THE JOURNALIST CONFRONTED by Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald in the tunnel following his side’s dramatic draw with Wexford on Saturday evening has spoken out about the incident.
Peter O’Connell of the Clare Champion described how he heard “shouting and roaring” in the tunnel area but didn’t realise it was directed at him until the All-Ireland winning boss was standing in front of him.
“It was quite a mundane start to the whole episode.” O’Connell told RTÉ’s Second Captains Championship radio show on Sunday.
“I was down around the tunnel area looking for a colleague just to make sure we hadn’t interviewed the same people when, in the distance initially, I heard this fairly loud shouting and roaring and for a couple of seconds didn’t realise it was directed at myself.
“Then I looked up and there was Davy Fitzgerald approaching in a fairly heated manner.
“Now, he was being held back by somebody – I don’t know who it was because it just all happened so fast – and he was looking quite agitated to put it mildly and pointing and gesticulating and stuff and he had quite a bit to say, much of which I can’t repeat.
“One of the comments he made which I thought was rather extraordinary was that I was allegedly destroying Clare hurling, which I thought was quite a feat for one person.”
O’Connell, who writes primarily about the other code for the newspaper, suggested the incident might be linked to an article he’d written in the wake of Clare’s five-point loss to Cork in the Munster SHC semi-final.
“I presume it’s linked to stuff I’ve written for the Clare Champion but, ironically, I cover mostly football and news for the paper.
“I’ve written one hurling article this year and that was in the aftermath of the Cork game and I presume it’s linked to that.”
The journalist admitted he was initially bemused by the incident but decided to confront Fitzgerald and defend himself.
“For the first few seconds I was completely stunned. I wouldn’t be often speechless but I was there for a few seconds. Eventually, I said to to Davy – I didn’t get irate or anything – but I did say that he was wrong in what he was saying.
“He was being pulled further back – the closest he got was five or six yards – and then I decided I was going to approach him in a peaceful manner and have it out with him verbally and ask what was the issue.
However, the situation dissipated soon afterwards with the intervention of a Clare official.
“When I went forward a few yards this figure in a big purple jumper appeared which happened to be the county secretary – [Davy's] father Pat Fitzgerald – and he indicated I should leave the area.”
TheScore.ie made numerous attempts to contact a spokeperson for Clare this evening. However, our calls were unreturned at time of publication.
Please don’t ask me about this friendly, I am in a final….
Great to see the battling mid table sides like Man Utd coming to play here ..perhaps sides like Man Utd And Stoke will play here more often.
0-0 surely
@Aidan Rainsford: I heard they were looking for a game against Athlone, they would have a good chance of winning that one.
Will go see this as both a United supporter and a Sampdoria supporter since the days of Lombardo Vialli Mancini and Pagliuca.
@Pj Windgap: Liam Brady too before them.
@Pj Windgap: sampdoria supporter myself….since I saw them lose the European cup final against Barcelona 1992. Would be good to see them play.
@Pj Windgap: that Samadoria team that won the league in 91 were excellent, it was also the peak of Italian club soccer shown on a Monday night on RTE
Id be tempted to go if it was Sampdoria vs a local Irish side. No interest in English teams at all.
Que a load of people complaining about people flocking to see UTD
@Dan: Chelsea got rid of Murhino & give him millions in golden handshake & Utd paying him millions now when he not good nuff for Chelsea. Liverpool got rid of Rogers but hey the manager musical chairs says he good nuff for Celtic. When will fans learn & boycott this business
@Dan: Fool’s and their money, are easily parted.
@abcyz: Humpty Dumpty would be good enough for Celtic.Rogers is just an average manager nothing special.
@Just Me: Trolls and there comments are easily spotted
@Rockhopper617: Any good outside Scotland? Remember 7-0 loss to Barcelona? Rogers paid millions for being a bore (press conference style) like all other managers & players in club soccer. See how long he would hang around just “for the love of the game” without the millions. Where is the loyalty to one club? by the paid “stars” unlike the stupid often poorer classes of fans
@Evangelos: Did I upset you Snowflake ?
@Rockhopper617: really? Ronny Deila wasn’t good enough.
You should stick to rock hopping as you obviously know nothing about football
Can’t for the life of me understand why people criticise other people who will want to go see United or any other team play in Dublin…. I’m not a United fan, but I don’t begrudge anyone who decides to go see them.
Why do people b*tch about stuff like this when it doesn’t affect them???
There just seem to be so many on here who jump at any opportunity to moan…. well nobody really wants to hear it!
@seancreaven13: you’ll probably find the ones complaining go to watch Irish, yes that’s right Irish clubs!!! Imagine!! week in week out and see the zombies flock across on planes and boats to see a circus of a league and spend a lot of money while their own countries’ league struggles. Baffling stuff. Rome wasn’t built in a day but the Irish just want a ready made product.
@David Linehan: Maybe it’s because they get to go away for a day or two and watch some good entertaining professional football in top notch full stadiums with great atmosphere rather than go and watch sh*te teams in small empty stadiums with no atmosphere
@Evangelos: “top notch” suuuurree. Again, a ready made product. No defending an Irish person who chooses a different countries club over an Irish one. We’re the only bunch of idiots that do it in Europe. No support = No cash = no development. The Irish spend hundreds of millions a year watching overpaid divas make a holy show of themselves. The EPL is a circus, if you think that’s what going to a game of football is, you’re missing out.
@David Linehan: Just proving precisely my point David…. what exactly is wrong with people making up their own minds to attend this game?? Do they criticise you for not going? Or for going to watch League of Ireland games?
What’s the big deal? Why can you not live and let live??
@David Linehan: I smell a spoofer.How do you know the stadiums aren’t top notch if you don’t waist your money traveling over to see them Mr League of Ireland?
@Evangelos: I’ve been to many a stadium around the world, including England. My support and majority of money go to Shamrock Rovers. How about that wizardry for you, I’ve travelled beyond Ireland!
A club is like your country, well in pretty much every country bar here, it’s a sense of identity and where you’re from. If you followed rugby, are you going to support Wasps or Toulon?
@David Linehan: went to the Bohs and Rovers game two weeks ago as some of my friends are Bohs fans and was basically told to move to the other end of the stand cause I’m not there every week. Have experienced similar at a St. Pats game, the Irish league fans can be very unwelcoming at times
You obviously have never gone where on the E.P. L. is there great atmosphere most grounds are like cinemas
@Conor O’Neill: well, see that’s where you went wrong…..Pats and Bohs!
@Evangelos: or maybe the just want to get away from the wife/girlfriend for a few days and have a few beers with their mates. Football is only the cover story, I thought every bloke knew that :-)
@Sloop John G: touché
@David Linehan: Supporting a club has nothing to do with your identity or where you’re from.If you want to support a team from your own country then fair enough that’s your business,the same way it’s my business to watch and support whoever I want.It’s dopes like you who think that because you support the LOI it makes you a real supporter and the rest of us aren’t that winds me up
Hon Sampdoria
Disgrace fai don’t give a flying fiddle about the league of Ireland
Mid table strugglers, managed by Chelsea’s sloppy seconds? May as well be Burnley V Southampton.
@DaisyChainsaw: At least Burnley and Southampton have Irish players…
Wouldn’t go see them play if they were out in my back garden. Will park the bus against Sampdoria most likely.
@Liverpool HQ: What’s your gripe against the team that knocked Liverpool off their f*****g perch??
@Pj Windgap: you just answered your own question
The prawn sandwiches in the Aviva no where as good as Old Trafford. What will I do??
@CaptMattBusby: The Rugby fans will have the prawns and they aren’t divided from opposing fans unlike soccer fans who stupidly fund a way bigger than posh “rugger” salaries to “stars” of a corporate business who could not two shiny sh**s about fans but only care for the fans stupidly loyal money to keep the soccer business going
@abcyz: Are you on the booze ?
@abcyz: a good point, but didn’t Stade try and merge with Racing Metro and the IRFU at one point try to drop Connacht? Who thought of the fans then? Rugby is not the People Before Profit of sport, flash the cash and everyone’s granny and mother are going down the river.
If Dundalk progress through the Champions League they would have a major fixture on 2nd August.But John Delaney and the FAI could not care less about the League of Ireland.Basically Delaney and his mates have not even given this a thought
Millionaires for kicking a ball no matter how badly. The merry go round of managers too.
No issue with English (or Italian) sides coming here playing friendlies or tournaments that include Irish teams. So long as their no sending their 3rd string teams it would be good warm ups for Irish teams taking place in Euro competitions etc. http://backpagefootball.com/video-eric-cantona-misses-a-penalty-against-dundalk-in-1994/70120/
Well at least they won’t advertise the first squad and then not play them… somebody done that not to long ago
Liverpool soon to be announced to play at the Aviva also. Believe there scheduled for 6th of August.
@Mr Scientist: unlikely as the CL qualifiers are on the 15th and 22nd of August, thats two extra games for Klopp in August so he won’t like that as it is.
@The Chameleon: it’s a done deal will be announced soon. He’ll probably play the kids.
@Mr Scientist: Yes, and watch all these hypocrite fans change their tune all of a sudden if Liverpool were to come here for a pre season friendly.
Your not welcome