Marsden's back!

[Armagh4SamAgain]

This is great news for all Armagh ppl and its come just at the right time at the start of Lent. I always get deperssed in Lent but this has lifted me big time!!! Great news indeed. 

[Spiritof98]

Fantastic news, like Joe I always thought he had unfinished business, absolute legend, in my eyes anyway and can only serve as a positive, a workhorse out the field and a great scorer inside. Agree with A4SA (what!!) really has cheered up my Ash Wednesday.

I'll have to keep my promise below!!

[realredhandfan]

From a GAA perspective im thrilled as there was always something special about Marsden,  (from a personal persepctive I put the knee into sh@te shuttle running against him in training at QUB) (finished my own fledgling career) from an Armagh perspective id be worried as it brings the average age of the team to just under 42. 
BTW I hope this is not another bullshit adulation thread just like the Oisin one a couple of weeks ago.  Our esteemed Armagh posters seem to love paying tribute to each other all of the time. 

[man in black]

Are you sure this shouldn't be in the overrated thread?

[Blacksheep]

Thank God he's back! It was like a death in the family on here when he retired!
Why is it only Armagh posters that behave like that?

[Goats Do Shave]

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/6381677.stm

He got Club player of the year for Clans last year I'm told!

Seen him in a few C'ship matches, he was the stand out player in each! (Inc. against Stevie & Kileavy)

[goldenyears]

Marsden set to make return for Armagh 
Gaelic Games 
By Staff Reporter 

ARMAGH All-Ireland winner Diarmaid Marsden has confirmed his return to the Orchard county set-up, writes Seamus Maloney.

Marsden, who retired in 2005 after 12 years in the Armagh jersey, will link up with Joe Kernan's panel next week, and he says the time was right for him to return to inter-county action.

"Whenever I did quit, my mind was made up and I don't regret that for a minute. I had 12 years of county football and it got to the point where I didn't feel I could give any more.

"The club issue was there too; I wanted to put something back into my club. When you're playing county football you simply can't do both fully. The club were relegated the year before, so that was a big factor in the decision as well.

"Then we got to the county final last year and things went well, and people said 'oh, you'll get the call up to the Armagh panel'.

"I just sort of laughed it off, but then Joe did phone me and asked if I could go back. I've been thinking about it these last couple of weeks, I talked with my family, and I've decided to give it a rattle."

[illdecide]

Lads its 100% he is def returning, told us last night after club training (which he took part in). Spiritof98 are you happy now chief?
We sort of knew for a while but couldn't say, you know the craic yourself some things have to be kept quiet.  He won't be with the squad in Galway this week but he will be back the following week to resume his intercounty career. You will see S McDonnell happy now as Marsden done a lot of the donkey work for the forwards and created the space for Stevie & Co.

[realredhandfan]

Any sign of the return of Justin Mc Nulty or Ger Reid. 

[illdecide]

Them two are now in cans of Corn beef

[Donagh]

Best news I've heard all year. Diarmuid has been sorely missed on the Armagh squad this past few years. 

[mannix]

It will take a lot more than his return to make armagh do much with this present bunch.They scraped one allireland and we are still hearing how great they are since it,2002, my young fella who was in national school in 2002  has a beard on him now.
The media have all the fans believing that armagh and dublin are powerful teams, neither have convinced me.

[sureyouwill]

It will take a lot more than his return to make armagh do much with this present bunch.They scraped one allireland and we are still hearing how great they are since it,2002, my young fella who was in national school in 2002  has a beard on him now.
The media have all the fans believing that armagh and dublin are powerful teams, neither have convinced me.

How exactly do you scrape an All-Ireland?

[mannix]

Watch the armagh win an you will see how they scraped one, they did not manage to scrape one before or since and in my view are overrated.Tyrone did not scrape theirs, no sir, they won them with style as did kerry.Dublin are another side that will need to claw their sam rather than win it stylishly.

[Over the Bar]

How exactly do you scrape an All-Ireland?

I supposed you could look at it another way by saying they made history by becoming the first team ever to win an AI final by 1 point having won the semi-final by the same margin?    (Not to mention the quarters - or was that by 2 points?).  Anyway, some feat! 

Before the dubs semi in 02 I said to the Armagh fella beside me "Ther is no way the ref will let you walk out of here having beaten the Dubs to an AIF by only a point or so, yiz will need  to  hammer them".  Thats why I don't gamble!