The Toughest Trade

Started by Under Lights, February 17, 2015, 01:27:03 PM

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Under Lights

FORMER Spurs and England midfielder David Bentley had his first taste of Gaelic football training with legendary Armagh club Crossmaglen Rangers last night.

Armagh star Aaron Kernan is travelling to train and play with Sunderland FC on Thursday in a new 'trading places' television documentary linked to the AIB All-Ireland club championship.

Kilkenny hurling star Jackie Tyrell and  Kernan are both doing week-long swaps with professional athletes in America and Britain for the TV3 show called 'The Toughest Trade', which aims to compare the lives of amateur gaelic players with professional athletes.

Tyrell is going to Florida over the next fortnight to train and play with a Major League Baseball team in a direct swap with former MLB catcher Brian Schneider.


Schneider, who has played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals during his professional baseball career, is coming to Kilkenny to play with Tyrell's club James Stephen's and also to do his day-job as a sales rep with Glanbia.

Kernan is swapping roles with Bentley who arrived in Crossmaglen at lunchtime on Monday.

He went straight into a training session and today the former Spurs and Blackburn players is in Belfast, working in Kernan's property and letting business, before returning for another 8pm session with the club.

The former soccer star, once valued at £15m and with such crossing ability that he was compared to David Beckham, will have to be a quick learner as he's going to play in a challenge match against Cross' local rivals Silverbridge on Wednesday night.

Bentley, who lives in Marbella, retired from soccer in 2014 saying he had fallen out of love with the game so it remains to be seen if the rigours of training and playing gaelic football with one of the greatest clubs in modern gaelic will help him rediscover his sporting passion.

Kernan was once watched by Spurs scouts when he played underage soccer in Dundalk's youth academy but he concentrated on Gaelic football from his mid-teens.

The 31-year-old retired from inter-county football last Winter, having amassed seven Ulster and three All-Ireland club titles, as well as an All-Ireland senior medal with the Orchard county.

"The boys were really impressed with how he dealt with a typical pre-season training session on the third pitch last night," Kernan said of Bentley's introduction to the joys of gaelic training.

"I think he came through it well and certainly enjoyed the camaraderie with all the boys, it's caused great excitement around the town.

"I'm thinking with his striking skills that he'll be a corner-forward, I can't see him coming in as corner-back," Kernan quipped.

The programme, called 'The Toughest Trade', will air on TV3 on March 9, ahead of the AIB All-Ireland Club finals on St Patrick's Day.


armaghniac

#1
Quote"I'm thinking with his striking skills that he'll be a corner-forward, I can't see him coming in as corner-back," Kernan quipped.

Get Francie to give him a few tips and he could be a back too!
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

brokencrossbar1

He's playing for us against the Bridge tomorrow night in the Bridge at 8 so you will have the chance to see him up close and personal.

5 Sams

Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on February 17, 2015, 02:41:34 PM
He's playing for us against the Bridge tomorrow night in the Bridge at 8 so you will have the chance to see him up close and personal.

Could be a "bridge" too far for a boy like that. I'd some of the lads will give him a good oul south Armagh "welcome"
60,61,68,91,94
The Aristocrat Years

heganboy

that would be great watching
Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity

theticklemister

What does he think about Crossmaglen village

armaghniac

Quote from: theticklemister on February 17, 2015, 06:33:50 PM
What does he think about Crossmaglen village

Well it's a veritable conurbation compared to Silverbridge!
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

Feckitt

Pity it's on TV3.  Most people in Crossmaglen can't get it.  With UTV Ireland (sic) started as well, Irish Television is becoming increasingly partitioned.

armaghniac

Everybody in Crossmaglen can get TV3 surely?
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

Feckitt

Quote from: armaghniac on February 18, 2015, 11:26:23 AM
Everybody in Crossmaglen can get TV3 surely?

If you have a sky box in the north you can't get TV3 or UTV Ireland.  I think you need a saorview box, but I'm not sure.  Terrestial TV is extinct so you  can't get it the old way.

brokencrossbar1

Quote from: Feckitt on February 18, 2015, 11:33:33 AM
Quote from: armaghniac on February 18, 2015, 11:26:23 AM
Everybody in Crossmaglen can get TV3 surely?

If you have a sky box in the north you can't get TV3 or UTV Ireland.  I think you need a saorview box, but I'm not sure.  Terrestial TV is extinct so you  can't get it the old way.

I would imagine most people have TV3,  nearly any TV bought locally has a built in Saorview.

Feckitt

Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on February 18, 2015, 11:39:46 AM
Quote from: Feckitt on February 18, 2015, 11:33:33 AM
Quote from: armaghniac on February 18, 2015, 11:26:23 AM
Everybody in Crossmaglen can get TV3 surely?

If you have a sky box in the north you can't get TV3 or UTV Ireland.  I think you need a saorview box, but I'm not sure.  Terrestial TV is extinct so you  can't get it the old way.

I would imagine most people have TV3,  nearly any TV bought locally has a built in Saorview.

Ok, i stand corrected.  Must get rid of my 1996 tv!

armaghniac

Quote from: Feckitt on February 18, 2015, 11:33:33 AM
Quote from: armaghniac on February 18, 2015, 11:26:23 AM
Everybody in Crossmaglen can get TV3 surely?

If you have a sky box in the north you can't get TV3 or UTV Ireland.  I think you need a saorview box, but I'm not sure.  Terrestial TV is extinct so you  can't get it the old way.

Well people who only have a Sky box and who haven't been watching any regular TV for the last 3 years will have a problem, I suppose. But nearly every house in Cross has an aerial and in most cases either a modern TV or a box is attached to it.
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

theticklemister

Reading an interview with Aaron Kernan in today's Irish News and he stated that ' Bently as an English person, would not have been welcome to walk the streets of Crossmaglen 20 years ago.'

I can't believe this. Crossmaglen is a republican area which espouses ideals of Republicanism. An Englishman should never have a fear of a Republican area.

JohnDenver

Quote from: theticklemister on February 18, 2015, 12:10:15 PM
Reading an interview with Aaron Kernan in today's Irish News and he stated that ' Bently as an English person, would not have been welcome to walk the streets of Crossmaglen 20 years ago.'

I can't believe this. Crossmaglen is a republican area which espouses ideals of Republicanism. An Englishman should never have a fear of a Republican area.

Where are you pulling this quote from?  From what I see it states "There's changed times. I know it mightn't have been that great for an englishman walking around the streets 20 years ago but we've moved on well from that."

Which I think is a fair enough statement.  He's not saying he wouldn't have been welcome, but I'm sure an englishman walking the streets of Cross or any other republican area would have been treated with suspicion, and probably still would be to a certain extent, given the past.