn’t win a game and played horrid stuff
@Shane: give over
@Kevin Bury: wrong chat, whoops
Poor stuff from harte.
Well said Stephen
When all is said and done Ian Harte isn’t wrong is he
@Mick O’K: You’ve no idea about league of Ireland football or what you’re spouting about. Kenny inherited probably the worst generation of Irish players and you think it made him a bad manager?
He did a terrific job with Pats last season working with his own squad of players.
@Seanie The Mad Cork Culchie!: how did he do in Scotland? Like Harte said and now you’ve ironically just said, kenny has found his level
@Mick O’K: Your ig.norance of Scottish football is as bad as your knowledge of Irish. He had no money to buy players at Dunfermline who were a glorified 1st Div team att and all their good ones were sold but he still got them to a Scottish Cup Final against Celtic.
The fact that Harte has been an agent is significant. He has an agenda, that tries to get young players to England for as cheap as possible, which isn’t always in the players best interest.
It’s a Dundalk – Drogheda thing. Cromwell should have finished the job.
@Stuart Z Quinn: good man…now you sound as bad as s Ian Harte
Hartey will do for me
Noel Hunt the only Irish head coach of 92 clubs. What does that make Kieran McKenna. Being a bit partitionist are we there Stephen..
Harte’s bang on the money, Kenny had one previous step up from LOI to Dunfermline, and it was an unmitigated disaster. Much like his Ireland tenure….
@Sea Point: As I said to the other ßuffoon in the comments, your ig.norance of Scottish football is as bad as your knowledge of Irish football. Kenny got a pish poor Dunfermline side to the Scottish Cup Final in his first season.
Yes, we all know Kenny was out of his depth with the Ireland job and it was a disaster. However, he knows the LOI exceptionally well and is bang on the money here. Ian Harte is an agent and is trying to screw Irish clubs on the cheap for their young talent. He doesn’t give a bollox about the game here or the best route for these players. He is benefiting English clubs and his pocket nothing else. Fine player but a transparent tool.