It's often said that football is a 'funny old game'. Simonstown Gaels supporters would surely concur and you can be sure that the players and mentors are of like mind. Had you told them twelve months ago that they would reach the final of the Senior Championship for the first time in their history, they (the supporters), would almost certainly have scoffed at the notion. The 'funny' part is that the team managed to reach the final but having had on hand on the Keegan Cup, they subsequently allowed it to slip from their grasp. All of which poses the question ... was it a good year or a bad year for the county's most progressive club? The conclusion has to be that it was a good year. Only two out of sixteen teams can qualify for the county final and in order to do that they each have to come through nine highly competitive games. Only the fittest and the best, can survive. The new system requires, resilience, stamina, talent and character. To recover from a first round defeat and reach the final provides proof that Simonstown had all of those requisites. But finals invariably provide the ultimate proof of football's 'funniness'. The Simonstown club was hugely instrumental in the introduction of the new system. 'Too few serious games for too many players' was the thrust of their argument ... difficult to disagree. But would they be able to keep with the pace and make a surge in all-important knock-out stages. The arrival of Evan Kelly and Shane O'Neill provided a significant boost and as with most teams there was an optimistic air in the camp prior to the first round clash with Blackhall Gaels at Skryne. Thursday evenings may not provide the optimum settings for first round championship matches but there was a good crowd turned up, mostly to see if Kelly's presence would transform Simonstown into genuine contenders. The teams had finished as winners and runners-up in their group in the 2003 championship but both were beaten in the quarter-finals. Simonstown had come out on top when they met at Dunshaughlin 12 months previously. They probably should have repeated that win in April when Blackhall took full advantage of their opponents' misfortunes to win by a point, 1-9 to 1-8. The misfortunes centred on Evan Kelly and goalkeeper David Nolan. Kelly, having his first championship outing in the blue and navy jersey, scored a goal and a point before sustaining an injury which forced his retirement on the run-in to half-time. The goal was a fabulous effort and there's little doubt that the former Drumree player would have had a major impact in the second half. Kelly's goal helped Simonstown to a one point lead at the interval ... 1-4 to 0-6, but ten minutes into the second half goalie David Nolan spilled an Anthony Moyles effort into the path of Tadhg Brosnan who made no mistake from close range. Blackhall went on to win by a point 1-9 to 1-8, but only after Simonstown had wasted a great deal of hard-won possession. There were few in Skryne on that April evening who would have predicted that these teams would do battle for the Keegan Cup and there were fewer still who would have predicted a major turnaround in Simonstown's fortunes. From Skryne on a Thursday evening to Trim on a Tuesday evening. Ballivor, the previous year's intermediate champions had lost their first round game against Dunderry and were struggling to field their top fifteen. It showed as Simonstown registered their first win of the campaign with some ease, 3-10 to 1-4. There were several changes from the Blackhall game, the most notable of which was the introduction of Gary Lynch for David Nolan between the posts. Kenny Cantwell, Eanna Donoghue, Alan Meade and Ned Kearney were all in the starting line-up as was Evan Kelly whose injury was not as bad as first feared. Simonstown looked like a team under pressure in the opening exchanges but a goal from Paul Meade had a settling effect and they went on to lead by 1-2 to 0-0 after ten minutes. Ballivor found back to draw level but John Lunney created the opportunity for Evan Kelly to score his second goal of the campaign ten minutes before the break and Simonstown subsequently took firm control It was mostly one way traffic in the second half with John Lunney getting his team's third goal. Twelve points separated the teams at the final whistle but it was still a case of 'much still to be done' as far as the management team was concerned. The less said about the third round clash with Seneschalstown the better. Suffice to say that it was one of the worst in the clubs eight campaigns in the senior grade. Seneschalstown simply walzed to a ten point win, 1-14 to 0-7 at Pairc Tailteann and optimism was in short supply as Simonstown supporters were forced to study the wrong end of the championship table. Ballinlough, intense rivals from junior and intermediate days were the fourth round opponents ... an appointment that had both the potential and the history to destroy Simonstown's year. Wicklowman Shane O'Neill had his first championship start and likewise Mick Byrne at corner back. Simonstown had first use of the breeze in Kells but there was little cause for optimism at half-time when the teams level at 0-3 apiece. Ballinlough went ahead with a goal from Jody Devine with twenty minutes remaining but they could only add another point in the closing stages as Simonstown scored five to register their second win of the campaign on a 0-11 to 1-5 scoreline. Shane O'Neill had a mixed day ... he scored 0-2 but was sent off in the dying minutes. There was a lengthy break while Meath's championship campaign got under way and it was mid-July when Colm O'Rourke's men came up against his former club Skryne at Pairc Tailteann. Despite a gutsy first-half performance Simonstown suffered a third defeat and their qualification prospects looked distinctly bleak after Skryne dominated the third quarter and finished with five points to spare, 0-16 to 0-11. With only four points out of a possible ten, even the last place in the quarter-finals looked doubtful but there was still hope as Gaeil Colmcille and Dunderry would provide the opposition in the sixth and seventh rounds respectively. The see-saw nature of the campaign was maintained at Martry when Gaeil Colmcille were beaten by 2-11 to 0-7 and the last qualifying place became clearer in the collective focus. First half goals from John Lunney and Ned Kearney were hugely instrumental in this victory which could not be described as impressive. Alan Meade had an excellent game at centre-field while Kelly and Lunney were constant threats to the Gaeil Colmcille defence. Dunderry had four wins to their credit but still needed to win to be certain of qualifying ... and Seneschalstown were also in contention. Simonstown's task was made a great deal easier by Dunderry's poor approach and in the end, there was a whopping eleven points separating the teams, 2-12 to 0-7. It turned out to be little more than a training spin for winners as the twin strike force of John Lunney and Evan Kelly found the opposition net yet again. At last. Two victories had been strung together and a place in the knock-out stages was assured. But there were other plusses. Alan Meade and Shane O Neill impressed as a centre-field partnership ... John Lunney's impressive form was maintained and for the second successive game a clean sheet was kept. The winning margin of eleven points ensured that Simonstown pipped Dunderry for third place behind Skryne and Blackhall Gaels and their reward was a quarter-final meeting with Walterstown. The Blacks were favourities to claim a place in the semi-finals but, on a memorable occasion for the club, Simonstown outplayed their opponents and their winning margin should have been substantially more than a goal, 1-11 to 0-11. In recording their third win on the trot, the men in blue and navy played some of the most effective football of the championship and Walterstown had no answer to their blistering start. John Lunney was again to the fore. He scored the first two points of the game and added a goal in the seventh minute as Simonstown signalled their intentions. And when he added a point after ten minutes it was: John Lunney 1-3, Walterstown 0-0 With the Meade brothers dominating at centre-field and Seamus Kenny making a successful return after injury there was no way back for the blacks and the issue was rarely in doubt after Lunney's early blitz. The year was going not so bad after all! For only the third time in the club's history, they were through to the semi-finals of the senior championship. Lack of consistency had been a major problem in the early stage of the campaign but that elusive quality appeared to have been captured with three successive victories. Trim were the semi-final opponents at Pairc Tailteann ... they had beaten Dunderry in the quarter-final and had recovered from a first round defeat to chalk up seven successive wins. And they had been beaten finalists in the previous year. Once again, Simonstown were the underdogs but their growing maturity and ever-increasing consistency saw them upset the odds with a deserved four point win, 1-9 to 0-8. History! The demons of the 1997 and 1998 semi-final defeats had been exorcised and the north Navan club were through to the county final for the first time. It wasn't easy. In fact Trim looked the better team in the early stages and but for some poor finishing might well have established a commanding lead. But Simonstown were able to stay in touch and were only two points behind on the run-in to half-time, 0-6 to 0-4. Almost inevitably it was John Lunney who turned the game in Simonstown's favour. He narrowed the gap to one point before lobbing Trim's substitute goalie Mark Daly for the game's only major. In a game as tight as this, a goal was always going to be worth more than it's scoreboard value and that's the way it panned out. Simonstown were in for their break leading by two points despite Trim having played most of the football. Hank Traynor was in splendid form throughout the second half and his display was a source of huge inspiration to his colleagues. And whenever Trim managed to get by Traynor and his colleagues for a score, Simonstown had the ability and the confidence to reply. It was a great occasion for the club and hopes were high that an even greater one lay in store. With Blackhall Gaels also making a first appearance in the final, supporters all over the county were eagerly anticipating a novel final. The atmosphere around Simonstown was electric and with most pundits believing it to be a fifty/fifty game, Simonstown supporters felt that their hour had come. It turned out to be quite a dramatic final ... one that provided great joy for Blackhall Gaels, plenty of second-half excitement for neutrals but deep disappointment for Simonstown. And it had all looked so promising at half-time. At that stage, they led by 1-7 to 0-1 and Alan Meade surely had one hand on the Keegan Cup. The forwards were causing all kinds of problems for the Blackhall defence and Alan Meade's goal at the end of the opening quarter appeared to settle his colleagues. Ned Kearney was finding space, and the ball, while Ronan McGrath and his colleagues in defence showed great authority in dealing with the best efforts of the Blackhall attack. The Meade brothers were winning the centre-field battle and Blackhall still hadn't scored while Simonstown had chalked up 1-6. Mark Crampton eventually got his team on the scoreboard with a fisted point but Ronan Brady replied and the nine point lead stood at the break. There were a handful of opportunities to stretch the lead just before the half-time whistle but such was Simonstown's dominance that the misses didn't look important. They were. Blackhall made a number of significant switches during the interval ... but the most significant was to move Paul Nestor out to centre-half-back with 20 minutes left to play. Anthony Moyles began to get a grip at centre-field and the men from Batterstown and Kilcloon gradually crept into contention. It was 1-8 to 0-5 when disaster struck eleven minutes into the second half. Mark Crampton's point attempt dropped short and when Gary Lynch's parry fell to Barry McKeown who netted from close range. Now there was only three points between the teams and Blackhall were growing in confidence with each passing minute. McKeown added a point and with five minutes remaining Blackhall levelled. Before taking the lead for the first time with a point from Robert Cox. Then came the goal that won the Keegan Cup in the closing minutes from Tadhg Brosnan. The writing had been on the wall for most of the second half. It was a remarkable turnaround and it's difficult to understand how Simonstown, so dominant before the break, could be outscored by 2-8 to 0-2 in the second half. Gary Lynch did well between the posts and Hank Traynor was best in a defence that seemed to panic once Blackhall got a grip at centre-field. The Meade brothers were very good in the first half but Anthony Moyles ended up with the 'Man of the Match' award while Evan Kelly, Seamus Kenny, Ned Kearney and John Lunney all had their moments, mostly in the first half. Supporters certainly got great value following the team in 2003. Satisfaction and pride at qualifying for a first county final will be tempered by the memory of the second-half collapse. And there will be those who will ask the question ... will Simonstown ever again lead by nine points at half-time in a county final? The answer to that one is maybe and maybe not ... who cares about the half-time score? Colm O'Rourke, Colm Keyes, Justin Ward and Con O'Neill can be well satisfied with their work over the last twelve months ....there is no doubt that their team exceeded expectations and there is every reason to believe that they will return all the stronger for the experience. The team, scorers and substitutes in the final were as follows: Gary Lynch, Shane Leddy, Ronan McGrath, Mickey Byrne, Cian McGrath, Hank Traynor, Brendan Flood, Paul Meade, Alan Meade (1-0), Shane Kennedy, Evan Kelly (0-2), Seamus Kenny, Ronan Brady (0-1), Ned Kearney (0-3), and John Lunney (0-3). Subs: Eanna Donoghue, Shane O'Neill and Ciaran Kenny. Seventh Heaven The last couple of years were not that rewarding for Simonstown at underage level but a determined under 12 combination got the show on the road again, with an exciting run over the past summer. A route which culminated in a league final success over Ratoath and at the third attempt. A brilliant campaign, three finals and seventh under 12 county success for the Sky Blues are the main statistics but underneath lies a run which commenced in early March and ended not until the first Wednesday of September. Seven months of toil, effort, learning and lets say much enjoyment, which turned what many seemed rank outsiders into the most deserving of champions. Prior to 2003, this bunch of Navan kids never had the good fortune to place their name on any kind of tournament trophy. Their impact upon the initial under 10 league held in 2001 was minimal to say the least, while up through the ranks St Martins always held the upperhand. Indeed, the Dunshaughlin outfit had convincingly overcome practically the same bunch of lads in the under 12 reserve semi final of 2002. But team mentors Geoff Miller, Sean Barry and John Lynch had other ideas. They knew they had a talented bunch on their hands and a string of challenge matches were played out in the excellent late autumn and early winter conditions, which prevailed in 2002. These challenges continued right into 2003 when the like of future Cavan champions Bailieborough were hammered out of sight. Local opposition were and with all due courtesy, no match so the trek for a stronger opponent in Dublin commenced again. A couple of other additions helped this forward progression. The same management also looked after the under 12B team and while Francis Smith was manager here, he too had a big say in the running of the A team. (Incidentally, trying not to differentiate the class, the mentors titled one team Tigers and the other Lions). Young players from this second string like Colin Wickham began to emerge. Abby Oriola only came to live in Navan a few years back. Of Nigerian stock, he made a big impression on the St. Olivers team which played Kells in the Division One Schools Final the previous autumn. Abby was then a goalkeeper but his strength and fielding power saw him as a natural full forward. A young man who sucked in two of the opposition's best backs and who found the net in every game. Like the nine he slammed past Dunboyne or the 3-2 which finally broke Ratoath's hearts that third day out. Darren Fitzgerald received a transfer from Bective and he too earned his spurs. An early victory was registered over Round Towers and then the game which many claimed 'made' this particular team. Old rivals Martins on their home turf swept into an 11 point lead but even fighting into a stiff wind, Simonstown fought back to record a famous four point victory. Confidence was now high. Trim held their own for the opening half but in the end were some 12 points in arrears. Poor old Dunboyne and fair pay to them for playing every game, were hammered out of sight and although Colmcilles offered stiff resistance, there was no doubting the superiority of the Navan combination. Then arrived a massive blip. Word was coming through that perennial underdogs Ratoath had an exciting team on their hands. So it proved as the boys in the Tipp colours recorded a very convincing 2-11 to 1-5 victory. In hindsight, this proved a blessing in disguise. Simonstown suffered a number of mishaps in the pre match preparation, were short a number of players and the end result probably had Ratoath that little bit extra confident on final day. Simonstown finished their campaign with a rearranged match against old town rivals O'Mahonys. The boys from the south side of the town had the Ratoath scalp under their belts and if they beat Simonstown, would meet the Sky Blues again the following week in the semi final. A Simonstown win would mean an even chance of such an all town semi but three late O'Mahonys points saw the spoils deservedly shared. Consequently Ratoath finished as group toppers, Simonstown second, Martins third and O'Mahonys, who had already qualified prior to the Simonstown game, fourth. A Simonstown - Martins semi final it was to be at Dunsany. A wet evening and inspired by Sean Tobin, the Navan xv led from the start and were well worth their 1-11 to 0-7 winning margin. The following day Ratoath convincingly brushed aside the O'Mahonys challenge. However, semi final hero Sean Tobin was to miss the final (as a family holiday in Spain could not be altered). Ratoath too had their problems but in each of the three finals Simonstown could never muster what the selectors would term a full squad and the timing of under 12 finals by the Juvenile Board at the end of June-early July when the schools are closed, has to be questioned. And so to what developed into an epic series of matches with Ratoath. Match One - Simonstown 3-1 Ratoath 1-7. A breezy yet roasting hot mid day throw in at Skryne. Ratoath had much of the early possession. But a trend developed which was to expand over the trio of games. Simonstown got men behind the ball and Ratoath, despite dominating much of the possession, found it extremely hard to score. At the other end of the field, goals from Abby and Darren Fitzgerald enabled the town side establish a 2-0 to 0-3 interval lead. Another goal from the big full forward and a fine point by Brian Lynch saw that advantage increased (to 3-1 over 1-4). Although Mikey Reilly missed a glorious chance with a free in front of the posts late on Ratoath dominated the final quarter and it was the eventual winners who were hanging on at the end 3-1 to 1-7. Interlude - It was initially agreed between both parties to leave the replay until early September. However, Juvenile Board officials were adamant it went ahead as soon as possible. Ratoath changed their stance and agreed but Simonstown, hit by a number of people who had booked holidays for the first week in July, requested a later date. The re match was fixed for the following Saturday and amongst the missing Simonstown personal would be team manager Geoff Miller and his son David. Matters became a little heated at a Juvenile Board meeting. It was decided that should Ratoath agree the final would be fixed at a later date. Again they chose the Saturday. It was in the following 24 hours that Simonstown's hands were fixed firmly around the trophy. A steely determination not to be beaten encircled all involved with the team. Previously on the Tuesday training session and with no official confirmation of the fixture, the boys were told that this was their last run out for a spell and that the team management would be in contact with them over the summer. But some 40 minutes before midnight, an emailed message confirmed that the game was definitely on and again in Skryne. Then that board meet on the Thursday where Simonstown requested a postponement. A hurried training session was called for on the morning of the match. Colin Wickham was got home from England, Sean Tobin arrived back late on the Friday night. In all we were missing Geoff Miller, but only two players, keeper Michael Sweeney and corner back David Miller. Match Two - Simonstown 1-4 Ratoath 2-1. This game was abandoned by referee Mick Ryan of Dunsany with 12 minutes remaining. It was anything but a physical game. In all of the three Simonstown-Ratoath encounters not one foul blow or wrong tackle was recorded and each clash was fought out by the players in a terrific spirit. Rory Foran replaced Michael Sweeney in goals and within a minute, he was picking the ball out of the net. A confident Ratoath piled on the pressure but the Simonstown defence stuck rigidly to their task and once the storm was weathered, it was the young Blues who took control. Inspired by a brilliant performance by Sean Tobin, Simonstown returned to the dressing rooms 1-4 to 1-1 in front. Matters were very even for what was the second period. Troubled started to flare when the only recorded score of the half, a Ratoath goal was flagged by one of the umpires. The other umpire and the Simonstown defenders maintained that the ball had not crossed the line. The score stood. Simonstown dominated for the period after but like their opponents in the earlier stages, failed to convert a number of good chances. Then arrived the big talking point. The match official who had alerted the referee to the goal, raised a white flag for a Ratoath point, even though he was on the opposite post. Everybody in the ground could see it was wide, a good yard as video evidence produced. Mick Ryan agreed to this view, but after the two umpires in question had a wee argument, he decided to abandon the match. Interlude - Amazingly the referee, in his report, stated that a Simonstown official had struck one of his umpires. The umpire was certainly not Mick Ryan's as he arrived in Skryne without any assistance while the other umpire was not a Simonstown official. Astonishingly the Juvenile Board, even though the Chairman was present, and pleaded with Mr Ryan to continue with the game, decided to award the title to Ratoath at the next meeting. Simonstown had a matter of days to object and not surprisingly, won their case. Ironically, it was also decided to rearrange the match (as the winners originally requested) once the schools had recommenced. Simonstown reassembled in mid August and a number of challenge games had the boys in good condition for the third and decisive match, which was surprisingly fixed for Rathkenny. Again problems surfaced as captain on the first day, Darren Fitzgerald would be away on holidays while the captain on day two Rory Foran, could only play with a special hand strapping. Was there a jinks on the captaincy? Anyway, David Miller, missing for day two, saw his name come out of the hat and he did an excellent job with his after match speech. Match Three - Simonstown 4-6 Ratoath 1-8 Victory at last for the Gaels. Convincing in the end but for long stages of the opening half Ratoath played the better football. Worringly for Simonstown they had first advantage of the Rathkenny hill and trailed 1-6 to 1-2 coming up to the break. However, a marvellous individual goal from midfielder Padraig McKeever who was enjoying his best match of the campaign, allied to a wonderful earlier point from the same lad, kept the winners in it as they only retired to the dressingrooms a point in arrears. There a rollicking from trainer Sean Barry saw a different Sky Blue xv emerging. Later on Simonstown mentors attributed that slow start to the pre match preparations. The game was fixed for 6.15 and the town side arrived at the ground prior to 5.30. Amazingly it was later learned that the Juvenile Board conceded to Ratoath that the game would not start until 6.45. They arrived at this time and the actual throw-in was 6.55. In other words, the Simonstown players were hanging around for one and a half hours. A list of misgivings Simonstown under 12s had with the Juvenile Board over the course of the summer but one would be abusing ones position by going further in this direction. Anyway, more important things. Rory Foran's hand injury forced him out of the action. Stephen Reilly went back to centre half back and completely shored up the defence. Ross Lynch came on and with Brian Lynch dropping into the midfield sector, suddenly Simonstown were first to every ball. Sean Tobin dropping deep led his attack with aplomb while big Abby as the reporter stated, 'fired home the bullets'. The win could have been much more emphatic as Simonstown struck the posts and crossbar six or seven times over the course of the hour. A nice touch at the end as the large Navan support and players applauded the young Ratoath squad towards their dressing room. Later on in early November this same bunch of players gained under 13 reserve league honours. Again Martins were well outscored in the semi finals and a sweet victory was recorded over town rivals, Navan O'Mahonys in the decider. Each of the players involved in this competition were under 12 and for a variety of reasons, missing for the semi final and final were Abby, Mikey Reilly and Rory Foran. But the substitutes introduced slotted in with ease. So who are this bunch of young men? Michael Sweeney - After much trial and error we at last found a solid keeper. Cool under pressure with an excellent clearance. David Miller - Developed into our most reliable defender. Very committed and strong. A real corner back. Shane Barry - A brilliant reader of the game. Safe pair of hands and a long kick. Underage again in 2004. Shane McGivney - Always smiling. Lovely left foot and very committed. Colin Wickham - Super athlete. A very modest young man who is under 12 again next year. Rory Foran - Very laid back. Strong and gets a great wallop into his left foot. Sean McCabe - From good Seneschalstown stock and none come braver. Padraig McKeever - We had a different captain every day but Padraig was the real team leader. When he got a grip at midfield Simonstown usually won. Keith Cross - Very fast over a short sprint. Loved to get into the opposing box and notch vital score. Stephen Reilly and Brian Lynch - We put these two lads together for they played in practically every position for the good of the team over the course of the year. Never complained, just got on with the job. Stephen is strong and brave while Brian is our best distributor. Conor Sheridan and Liam Burke - Another pair. Both were under 10 and have big futures ahead of them. Conor is two footed and will make a grand full back. Diminutive Liam is very hard to pin down and was about to be introduced before that second match with Ratoath was finished prematurely. Christopher Hand - Was part of the panel for the Ratoath games and is underage again next year. McDara Fitzpatrick - Underage next year. Starred with Cannistown in the schools final while father Pat won a junior medal with Wolfe Tones. Patrick Dinneen - Yet another left footer. How many of them have we? Patrick takes his football very seriously and won a schools medal with Cannistown. Ross Pryle - A very serious young man. Very fast and if he continues to stick it out, will surely nail down a first team place. Danny O'Hare - Another character. Never missed a game and another left footer. Peter Smith - A real bundle of energy. Always at the centre of things and played a good number of games. Ciaran Carr - Nobody has a bad word to say about Ciaran. A proper young gentleman. Very strong and brave. Michael Hand - A real bubbly character. Very brave and another who can tie down a permanent place. Darren Fitzgerald and Ross Lynch - Where one was the other was not too far away. A real double act. Darren arrived from Bective and improved with every game. Very versatile. Ross started as a substitute but through sheer determination earned that first team spot. Mikey Reilly - Very strong and with a great drive from the ground or out of his hand. Could play in a number of spots. Sean Tobin - Able to play in any position. Main free taker who caused havoc amongst every opposing defence. Sean has a great pair of hands and shone when it counted. Abby Oriola - Amazingly Abby never played football until late 2002. Top scorer, said he bagged nine goals against Dunboyne. No full back could handle the big kid from Nigeria. Brilliant when ball was on the ground. Shane Walsh - Last but by no means least. Shane was another of our very versatile brigade. Very brave, great work rate and the quiet man of the team. As to the management crew. A real team effort here. Geoff Miller was everybody's second father, a real perfectionist and the heart of the squad. Did tremendous work behind the scenes. As underage coaches go, they don't come better than Sean Barry. He should be involved with some of the county underage teams. Sean was a brilliant motivator to boot. Gary Lynch, because of his age, related to the boys. A very shrewd reader of the game and should be coaxed into doing more underage coaching with the club. Francis Smith was always there although some questioned what the heck was in that briefcase during the Rathkenny game. Still plays with Cortown and did a brilliant job as manager of the under 12Bs. We kept two separate squads and big Francis still had 30 plus players fighting for a place. Explain this to any parent who felt their budding star should be a permanent fixture. As for myself, I suppose I had a good say in the tactics and team selections. But who cares. All we wanted was our team to do well and the bonus was those Ratoath and O'Mahonys final day wins. Over the course of 30 games, we had not one of our players booked and I feel that at all times we were completely fair in our team selections. Each of the management had a son involved and it was often these who suffered when important decisions were made. All in all, a terrific year and long may it continue. J.L. Tweet

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