Sometimes other matters place football firmly into context. At the end of the day, it's only a game and nothing more. In 2002, football took a backseat on Drogheda's Slane Road as Oliver Plunketts lost two of their greatest gaels. The sad passing of stalwarts Phil Clarke and Terry Maher cast a shadow over the year and left a void at the heart of the club that can never be filled. 1957 is the most famous year in Louth GAA history. While Dermot O'Brien was leading the Wee County to All-Ireland glory, Oliver Plunketts were busy capturing the county senior football championship. Terry Maher was goalkeeper on that all-conquering Plunketts side; Phil Clarke was a selector. For the next 45 years, both men would serve their beloved club selflessly, excellently and humbly. Terry and Phil were not just two of the best clubmen Oliver Plunketts ever produced - they were two of Louth's finest gaels. Ever. Both men departed the mortal world in 2002, leaving behind them many friends, colleagues and admirers. Their contributions to the Plunketts were enormous by any standards and will never be forgotten. While Oliver Plunketts GFC is greatly saddened by their deaths, this is not a time for mourning. Terry and Phil will always be missed by those associated with the club but their legacies are such that it is more appropriate to celebrate their lives and their limitless contributions to Drogheda GAA and, indeed, Louth GAA. Terry and Phil were proud of Oliver Plunketts GFC. In turn, Oliver Plunketts is eternally proud of its two great clubmen. Former club chairman Mick Matthews played on the 1957 team. He remembers Terry and Phil fondly and with tremendous affection. He knew the pair for most of his life and cannot find the words to adequately pay tribute to their incredible service to the Plunketts. Needless to say, Mick is somewhat downbeat when looking back on the '02 season (a mood that reflects that of the entire club): "During 2002, we lost two of the best clubmen any club could ever wish to have. "Phil Clarke was club President and a trustee, founder member, past secretary, past County Board rep and a selector with club and county. He was indeed Mr Plunketts and kept the club going through good times and bad. He gave his all to the club and was also very active at county level. "A lot of people in the club used to say that Phil should have been a solicitor because he was a great man to fight our corner at County Board level! Also, his work with underage footballers was well known throughout the county. "Phil was extremely well liked in all quarters and was - more than any other - the person who kept the club going. He will be remembered as a great clubman and a true gentleman and I can think of no words of praise high enough for him. "Terry Maher, of course, was a former chairman of the County Board. Terry was an exceptional organiser and had a great way of getting things done. He was a true driving force at club and county level. "He was a member of the 1957 championship-winning team and went on to serve us as President, trustee and selector/manager of various teams. He was the best organiser any club could wish for and his skills obviously carried him to County Board level. "Terry was club secretary at the time we purchased and developed our grounds and his tremendous ability to gain sponsorship and raise funds for the club went a long way towards helping that dream become a reality. He was so devoted to the Plunketts that he even took his work home with him - his wife Eileen was treasurer of the club for 17 years! "Both men played key roles in the 1957 championship win and continued to serve the club right through in a variety of capacities. While Phil was the inspiration, Terry was the administrator. Without them, Oliver Plunketts would not be the club it is today. "They will be very difficult to replace. But we will move on in honour of their memory. That's the least we owe them, and they wouldn't have wanted it any other way." On the field of play, the Plunketts didn't exactly disgrace themselves in 2002 - but they again fell short of gaining promotion to senior fare. As expected, they came out of their group in the championship with four wins from four but they then crashed to Geraldines in a close-fought IFC semi-final. In their first outing in Group A in early June, the Plunketts finished strongly after a tentative start to defeat St Kevins by 2-14 to 3-8. Four days later, they thumped Annaghminnon Rovers by 2-14 to 1-4 to move into pole position in the group. In Round Three, neighbours O'Raghallaighs were beaten by 1-16 to 0-7 before a 1-8 to 0-8 defeat of St Fechins guaranteed the Plunketts a semi-final spot. The semi-final was played on August 25th and the Plunketts were narrowly beaten by Geraldines, 1-11 to 2-6. The dream was over for another year. When, on Saturday October 5th, Plunketts defeated then-recently-crowned intermediate champions Naomh Malachi by 1-15 to 2-9 in a keenly-contested Division 2A clash, it gave them a reminder of what could have been. They are without doubt good enough to go senior . . . it is surely only a matter of when they will actually do so. Reflecting on the 2002 performance, Mick Matthews notes: "Looking at the championship draw and the group we were in, we felt that we had a great chance of making the semi-final, which we managed to achieve. Our preparations for the semi-final weren't exactly ideal due to injuries and a few lads just coming back from injury, but we have no excuses. The Geraldines deserved to win. They were the best team on the day and they deserved to go through to the final. But, Mick insists: "There is absolutely nothing wrong with this team. We had an excellent coach in [former Louth and Longford player] Richie Culhane and he got the best out of our forwards, who were usually a weak link but started to notch up some respectable scores. The forwards improved beyond all recognition but it still just didn't happen for us." The Oliver Plunketts underage machine continues to purr. A strong underage arm is the real ace up their sleeve. "Our minors reached the semi-final of the championship and the semi-final of the county league. We have some tremendous workers in the club who work with all the players from U9 through to U18 level. We have a wonderful team of volunteers and have an underage set-up well able to cater for the growing population of the area. "But to meet the needs of all our teams - particularly the adults - our clubhouse and playing area will have to be upgraded. We have been looking for land in the area but there's nothing happening on that front and it's all a bit frustrating. At the moment, the clubhouse we have is inadequate and we're hoping to upgrade it to a four-room facility." The former club chairman remains far from despondent about Oliver Plunketts future: Last year was a slight disappointment from the point of view that we didn't win something at underage level, and we usually do. But we can put it behind us. We have a very good set-up and I believe our minors will be in the top four again next year. "As for the first team, I thought 2002 was going to be our year because we had a great coach and he ironed out a lot of the weaknesses. We are perennial favourites and keep missing out, but there are good young lads coming through. "We have a lot of young lads playing football and that's the most important thing. Everybody in the club works hard and every team has three or four committed mentors we just don't always get the rewards we deserve. In general, underage football in Drogheda is very strong and that's very encouraging. Tweet

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