The Past

the bare biffo · Post by **the bare biffo** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:04 am

Very good feature on Newstalk 106 Off The Ball tonight on the 82 football final and a book called Kings of September by Michael Foley which deals with the famous event.

Eugene McGee was on and spoke very candidly about his time with Offaly and that day in particular and the run up to it. It was interesting to hear that he accepted a lot of the blame for the loss to Dublin in the 83 Leinster final. I remember being at all the Leinster games that year and they were playing fantastic football right through, until they got caught by the short and curlies by Dublin.

Times have changed, will next Sunday be the last time I see an Offaly senior football team in Croke park in September ?

Biffo Army · Post by **Biffo Army** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:36 am

I would be afraid so unless we actually train for the Tommy Murphy next year and its held as a curtain raiser to the minor final!!!!

Offalys Future · Post by **Offalys Future** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:18 am

Can't keep living in the past.

How much money that could be going to the underage teams in the county is going towards this fancy cruise??

While it was great that these men won the All-Ireland they all only know too well that the hurling and football in the county is in crisis and all resources should be going towards changing this.

Look at Kilkenny at the hurling final that were honoured, they all didnt have the same suits or those lads wont be going on any cruises.
Now take Offaly on Sunday i would put money with anyone that they will all have the same suits.
You might say this is a small thing and yes it is but its all these little things that make the difference.

We will never forget what they achieved but we have to move on.

Fido · Post by **Fido** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:22 pm

True, you can't keep living in the past but when there's not much else on the menu a little bit of nostalgia can be forgiven.
Can't wait to see the reaction to the Offaly team from the Kerry supporters!

Shin-Shin · Post by **Shin-Shin** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:39 am

have a look at the tullamore tribune this week, a special supplement on the '82 winning team, with some good insights into Where the offaly team has gone wrong since!!!!!!

Father Heaney shares his views and by no means beats about the bush! highly recommend the read....even if your not a tribune reader!!!!

Shin-Shin · Post by **Shin-Shin** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:39 am

have a look at the tullamore tribune this week, a special supplement on the '82 winning team, with some good insights into Where the offaly team has gone wrong since!!!!!!

Father Heaney shares his views and by no means beats about the bush! highly recommend the read....even if your not a tribune reader!!!!

Oceans 15 · Post by **Oceans 15** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:57 am

Shin-Shin wrote:have a look at the tullamore tribune this week, a special supplement on the '82 winning team, with some good insights into Where the offaly team has gone wrong since!!!!!!

Father Heaney shares his views and by no means beats about the bush! highly recommend the read....even if your not a tribune reader!!!!

Shin-Shin you seem to have a fierce stammer

Oceans 15 · Post by **Oceans 15** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:57 am

Shin-Shin wrote:have a look at the tullamore tribune this week, a special supplement on the '82 winning team, with some good insights into Where the offaly team has gone wrong since!!!!!!

Father Heaney shares his views and by no means beats about the bush! highly recommend the read....even if your not a tribune reader!!!!

Shin-Shin you seem to have a fierce stammer

Shin-Shin · Post by **Shin-Shin** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:04 pm

[quote="Oceans 15"Shin-Shin you seem to have a fierce stammer

[/quote]

ha ha...i wish that was the case!! my computer seems to have mind of its own half the time...

Oceans 15 · Post by **Oceans 15** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:37 pm

Shin-Shin wrote:[quote="Oceans 15"Shin-Shin you seem to have a fierce stammer

ha ha...i wish that was the case!! my computer seems to have mind of its own half the time...

[/quote]

Mine seems to have caught the same disease

Shin-Shin · Post by **Shin-Shin** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:44 pm

Oceans 15....looks like it contagious!!!!

Plain of the Herbs · Post by **Plain of the Herbs** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:25 pm

I guess we'll have to go 'Back to the Future' eh folks?

naasmanxrhode · Post by **naasmanxrhode** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:37 pm

The '82 team deserve all that they get, including the suits, they were some team and unlucky not to win 2 in a row. The sunday before Offaly were beaten by the Dubs, Kerry were beaten by Cork with a last minute goal (again). Offaly then became hot favorites to win Sam and forgot about the Dubs. They were unlucky that day, nothing went right, even Matt missed a peno, those were the days.

The Biff · Post by **The Biff** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:06 pm

There's nothing wrong with looking back at the past when that particular period was so good to us all. Those years from 78-82 had many of us up-and-down to Croker almost every Sunday, supporting the two senior teams. Like so many others, I hold my hand up to say that one of my biggest regrets was that I was NOT there at the Leinster Hurling final in 1980. I had been at previous Hurling games but I missed that one. I didn't miss many more of that period.

It was a time when being from Offaly made it very easy to walk tall. Offaly Hurlers winning their first All-Ireland in their first ever appearance in a final - will that ever happen again? And I've met Kilkenny people who freely concede that their winning goal in the '82 Leinster final came after the ball had crossed the end-line. If we'd won that one, think of the History that beckoned. Indeed, the Hurler's success in '85 (following the '84 final appearance on Cork's doorstep) extends the period of honour.

But the '82 All Ireland final is something special. Not just the goal, but the build-up to it, the composure of the team in the closing stages, Furlong's penalty save, even the way Offaly kept out the last Kerry attacks AFTER the goal. It was a win of consummate quality; totally deserved and graciously acknowledged by the losing team, who remain the Standard-bearers of the game.

There can be no reason not to look back at that time. I was there for most of it. I don’t believe such double success will ever happen again for a small county like ours. No matter. I'll settle for one or the other at a time. We'll always have the 80's.

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:22 pm

Offalys Future wrote: Look at Kilkenny at the hurling final that were honoured, they all didnt have the same suits or those lads wont be going on any cruises.
Now take Offaly on Sunday i would put money with anyone that they will all have the same suits.
You might say this is a small thing and yes it is but its all these little things that make the difference.

To be fair, if it was the other way around. Kilkenny all dressed to perfection, Offaly in different suits, people would straight away point to this being evidence of Kilkenny being slick and organised, with Offaly being a rag taggle bunch!