The Friday Interview: Terence 'Sambo' McNaughton
September 13, 2013
Antrim's Terence "Sambo" McNaughton
One of the GAA's great characters and the undisputed leader of the Antrim team that lost the 1989 Liam MacCarthy Cup decider to Tipperary, 'Sambo' continues to live, breathe and eat hurling in his beloved Cushendall which is as famous for the many great hurlers it has produced down the years as for its outstanding natural beauty on the north coast.
With hurling in their blood, it's no surprise that Terence's three children Terri-Marie, Shane and Christy have all followed in his footsteps. Shane is a key member of the Antrim senior team, Christy played for the minors this year, while Terri-Marie - who was born on the eve of the 1989 All-Ireland final - is a Cushendall camogie star. "Even the dog hurls!" remarks 'Sambo', who was an All Star midfielder in 1991.
Last Sunday, 'Sambo' and the other members of the 'Stars of the '80s' hurling team got a terrific reception when they were introduced to the crowd prior to the Clare v Cork epic. Along with Ballycastle's Dessie Donnelly, who also played in the '89 decider, 'Sambo' was proud to fly the flag for Antrim and Ulster hurling on All-Ireland final day after being chosen on the team deemed to be the best 15 hurlers from the 1980s who did not win All-Ireland senior medals.
All but one of them won an All Star, while many of them number provincial, National League and Railway Cup medals among the honours they've won.
"To be mentioned in the same breath as fellas like Sean Stack (Clare), David Kilcoyne (Westmeath) and PJ Cuddy (Laois) is a great honour. I played against those boys on many occasions and I can tell you they were just as good as any fella with an All-Ireland medal," explains the affable McNaughton, who hasn't missed an All-Ireland hurling final since 1978 when he travelled to Croke Park to see the Cork v Kilkenny decider in the boot of his brother's Datsun 1200.
'Sambo' will make the journey south again tomorrow for the All-Ireland U21HC final which pits Antrim against Clare in Thurles. With 14 of their senior panel involved, the Banner are unbackable favourites to complete a two-in-a-row in the grade. Even 'Sambo' finds it hard to see anything other than a Clare victory and insists they won't be distracted by their senior final replay against Cork on September 28.
"You would have to say that Clare have some smashing hurlers. Four or five of them are among the top seniors in the country at the moment. I saw them play Tipperary in the Munster final and they were very impressive. This is bonus territory for Antrim and it's important that they go and compete, and give a good account of themselves. If they can do that, I'll be happy," he says.
Like the rest of the hurling world, Terence didn't see the Saffrons' sensational All-Ireland semi-final victory over Wexford coming. Memories of Antrim's famous 1989 All-Ireland senior semi-final defeat of Offaly came flooding back after early goals from Stephen McAfee and Ciaran Clarke laid the foundations for a 2-15 to 1-16 victory for the 12/1 underdogs.
"I was as surprised as anyone," admits 'Sambo', who is delighted to see Cushendall represented by selector and Antrim senior captain Neil McManus, and players Eoin Campbell, Paddy McNaughton (no relation) and David Kearney.
"Let's face it, Antrim's preparations for that game were far from ideal. We had poor turnouts for training and club football games were fixed for the same time. But somehow they managed to beat a Wexford team who would have had high hopes of winning an All-Ireland after beating Kilkenny in the Leinster final. And if anything, the scoreline greatly flattered them.
"It just goes to show the ability these Antrim players have and the potential that's there. I'm training our (Cushendall's) U16 and minor teams this year and I know there's great work being done in those grades and at U14 level as well. The county U14 team gave an excellent account of itself at the Tony Forristal tournament in Waterford a couple of weeks ago.
"That work has to be kept going year after year. If we can keep at it, then Antrim will have a bright future. But, as much as I'd love to see Antrim bringing home the U21 cup, I don't think it's going to happen. Being honest and realistic, I don't think there's going to be a fairytale ending."
While Kevin Ryan didn't enjoy the best of seasons with the Antrim seniors, the Waterford man has already made history with the U21s and 'Sambo' is pleased that he will be continuing as manager of both teams in 2014.
"Kevin seems to be a good manager. I was very disappointed with Antrim's display against Laois in the Leinster championship this year and the fact that we struggled to retain our Division 1B status in the league, but Kevin is starting to get things right and is getting his rewards with the U21s. But he needs everyone in the county to row in behind him.
"The goal for next year should be to get up to Division 1A, and not be fighting for survival in Division 1B," says Terence, who had spells as joint-manager of the Antrim minor, U21 and senior teams along with Dominic McKinley in the past decade.
McNaughton is strongly opposed to a suggestion from former Cork goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack for a combined Ulster team to compete in future Liam MacCarthy Cup competitions. Cusack believes an all-Ulster team would enhance the MacCarthy Cup and improve standards in the province, but 'Sambo' feels it wouldn't work for a number of reasons.
"It's a non-runner in my opinion," he says.
"As well as putting the nail in the coffin of county teams in Ulster, it would create a whole host of logistical and fixture problems in each county. It would be impractical, let's say, for players from Donegal and Antrim to train together two or three times a week for six or seven months of the year. It simply wouldn't work. And I couldn't see too many county board fixture secretaries being in favour of it either.
"With no disrespect to the other Ulster counties, you'd still probably end up with a situation where most of the players would be from Antrim. If this Team Ulster idea was to happen, it would lead to counties losing their identities and that would be a disaster for the GAA."
'Sambo' isn't impressed either by the decision to postpone the Ulster SHC final between Antrim and Down until November 3 to allow players to concentrate on their club commitments. Indeed, he wonders why Antrim are in the competition in the first place.
"The Ulster final has become farcical. It's an insult to the game and the players to rearrange it for November. It should have been played two months ago," he maintains.
"You would have to question why Antrim are in the Ulster championship if they're also in the Leinster championship. They are the only county involved in two provincial championships. Antrim don't care if they win it (the Ulster SHC). It only means something when they lose it. But that doesn't happen too often. Once every 10 years or so, another team like Down or Derry might come along and put it up to them.
"There is more prestige attached to the Christy Ring Cup than the Ulster championship nowadays. When I was managing Antrim a few years ago, we won the Walsh Cup and we got far more satisfaction from that because of the teams we had beaten."
'Sambo' sees Antrim's long-term future in the Leinster SHC and welcomes the prospect of a five-team round-robin series in 2014 that will also feature Laois, Westmeath, Carlow and London.
"That's a good idea because it would leave the team that comes out of it in a stronger position to compete with the stronger teams in Leinster like Dublin, Kilkenny and Galway."
McNaughton's inter-county senior career spanned from 1980 to '97, during which he pocketed six Ulster SHC medals (the championship was only revived in 1989 after a 39-year absence) and a pair of All-Ireland 'B' championships. At club level, 'Sambo' won eight Antrim SHC medals with his local Ruairi Og club in Cushendall. His critically acclaimed autobiography, 'Sambo: All or Nothing" is a must read for all GAA fans. Tweet
