Armagh's Greatest 3 Players

[longrunsthefox]

Paddy Mo
Geezer
Johnny Corvan

If I could go with a fourth choice, it would be Tom McCreesh

Where you at the '77 final? 

Watched it on TV actually, I never thought that Tom was at fault that day.

He was destroyed.. fell in a heap to let Keaveney in for the first goal. he packed it in afterwards.

Careful now, I wouldn't be so harsh on him.  Other men didn't do their job, he did his and ended up on his hole.  That's the way I saw it

I remember him being lifted up by the squad and crowd after a game at the Athletic Grounds in '77.  I always thought he was the best ever though

fair enough-I know f** all about Tom McCreesh and is my abiding memory of him which I suppose isn't fair. I remember Armagh hammered Derry in Ulster final totally unexpected. Was at it too and right enuff McCreesh got man of the match.

[ardmhachaabu]

He was better than Francie and I am a big Francie fan

[Muhammed McCarthy]

Paddy Mo
Geezer
Johnny Corvan

If I could go with a fourth choice, it would be Tom McCreesh

Where you at the '77 final? 

The only player that played well that day for us was big Joe, he came on as a sub and scored two goals and that is still by far the highest scoring finale ever.

Why we didnt have somebody just stand in front of keaveney that day is beyond me, the man couldnt move yet he killed us.

That was a deadly Dublin team however. 

Are you sure Joe was sub that day? I thought he started... maybe ure right. I was at that game cheering like mad for Armagh. Aye, that was some Dublin team. Armagh never really stood a chance against them. There was great excitement building upto the final, in Tyrone too. Northern counties really backed each other those days and fantastic sight of orange and white on the Canal End. I remember Paddy Mo got a penalty early on and for a few minutes there was hope, then Heffo's machine took over...   

Big Joe started alright, and the Dubs were classy.....always remember "Dingle" Daly coming on as a sub in second half, Devie hitting the post at start of second half, and the great Micheal "why oh why didn't Armagh play like this in the first half?"
happy days indeed.

[longrunsthefox]

I think I was wrong about Heffos team... wasn't Tony Hanahoe captain and manager that year? The years have dimmed my memory 

[theCritic]

mcgeeney mcgrane j mc entee

[zoyler]

I remember big Tom McCreesg too.  He was a great old sty;e full back as long as the ball was kicked down his troath or at least was above his knees.  He was coming to the end of his career in '77 and only played fullback because of an injury to Jim Finnegan if my memory serves.  He found it very difficult to deal with the low ball and in truth Dublin were all over him.  In fairness he was not the only one to blame - the line would not have been great with strategy being of the every man take a man level

[Sandy Hill]

Stew u must be a lot older than i thought as pat campbell retired in the sixties or are u referring to the one photo kicking about from the fifties when he played in croke park to make ur judgement. Surely u have to select someone who played on the all-ireland winning team and team of the decade. still nice touch picking a man who started his career as an ogs man.

I collect Armagh memorabillia and have thousands of pictures and reports from armagh games as far back as the early twentieth century,I also have boots and jerseys from various eras and it is a nice collection that i have insured. I also know that in his day Pat Campbell of Armagh was considered one of the best players in the country and the single best athlete, based on what I have read and know about him, and what others that would have watched him play and indeed Armagh play for 60 years I included him in my top three.

As for Pat being an Ogs man, nobody is perfect. Not  only that but I always include Canavan as one of if not the best ever player and he is from Tyrone so given that an Ogs man is almost as good as a Harps man.

Was Pat not a Harps man?

[Armaghtothebone]

Mal McEvoy (R.I.P)
Paul McGrane
Jimmy Whan

[stew]

Stew u must be a lot older than i thought as pat campbell retired in the sixties or are u referring to the one photo kicking about from the fifties when he played in croke park to make ur judgement. Surely u have to select someone who played on the all-ireland winning team and team of the decade. still nice touch picking a man who started his career as an ogs man.

I collect Armagh memorabillia and have thousands of pictures and reports from armagh games as far back as the early twentieth century,I also have boots and jerseys from various eras and it is a nice collection that i have insured. I also know that in his day Pat Campbell of Armagh was considered one of the best players in the country and the single best athlete, based on what I have read and know about him, and what others that would have watched him play and indeed Armagh play for 60 years I included him in my top three.

As for Pat being an Ogs man, nobody is perfect. Not  only that but I always include Canavan as one of if not the best ever player and he is from Tyrone so given that an Ogs man is almost as good as a Harps man.

Was Pat not a Harps man?

He played for both clubs but primarily was an ogs man sadly enough.

[MacCruiskeen]

Whilst agreeing with the broad stream of opinion that the last 15 years have seen the greatest Armagh players we need at least to acknowledge there were occasional gems from the grim past.

Speaking from personal memory only;  surely Peter Loughran was a figure of Allstar standing? I personally rate him higher than Marsden. Armagh's greatest forward. In a different era the better of Oisin Mc Conville



I  also like a triumverate of great unfulfilled geniuses, especially for a county unburdened with natural talent

John Corvan; well documented
Noel Marley; forgotten now but possessed of relentless running power and skill
Jim McKerr; It is enough to say that if he had been switched onto Frank McGuigan that terrible day in Clones would have been curtailed at least

[stew]

Whilst agreeing with the broad stream of opinion that the last 15 years have seen the greatest Armagh players we need at least to acknowledge there were occasional gems from the grim past.

Speaking from personal memory only;  surely Peter Loughran was a figure of Allstar standing? I personally rate him higher than Marsden. Armagh's greatest forward. In a different era the better of Oisin Mc Conville



I  also like a triumverate of great unfulfilled geniuses, especially for a county unburdened with natural talent

John Corvan; well documented
Noel Marley; forgotten now but possessed of relentless running power and skill
Jim McKerr; It is enough to say that if he had been switched onto Frank McGuigan that terrible day in Clones would have been curtailed at least

Noel marley hit a ball harder than any man I ever saw in my life, he could hit it a country mile.

McKerr was an excellent footballer but there was not a man in the world would have stopped McGuigan that day, he was unreal.

[5 Sams]

Paddy Mo
Geezer
Johnny Corvan

If I could go with a fourth choice, it would be Tom McCreesh

Where you at the '77 final? 

The only player that played well that day for us was big Joe, he came on as a sub and scored two goals and that is still by far the highest scoring finale ever.

Why we didnt have somebody just stand in front of keaveney that day is beyond me, the man couldnt move yet he killed us.

That was a deadly Dublin team however. 

Are you sure Joe was sub that day? I thought he started... maybe ure right. I was at that game cheering like mad for Armagh. Aye, that was some Dublin team. Armagh never really stood a chance against them. There was great excitement building upto the final, in Tyrone too. Northern counties really backed each other those days and fantastic sight of orange and white on the Canal End. I remember Paddy Mo got a penalty early on and for a few minutes there was hope, then Heffo's machine took over...   

1977 Thats the same day yiz were cheering for Meath minors.

[redhandloo]

I think I was wrong about Heffos team... wasn't Tony Hanahoe captain and manager that year? The years have dimmed my memory 

Yes, Hanahoe player manager in 77

[Cúig huaire]

1977 Thats the same day yiz were cheering for Meath minors.

They backed two losers that day. 

[Rufus T Firefly]

1977 Thats the same day yiz were cheering for Meath minors.

I will assume that is tongue-in-cheek.

Anyone who was there will know the reality of the support that Down minors got both against Mayo in the semi-final and Meath in the Final.