SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC coach Stephen O’Donnell believes Bohemian’s manager Keith Long does not deserve to be suspended for this Sunday’s FAI Cup final.
Pat’s and Bohs meet at the Aviva Stadium for Irish football’s showpiece occasion on Sunday afternoon, and Long will not be permitted to join O’Donnell on the touchline.
Long is serving a suspension having been sent off in a recent league meeting with Shamrock Rovers at Dalymount Park, and as a result is not permitted on the touchline and nor is he allowed be with his team an hour before kick-off and within an hour of the full-time whistle.
Long and Rovers manager Stephen Bradley were involved in a confrontation during a feisty league meeting earlier this month, for which both men were sent to the stands.
“Yeah, of course I do”, said O’Donnell when asked if he had sympathy for Long.
“You work so hard – every manager puts in so much work – and it’s the same for the coaching staff as it is for the players as regards the day out. To work so hard and not be on the sideline is a big thing.
“I wouldn’t be a fan of it, I think it’s very harsh. Keith has earned his right to be on the sideline, whether you could serve the suspension at a different time, rather than take the Cup final off him. I wouldn’t be a fan of it, I think you could come up with another way of serving out a punishment, rather than take the opportunity to coach your team from the sideline in a Cup final.”
Manager Alan Matthews chimed in agreement.
“I don’t think anyone would have an issue is Keith had to serve his suspension in the first league game of next season, or anyone who falls into a suspension this week, if it was put back to next season. As Stephen says, it’s a heavy price to pay for whatever indiscretion caused him to be sent off. It’s a tough punishment.”
O’Donnell says he expects to have a fully fit squad for the final, bar long-term absentee John Mountney. Pat’s are going to the Aviva Stadium on Friday to familiarise themselves with their surroundings, though won’t train on the grass prior to matchday.
Bohs have no such concerns, having played three European games at the venue earlier this year.
“I suppose they have experience of playing on the pitch”, said O’Donnell. “The whole team that will play on Sunday would have played in those European games, played in the arena, played on the pitch. But it’s a totally different dynamic now.
“They would have been classed as home games, whereas Sunday is a cup final and there are going to be partisan crowds for both teams and there is a prize at the end of it. It’s a totally different occasion and different dynamic on Sunday.”
What about her run in with Martin Johnson in the 2003 Six Nations? Caused quite a bit if controversy and an apology from the RFU.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/2904249.stm
You’re the one dubbing her “Ireland’s newest saint” Pete. The rest of us are simply acknowledging that she did the job with grace, humility and respect. Simple as that.
She certainly helped me over the hurdle of watching england play in croke park. She dragged me kicking and screaming thru quite a few things actually.
My sporting highlight for Mary McAleese was when she took the winning free that won the 2011 all Ireland football final for Dublin…wait a minute she wasn’t playing…actually now that I recall she didn’t play in any team during her presidency. What a load of nonsense this article is. More fool me for reading it. Hup-ya boyo!
All of of her speeches were empty platitudes.
When she opened the GR7 conference in the RDS in 2004 she opened her speech by saying that she knew nothing about Science.
The genius Stephen W. Hawking was sitting directly in front of her.
(Ireland collapsed on her so-called watch.)
Aw FFS, you can’t blame her for that, get real! Also I have a huge amount of respect for someone who acknowledges their ignorance on a subject. You could possibly learn something from her….
Not much soccer there!
Donnacha:
I was complaining about her elevation to be the newest Irish Saint.
She could have done SOME research before making such a speech in front of the cleverest people on earth.
And be criticised for trying to pretend she knows more than she does…. You can’t win in this country. Platitudes come with the role unfortunately, but so do the begrudgers.