Down v Derry 1994

[Mourne Rover]

For all aging Down fans, including this one, who wake up every morning and hope it is still 1994, the good news is that it will be on Wednesday. TG4 are doing our legendary trip to Derry on their All Ireland Gold series (11.35pm). The highlights will include the first half save by Neil Collins from Anthony Tohill, which probably kept us in the game, and Paul Higgins introducing himself to Joe Brolly. Derry supporters can count again how many steps Fergal McCusker took before their deflected goal (12 in my impartial view, which is at least one more than James McCartan when he hit the point of the game), and wonder how the reigning all Ireland champions did not get out of their own half in the last ten minutes. There will be the Ciaran McCabe wonder strike, the easier one that he missed, the even easier one that Peter Withnell put wide and Gregory McCartan's late free which just about got over the bar.  Gregory's war dance at the final whistle was nearly as good as Mickey Linden's overall display, and the whole experience was enough to keep most Down people smiling for at least another 13 years.

[realredhandfan]

I think this has to go down as the greatest game Derry ever played in.

[spiritof91and94]

I bet it will be taped this time!!

[An Cloch Scoilte]

Probably the best game ever!! The game had everything!! Shows how much the game has moved on when Mickey Linden was still drinking water out of a 2 litre Milk carton on the side of the pitch!!!
Deegans nulified Tohill like no other had in the year previous, and what a game Gregory had for what I believe was his championship debut!!

[lynchbhoy]

still very sore at losing this one
the display you will watch is a fantastic game of football
but the performance of the day to watch is that of the referee ! 
(still bitter after all these years  )

[An Cloch Scoilte]

Ah Lynchboy, I thought auld Tommy SugureRIP had a fine game that day!! He was the best about in the early nineties!!!

[Maximus Marillius]

Why the Derry management at the time felt they needed to change the team that won the All Ireland still bugs me. Barton, Mc Gurk, Seamus Downey and Cassidy were not selected. Barton was replaced by Mc Nicholl at CHF, wind up. Burns who never counted in championship football was at RHf instead of Heaney, Heaney played at full forward, Karl Diamond replaced Johnny Mc Gurk at RHB, what a loss, and Mc Cormick replaced Cassidy, another stupid decision...Cassidy who for some reason never played badly against Down. If Derry had of placed their strongest team, they might have won. But we'll never know, as the Derry County Board went about eliminating Coleman during the summer, whichj in turn finished this great Derry team.

[lynchbhoy]

Ah Lynchboy, I thought auld Tommy SugureRIP had a fine game that day!! He was the best about in the early nineties!!!

watch the game and see how 'good' he was.

This game was replayed about 6-9 months ago on TV, I know I was unhappy on the day with the officiation, but when I saw the replay on telly, I was def unhappy with the ref.
God rest his soul and rusty whistle.

[Brick Tamlin]

any particular grievances lads regarding the ref, not arguing but just tryin to recall the match and any dodgy or controversial decisions, maybe im biased but thought he had a pretty level game, and he was quite a good ref in fairness, took little or no guff.

[downredblack]

He also ref'd the Down v Derry game in 93 , not a game I remember as fondly though that had nothing to do with Tommy.

[tbrick18]

Imagine what Derry could have done if there had been a back door system back then!
As far as I remember, no-one else came close to Down that year...that's what made it all the more rediculous at Coleman getting sacked. Derry County Board definately cost us at least the chance of another all-ireland.

It was a cracking game mind you. And although I too am bitter about the result, at least I can say I was at probably the best game of football in living memory.

[behind the wire]

i was very young when i travelled up to celtic park with my dad and granda in 1994 but i can still remember every bit of it. best memory of it is gregory's celebration at the final whistle, i didnt know how he could still have the energy to do that because it was a very warm day. i have watched the game since and i thought the ref was excellent, best bit of refereeing i can ever remember seeing. none of today's contingent of referees would be able to control such a big game in the way tommy did that day. lynchbhoy, ill give you a nightmare of a referee, his name is mr coldrick and he hails from meath (mr hop the ball) - now he would annoy you, even as a neutral watching a game.

[downredblack]

I thought he was hearing confessions on Sunday it took that long for him to caution the player and restart the game . And as for hop balls , If we where  there still I doubt Dan Gordan would win one .

[lynchbhoy]

i was very young when i travelled up to celtic park with my dad and granda in 1994 but i can still remember every bit of it. best memory of it is gregory's celebration at the final whistle, i didnt know how he could still have the energy to do that because it was a very warm day. i have watched the game since and i thought the ref was excellent, best bit of refereeing i can ever remember seeing. none of today's contingent of referees would be able to control such a big game in the way tommy did that day. lynchbhoy, ill give you a nightmare of a referee, his name is mr coldrick and he hails from meath (mr hop the ball) - now he would annoy you, even as a neutral watching a game.

coldrick isnt even the worst ref in his own county
seamus mccormick of walterstown holds that dubious award

anyhow
watch the reply and see what yez think of the frees he did give and obv ones he didnt!

as for brolly, he could never stomach any rough stuff..

[behind the wire]

lynchbhoy i dunno how anyone could be worse than coldrick - a severe case of wee man syndrome. ill have to see if ntl will switch us on again before i can watch it tomorrow night. i live with a derry fanatic so hopefully they will.

there are some terible refs about at present, but then again the way it is at the minute nobody with any sense would do it - it needs to be looked at by the gaa. dont know if many people will know him, but the best ref i have ever been refereed by is a man called frank mcdonald from newry, he was very good, we need more like him.