The Sunday Column - The other side

Following Sinead's experience as going to the Kerry vs Monaghan qualifier a few weeks ago I found myself in the Canal End, or Davin Stand as they now call it, for Sunday's Cork vs Kerry semi-final clash.

A bit of background is required first. I'm a devoted Dubs fan that usually goes to every game the boys in blue play in a championship season. My Dad used to be club secretary of the biggest club in the country so I was brought up with the mentality that the three most important things in my life were (1)Crokes (2) The Dubs and (3) Tipp hurlers, in that order. Dad would have preferred I switched 2 and 3 around but that just ain't ever happening.

The powers that be in the Irish American Football League managed to schedule games for the DCU Saints, as in the the team I play for, that clashed with every game Dublin played up to and including the Leinster final. No worries, sure I'll make the quarter final. Then the GAA went along and moved the date of that game to clash with a trip to Galway I was already committed to. No problem I thought, sure Tyrone are muck. Oh dear, that didn't work out well at all.

So here we were late in the championship season and I hadn't been to Croker for a non-rugby match in 2008. This just wouldn't do so I opted to go and watch Cork & Kerry play in front of a less than half full Croker in the All-Ireland semi. Now I could write a full post about why this game should have been played in Thurles but I'll spare ye for now.

My company for the day were Kate, from Bantry in Cork via California but whose Dad is from the Kingdom so therefore she was up for Kerry, her brother William who has the same characteristics, his girlfriend Ríon (sp? and no it's not Ríona) who said she was 'half and half', and the aforementioned patriarch of this grouping Mr Tom Fitzgerald.

On the way down Clonliffe Road a photographer and journalist from the Irish Mirror stopped me and Kate for a photo. He then moved me out of shot as I was not a pretty blonde in a Kerry jersey. Kate did some America's Next Top Model poses and then we confused matters by explaining her whole geographic origins.

It was at this time that I also explained to the journo where my allegiances would lie that day. Cork and Kerry are two counties I generally root against so in the past this would be a tough one to ponder but over the years I've had to face similar questions so many times that my answer was simple. It had to be Cork that got my backing on this day because, as I told the intrepid reporter "I'd rather cheer for Meath than Kerry."

It's like cheering for the New York Yankees or Man United. You just don't do it. It's wrong, it's fundamentally against everything at the centre of my being. So in we went, 3 and half Kerry fans with 1 and a half Cork fans.

Much like Sinead, Kate doesn't have a great grasp on the game of Football. This doesn't bother her in the slightest and that's fine. Unfortunately for her she was seated beside a sports nut that's managed one Soccer team and been a selector on two Hurling teams, which led to plenty of tactical shouting and explanations, as well as reffing in three sports including Football, which led to lots of shouting and explanations on the fouls. None of which she wanted to hear.

Sorry about that. I actually do it everywhere bar UCD soccer games, even my flatmate's tag rugby team have been subjected to my rants from the sideline. Worryingly that team is so bad that my advice improved matters and trust me that isn't a good sign, but I digress.

Shockingly there were more Kerry than Cork fans in the stadium. A turnout of 35k was still appalling for this level but Kerry fans never go to games other than finals. Obviously they must have more fans living in Dublin, it's the only possible explanation.

The first half was lively enough but after the break Kerry took control. With just one score in the first 33 minutes of the second period Cork looked down and out. It appeared as though once again I would leave Croker cursing a victory for the Kingdom. Suddenly however Cork were just a goal behind.

Then the Rebels were awarded a penalty. This led to probably my most ill-informed piece of tactical analysis of the day. As I was sitting at the far end of the stadium I thought the foul was committed outside large rectangle. So I say to Kate "That's what I'm talking about. You foul him before he gets into the box," in a blood-spitting tone. "You do whatever it takes to win, it's about the team. You sacrifice yourself, even if it means getting sent off and missing an All-Ireland final. If that's what it takes, you do it."

Then of course I realised that everything I just said was irrelevant as the foul was inside the box. There was still a chance to redeem myself of course. The penalty itself. Coolly I reassured the Kerry fans around me that all would be fine. "They [players] never get these. He'll miss. He's going to choke, they always do with these last-minute penalties."

It's in the net, Cork are level. I've been proven wrong again but no matter, Kerry are no longer winning. A late effort at a point from the Kingdom hits the post and goes wide. Finally I leave Croke Park having seen Kerry fail to vanquish a foe. It's not a defeat but it's a start.

Postscript
We headed back to Kate's where we lounged for a while before enjoying some nice Mexican food in a place on George's St (the name escapes me). After that we headed on to Sibín, formerly Crush, for a drink and some free boxty (nice!).

I capped off the night by heading home and watching the final of Gladiators. Yes I taped it and yes I'm glad I did. The two final eliminators rocked.