MICKEY WHELAN HAS A wry smile when he watches goalkeepers in the modern game coming up to take long-range free kicks.
It was back in 2010 when Pat Gilroy and his right hand man Whelan opted to use Stephen Cluxton as Dublin’s placed ball kicker from distance.
“They thought we were mad,” he tells The42.
The practice has become common place at inter-county level, with net minders such as Niall Morgan and Robbie Hennelly in Tyrone and Mayo, all the way down to the likes of Mark Jackson in Wicklow, being brought forward to take shots at the posts off the ground.
It’s an effective strategy given how much time goalkeepers spent perfecting their kick-outs, but 12 years ago it was something of a left-field strategy.
“They didn’t think we were mad when he put the ball over the bar for the first All-Ireland we won (in 2011),” Whelan smiles.
“You need the bit of belief in yourself. Whatever you have, you use it as best you can and players buy into it.”
The 83-year-old’s involvement in Gaelic Games stretches back decades, including an All-Ireland win as a player with the Sky Blues in 1963.
He designed the training programmes for the great Dublin team of the 1970s that was managed by his close friend Kevin Heffernan.
He assisted Pat O’Neill in 1995 when Dublin lifted the Sam Maguire and took charge of the team a year later for an ill-fated reign. As well as helping Dublin footballers end a 16-year famine alongside in 2011, the pair worked together for a year with the county’s hurlers in 2018.
Whelan recently published his autobiography ‘Love of the Game’, reflecting on one of the great GAA careers of all-time.
But few players made such an impression on Whelan as Cluxton, who he feels remains under appreciated in the GAA.
“Cluxton didn’t get the credit he really deserved,” he says. “He was an incredible player. My view is while he was playing he should have been on every All-Star team. He only has six All-Stars, he should have 10.
“Crazy stuff. But listen, he’s a bright guy. He’s a great guy. That wouldn’t bother him. He was out there to play and win for Dublin and that’s what he did.
“And he’s lovely human being. That guy rang me four or five times during the lockdown. ‘Is there anything I do for you Mickey? Can I do any messages for you?’
“He was offering to do those things. He didn’t have to do it but he is a caring kind of guy.
“He’s an incredible human being. You need to get to know him. He’s not one for throwing himself out there. He’s a very good guy and he was a brilliant goalkeeper. I don’t think there’s been a better goalkeeper than him.”
Another one of his former players is Dessie Farrell, who had a tough act to follow when he took over the Dublin job from Jim Gavin.
Whelan can relate.
He stepped up from coach to manager in 1996, the year after Pat O’Neill led them to Sam Maguire in 1995. Whelan departed in November ’97 after enduring a difficult time from the Dublin supporters who had been unhappy with their run results, even if it was an ageing team.
“What I can say with absolute certainty with the benefit of hindsight is that Mickey was the right man at the wrong time,” Jason Sherlock says in Whelan’s book.
Farrell has enjoyed more success, retaining the All-Ireland in his first year before last season’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Mayo after extra-time.
This year’s relegation to Division 2, plus the departures of some big names from the panel, have placed pressure on the Na Fianna man.
But Whelan stresses that he can only work with what he has available to him.
“Those things happen. I’d say they’ve worked a lot on the game in the recent training sessions. They’re going to take on any team they have to take on and they’re well prepared for it I’d say knowing Dessie.
“Jim Gavin took over from us (in 2012). Anything can happen. Players were running out. Dessie had a lot of players that were dropping out bit by bit from the panel. He didn’t take over a marvellous team.
“He took over a team that was marvellous that won great competitions for him. They weren’t the players that they were when they were winning All-Irelands.
“They can’t live forever. He won an All-Ireland with them and there’s a lot of new players that came in. A lot of players left. So he has to work with them and get them to work in the same methods you’re engaged in using.
“I don’t think it’s a case of falling out with anybody. Players just move on. Those guys had 10 years of it, and a very successful 10 years. They have other things in life they have to do. Some of then have children growing up and that kind of stuff.
“You can’t live forever. There’s a time that you have to move on and I’d say the players did that. They had their belly full. They won a lot. They won six or seven All-Irelands, most of them.
“There’s a time that comes where that’s it. Players have other things they have to do. They’ve to earn a living as well. Gaelic football is not a professional sport.”
Whelan recently finished up his latest gig as manager of the St Vincent’s camogie team, where he was helped by Gilroy.
Next month he plans to travel to the States to catch up with some old friends in West Virginia and upstate New York where he studied physical education in the ’60s and ’70s.
“I’ve great friends over there,” he says.
As for who he fancies to win the All-Ireland this year, he can’t look beyond his beloved Dubs.
“I wouldn’t drop Dublin out of it. I think they’ll have a go at it.
“Kerry are looking very strong at the minute and Tyrone as well.
“But I wouldn’t rule Dublin out.”
Mickey Whelan: Love of the Game is now on sale in book stores now
Seems to be fairly grounded. Best of luck to him!
Wow. That closing piece of advice is powerful for a 16 year old. I like him already.
Not going to be popular but gaa is the main reason Ireland isn’t producing more professional sports people. Nothing against gaa but young kids are playing a sport they can’t make a living from when they may make a career from another sport with the same input.
@Harry Trafford: that is of no fault of the GAA to be fair. It’s up to the FAI to attract these young players to their product…every country faces the same issue, sports competing with other sports to attract young participants. Ireland is no different.
@Harry Trafford: not everything is about money. For some playing gaa and having a good job etc is enough for them. They play the sport and can obtain legendary local status. For others it’s about chasing huge wads of cash in a more commercial industry overseas with huge failure rates. Retire & play golf & grow a beer belly. Different folks, different strokes. As long as you’re happy. That’s the main thing.
@Ottomaaan: I agree the FAI need to pull the finger out. Ireland have some of the best sports people in the world right across the board. Just the article mentions a career in GAA but it’s an amature sport, all be it played with a professional attitude.
@Ronan McDermott: a career in sport isn’t all about money, not everyone makes massive wads of cash only the very small majority. I’m not referring to just becoming a footballer. You can make a decent wage in most sports at a professional level.
@Harry Trafford: I hear you. Not disagreeing with you as such. Lots of sports have salary caps etc. By being involved with gaa you could have a very good job arranged with a sponsor etc. So technically you’d still be making money with a company that’ll work around your schedule.
@Ronan McDermott: very small minded, being a top footballer against the billions that play or the the top hurler against the 100s that play
@tubbsyf: I’m not small minded at all. Different folks, different strokes is all I said.
“Stay committed to doing it. Don’t go over there and think you’ve made it. You’re only playing 18s football. You haven’t made it anywhere yet, so keep your head down and keep working away.” Sounds like Roy Keane got to him.
I think this is a story the GAA need to be cery cognisant of. The way the competitions are set up now you only have a few counties who are ever likely to win anything with back doors, super 8′s etc making it almost impossible for one of the “smaller” teams like wicklow to hold onto or encourage their best players to stick with the support. The constant push for revenue generated by the biggest counties making finals is seeing the players from the top counties putting in even more effort in the knowledge they might win something while concurrently you have teams from weaker counties who are saying upwards of 40 players are refusing to come into their County set ups.
@Dino Baggio: This is vividly highlighted in Munster where they seed the draw to have Cork and Kerry in the football final every year even though Cork are at best the third best team in Munster and the likes of Limerick footballers are struggling to get players to commit. The drain of players to pro sports is going to get worse unless the Gaa address this issue.
Only just came across this article. Conor was with Mill Celtic from the age of 11 before joining Newbridge Town at 13. He was in the KDUL Academy from 11 and played inter league at u 12 and u 13. Not sure where the only playing soccer since 14 is coming from
Bully Beef?