HoganStand GAA Football and Hurling

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Your First Game At Croke Park

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Replying To FootblockREF: "1977. Dublin v Kerry All Ireland semi final. Was 9 and still living in England. Home for summer holidays. Didn't have a clue what was going on. Dad bought me a Kerry scarf because I liked the colours. Apparently we net Micheal O'Hehir during minor game but I don't remember it. He autographed my programme which I still have. The page where the teams were listed was upside down. The game was lauded as the greatest ever. I saw it on TnaG a few years ago, pure muck! Hard to believe this but it's true, the linesmen were from Dublin!" Back then, and at that time, that game was considered to be one of the greatest ever seen. And it was at that time. I remember being glued to the TV set that day. In hindsight, and comparing it to what we have today, it was poor fare enough. I wouldn't classify it as muck, though. That's a bit too cruel on those Dublin and Kerry players. But it was a sort of 'hit and hope' football in those days; and it remained like that for possibly another 25 years later. I cannot pinpoint exactly, when the 'intelligent player' came into the game. Tyrone did have them in the noughties. By 'intelligent' I mean the player being aware of the best option available, and not just hoofing it anywhere; and that's even been advanced to another level by current Dublin team, who play the percentage game really, really well. The chances of 'a Seamus Darby', happening these days is almost nil, as a team that is 2 points up with 3-4 minutes to play, will just hang onto the ball and keep possession. There's far less 'human error' in the game these days, and sometimes I miss that. It diminishes the excitement. shoulderghost (Limerick) - Posts: 863 - 09/11/2019 10:48:29 2248722 Link
Replying To FootblockREF: "More proof that this Dublin team were the greatest GAA of all time but some of their supporters are more paranoid than a supermodels husband!" 100%. Nothing at all in the post he was referring to that suggested it was bitter in any way at all. KildareKelly (Kildare) - Posts: 593 - 09/11/2019 11:38:01 2248740 Link
Replying To royaldunne: "Early 70s. Been lifted over the stiles by my last dad to watch Meath play dubs, it would be 86 as a teenager that I actually saw them beat them also with my late dad. So glad I brought him that day." Similar memories. I remember the Da lifting me over the styles at the Canal End during the late 70s, no firm memories of the games themselves though but certainly Meath were involved and one may have been the 77 Leinster Final. My first vivid memory though is from the 80 Leinster Final, rainy day, John O'Leary making his Dublin debut and Dublin beaten by a great Offaly team. How people weren't killed coming out of the Canal End back in the day is beyond me. I remember the Da lifting me up on his shoulders just to catch a breath and to avoid the crazy crush. I remember the rattlers, the tissue hats with cardboard peaks where any county with similar colours could have it's name stapled on, the men in their Farah slacks, every second person dragging on a fag, the worst jacks in the world (a concrete wall), the crush when a score was got. Jayzis, they were the best of Sundays. Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 09/11/2019 12:12:58 2248744 Link
Replying To Joxer: "Similar memories. I remember the Da lifting me over the styles at the Canal End during the late 70s, no firm memories of the games themselves though but certainly Meath were involved and one may have been the 77 Leinster Final. My first vivid memory though is from the 80 Leinster Final, rainy day, John O'Leary making his Dublin debut and Dublin beaten by a great Offaly team. How people weren't killed coming out of the Canal End back in the day is beyond me. I remember the Da lifting me up on his shoulders just to catch a breath and to avoid the crazy crush. I remember the rattlers, the tissue hats with cardboard peaks where any county with similar colours could have it's name stapled on, the men in their Farah slacks, every second person dragging on a fag, the worst jacks in the world (a concrete wall), the crush when a score was got. Jayzis, they were the best of Sundays." The rest might have changed but sadly the jack's haven't in most grounds Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 09/11/2019 15:54:28 2248780 Link
Replying To DuhallowRed: "Against Wexford in the Semi final replay in 2004" Correction it was 2003 DuhallowRed (Cork)* - Posts: 268 - 09/11/2019 16:52:37 2248796 Link
Replying To Joxer: "Similar memories. I remember the Da lifting me over the styles at the Canal End during the late 70s, no firm memories of the games themselves though but certainly Meath were involved and one may have been the 77 Leinster Final. My first vivid memory though is from the 80 Leinster Final, rainy day, John O'Leary making his Dublin debut and Dublin beaten by a great Offaly team. How people weren't killed coming out of the Canal End back in the day is beyond me. I remember the Da lifting me up on his shoulders just to catch a breath and to avoid the crazy crush. I remember the rattlers, the tissue hats with cardboard peaks where any county with similar colours could have it's name stapled on, the men in their Farah slacks, every second person dragging on a fag, the worst jacks in the world (a concrete wall), the crush when a score was got. Jayzis, they were the best of Sundays." I remember a National League Final between Down and Armagh in 80 or 81. Still wonder how no one died that day. FootblockREF (Monaghan) - Posts: 563 - 09/11/2019 17:29:10 2248802 Link
Replying To shoulderghost: "Back then, and at that time, that game was considered to be one of the greatest ever seen. And it was at that time. I remember being glued to the TV set that day. In hindsight, and comparing it to what we have today, it was poor fare enough. I wouldn't classify it as muck, though. That's a bit too cruel on those Dublin and Kerry players. But it was a sort of 'hit and hope' football in those days; and it remained like that for possibly another 25 years later. I cannot pinpoint exactly, when the 'intelligent player' came into the game. Tyrone did have them in the noughties. By 'intelligent' I mean the player being aware of the best option available, and not just hoofing it anywhere; and that's even been advanced to another level by current Dublin team, who play the percentage game really, really well. The chances of 'a Seamus Darby', happening these days is almost nil, as a team that is 2 points up with 3-4 minutes to play, will just hang onto the ball and keep possession. There's far less 'human error' in the game these days, and sometimes I miss that. It diminishes the excitement." Yerra ya sure Pat Spillane or Jacko never kicked a ball into space for Mikey to run onto at all, how did Kerry win all those AI with knuckle draggers for players .... TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 09/11/2019 17:43:56 2248803 Link
Replying To Joxer: "Similar memories. I remember the Da lifting me over the styles at the Canal End during the late 70s, no firm memories of the games themselves though but certainly Meath were involved and one may have been the 77 Leinster Final. My first vivid memory though is from the 80 Leinster Final, rainy day, John O'Leary making his Dublin debut and Dublin beaten by a great Offaly team. How people weren't killed coming out of the Canal End back in the day is beyond me. I remember the Da lifting me up on his shoulders just to catch a breath and to avoid the crazy crush. I remember the rattlers, the tissue hats with cardboard peaks where any county with similar colours could have it's name stapled on, the men in their Farah slacks, every second person dragging on a fag, the worst jacks in the world (a concrete wall), the crush when a score was got. Jayzis, they were the best of Sundays." Ah yes the Canal End, wonderful place to watch a match, a great view of proceedings but an utter death trap and like you and others say how there wasn't a serious disaster coming out of that place I'll never know, I recall well the '87 final v Cork and Colm O'Rourke scoring into that goal, the surge carried me 10 to 15 steps down the terrace and only for my old chap had a hold of my collar the way down I could have been in serious bother. First visit to Croker was the '83 match v Dublin, ended in a draw and Sean Boylan's first championship match in charge, was in the old Hogan that day and aged a mere 6 years, remember my grandfather buying one of those dodgy unofficial programmes that used to be on the go in those times, a cottage industry that survived into the 90's. The size of the place seemed immense but by then it was really showing its age however every now and then I get that nostalgic feeling and would love to return to the old place one more time despite the crowds, the pushing and shoving, the crap toilets and general miserable concrete appearance it was still magic because if you were there your county were doing well and that's all that mattered Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 10/11/2019 00:23:55 2248839 Link
Replying To Joxer: "Similar memories. I remember the Da lifting me over the styles at the Canal End during the late 70s, no firm memories of the games themselves though but certainly Meath were involved and one may have been the 77 Leinster Final. My first vivid memory though is from the 80 Leinster Final, rainy day, John O'Leary making his Dublin debut and Dublin beaten by a great Offaly team. How people weren't killed coming out of the Canal End back in the day is beyond me. I remember the Da lifting me up on his shoulders just to catch a breath and to avoid the crazy crush. I remember the rattlers, the tissue hats with cardboard peaks where any county with similar colours could have it's name stapled on, the men in their Farah slacks, every second person dragging on a fag, the worst jacks in the world (a concrete wall), the crush when a score was got. Jayzis, they were the best of Sundays." Oh lord yeah. The crepe paper hats it was mental. My dad who never smoked in his life telling the Meath lad to put out the fag cause he hit it off me , fantastic days , certainly no health and safety and as you said all in the camel end. How no one died though was a miracle. royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 10/11/2019 08:46:12 2248843 Link
was at the final versus Meath in 1966, I was on mamai's lap suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1669 - 10/11/2019 12:28:17 2248859 Link
1972 League Final, Kerry v Mayo. Kerry won handy enough I think, If memory serves me Mick Gleeson and Liam Higgins scored goals for Kerry but couldn't swear on that. Was with my dad and was super excited. dingle2 (Kerry) - Posts: 278 - 10/11/2019 13:49:52 2248863 Link
Replying To TheHermit: "Yerra ya sure Pat Spillane or Jacko never kicked a ball into space for Mikey to run onto at all, how did Kerry win all those AI with knuckle draggers for players ...." Did Spillane ever pass the ball to anyone at all? Jacko may have kicked it long and high, either wide or over the bar, or in on top of the Bomber, but rarely if ever into space. The only space those lads knew was the space in the sky. They won AIs 'coz Micko trained them like greyhounds. They were fitter and faster than all the other, to use your words, not mine,'knuckle daggers' of players at the time. And being allowed throw the ball into the net back then, suited Micko's greyhound-type player more, the runner, than it did the skillful 'foot'baller, such as the likes of Jimmy Keaveney, Liam Salmon, Anthony McGurk, Paddy Moriarty, Barnes Murphy, etc. After 12 years of Micko, they could scarcely scramble together an hour of highlights, to put into the 'Golden Years' video, and a lot of that is also made up of interviews. While considered great at the time, that 'Gold" a very TARNISHED BRASS sheen off it these day! shoulderghost (Limerick) - Posts: 863 - 10/11/2019 14:33:17 2248870 Link
1980 hurling final, Galway v Limerick. I was 11 years old, surrounded by adults at the Railway end and barely saw anything, but it was still a huge thrill to be there. Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 996 - 10/11/2019 14:46:02 2248871 Link
Replying To suckvalleypaddy: "was at the final versus Meath in 1966, I was on mamai's lap" That was my first game at HQ, returned again in 67 with happier memories. seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2142 - 10/11/2019 16:16:34 2248883 Link
1975 All Ireland Hurling final.Lost to a powerful Kilkenny team.Never forget how massive I though the place was and the roar of the crowd. Iwastherein75. (Galway) - Posts: 8 - 10/11/2019 17:39:37 2248898 Link
The 1974 All Ireland football final. Galway V Offaly. Paddy McCormack, the Iron man, was in full flight(fight) that day. galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 10/11/2019 18:30:30 2248908 Link
Replying To galwayford: "The 1974 All Ireland football final. Galway V Offaly. Paddy McCormack, the Iron man, was in full flight(fight) that day." 1971 perhaps? suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1669 - 10/11/2019 21:58:16 2248947 Link
1995 All Ireland semi final - Tyrone v Galway. We won that day. Was love at first sight. OGarmaile (Tyrone) - Posts: 248 - 11/11/2019 09:11:43 2248985 Link
Replying To suckvalleypaddy: "1971 perhaps?" 1971 is right. 'Twas Heffo's Army that downed Galway in '74, and Cork did the same in '73. And of course, Offaly handed Kerry their biggest losing margin loss in a final in 1972; all of 9 points but the same day it could have been 20. Willie Bryan gave one of the finest mid-field displays ever seen in CO in that final. Asked before the final, how he'd mark Mick O'Connell, Bryan confidently replied, "Let O'Connell mark me." And so it came to pass. Admittedly, the great O'Connell was in his latter days by then, and past his prime. shoulderghost (Limerick) - Posts: 863 - 11/11/2019 11:03:38 2249018 Link
Replying To gaelicgab: "Mine was the 1990 league semi final between Meath and Cork. Meath won that day but Cork got revenge in the All Ireland final later in the year." Tyrone vs Mayo 1989 - Liam McHale beat tyrone that day, and it was about 30 degrees. Got back to car with my dad and brother and nearly melted in the back seat trying to get out of dublin!! conman1282 (Tyrone) - Posts: 88 - 11/11/2019 11:21:07 2249024 Link