Tyrone v Kerry All Ireland Final 2008

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

From today's Irish News (Francis Mooney):

Final frontier not final curtain for McGuigan


To grasp an O'Neill's football once again, to hear the thud of leather on leather. Simple sensations, basic tools of the master craftsman that Brian McGuigan was.

Suddenly it was all over. A double leg break followed by a serious eye injury and Tyrone's Allstar playmaker was forced out of the game that ruled his life.

There were dark days, each one seemingly darker than the one before, as the prospects of ever playing again became more bleak with every passing setback.

The fear that his prolific sporting career had been taken from him permanently never left McGuigan at peace, but deep inside he gently nursed a faithful belief that one day he could return to grace the gaelic fields of Ireland.

Beyond his wildest dreams was the quite absurd notion that he might get the chance to play in a third All-Ireland final.

On Sunday, however, one of gaelic football's most unlikely comebacks could be completed if he plays a part against Kerry at Croke Park.

"I'm glad to get on a football field again, never mind to be experiencing an All-Ireland final," said McGuigan.

"The first day I came back, I was really eager to get back into it, and then I got that other injury.

"I suppose it puts everything into perspective. Whenever you are fit to play, you take it for granted.

"Looking back now, it was a tough time, but I suppose you just have to take all the good times whenever they come.

"I count myself lucky to be in this situation, because 12 months ago, even to get back on the training field was only a dream. I'm over the moon to be back again.

"That's all I wanted ever to be doing, to be playing football, and lucky enough I'm back doing it."

For two-and-a-half years, Tyrone had to exist without the player who made them tick.

And it's no coincidence that in 2006 and '07, the Red Hands looked a pale shadow of the side that had won the Sam Maguire Cup in such spectacular fashion in 2005.

McGuigan despaired, not only for his own well-being, but also for the future of the Tyrone team that had become an integral part of his being.

Specialist surgery was required to repair the horrific damage he suffered to an eye during a club reserve game he had played in order to ease his way back following a leg break.

For weeks, he had to constantly lie face down and motionless in bed, and it was this stage of the recovery process that brought one of the lowest points.

"Watching Tyrone getting defeated last year against Meath was one of the low points, especially with everybody saying it was the finish of that Tyrone team. We used it this year to spur us on," he said.

"I was on the bed for three weeks, and I suppose I was looking for a bit of a lift and I just never got it that day.

"I was face down for about three weeks, but I don't really try to remember those times now.

"The doctor told me that if I don't lie face down, I was jut going to have no chance with the eye, so it was something I had to do.

"And the fact that I had a TV underneath me, and it was the middle of the summer, watching the football, kinda helped me a wee bit too.

"But if I had to go through it again, I don't know whether I could. I'd maybe just give up."

Skipper Brian Dooher's lengthy struggle with injury coincided with McGuigan's efforts to regain fitness, and together they battled through the pain.

"We went through rehab together, me and Brian. Brian's a deadly man to drive you on, and he was a good man to have there with me. The both of us spurred each other on," said McGuigan.

"The man is unbelievable, the way he keeps coming back and proving everybody wrong year after year."

The Tyrone centre-forward is acutely aware of misgivings among the fan base over his ability to rediscover the brilliant form that inspired the county to All-Ireland titles in 2003 an '05.

"It takes you a while to get back on your feet, and there are a lot of people, even Tyrone supporters, who still doubt my ability coming into this final.

"It's a bit like '05, people were doubting me going into the final too, but I'll just have to try and prove them wrong again.

"Whether I'll be starting or whether I'll be in the subs, I don't care, as long as I have another All-Ireland in my pocket at the end of the day.

"When Mickey asked me to come back, I suppose I was lucky that it was Mickey. There's maybe other managers that wouldn't have given me the chance to come back, but Mickey stuck by me.

"The couple of games that I got in the League and the couple of games with the club helped bring me on.

"But it was always going to take time, and there hasn't been 70 minutes in me in any match this year, but if I do get a start for the final, hopefully I do last the 70 minutes, but if I don't I'm just glad to be there."

A season that appeared doomed to failure suddenly turned the corner with a spectacular All-Ireland quarter-final win over Dublin, but McGuigan feels that the tide had begun to turn in Tyrone's favour much earlier than that.

"I think the team, the management and the supporters got a bit of belief after the second half against Down," he said.

"Everybody realised that maybe there is a bit of fight in this team, and it helped spur us on.

"Maybe we didn't play as well against Westmeath and Mayo, we were playing in fits and spurts, 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there.

"And then against Dublin, we played for 70 minutes, which gave the team a boost, and against Wexford we produced the goods again.

"But it's only a stepping stone. We have one more match to go and we'll take it a game at a time."

McGuigan does feel, however, that the team's performance against Dublin was not only the best of the season, but better than anything produced in the All-Ireland-winning years.

"I would actually go as far as to say it was the best team performance this era ever produced, even in '03 and '05.

"Against Dublin, everything actually clicked, and I suppose you saw it with Kilkenny last week, you do get days like that. It's very hard to get it in the Championship, but we were lucky enough to get it in the Championship."

Younger brother Tommy has been one of the discoveries of the season, combining the unmistakeable McGuigan creativity and guile with an ability to win difficult ball and execute scores.

Having been handed his chance to shine this season, Tommy has repaid Mickey Harte's faith in him with a string of classy displays. Big Brother has been impressed.

"Tommy's 25 now, he's a bit late coming into it. Two years ago he came in to the team, and he has been hampered by injuries," said Brian.

"With Stephen O'Neill not being there at the start of the year, we needed a boy to stand up, and I think Tommy has been one of the boys that has really stood up in the full-forward line"Even after the Down match, people were saying, where are our scores going to come from, but they're coming from all sorts of men now. Collie McCullagh is standing up, Tommy, and Joe McMahon, they have all chipped in.

"On a personal level, it's good to see Tommy doing well. It's been a long time in coming, but I knew it was always there.

"His form in training showed that he had the capabilities of doing it. Maybe against Mayo the media did say that he had bad game, but we thought that he actually did play well.

"It's better that you're getting the ball and missing the chances than not getting the ball and not getting the chances. He's been doing well and everybody in the family is proud of him."

Brian McGuigan has savoured victory over Kerry in 2003 and 2005, but he insists the past will have no part to play in Sunday's final against a Kingdom team that has re-invented itself.

"This is a different Kerry team that we're playing. We have never come up against this kind of a Kerry team before, with a couple of big men at full-forward, and the Gooch.

"So I don't think you can really go on the past. We're just taking it as a different game, we're not comparing it to '03 or '05.

"But Kerry have a great motivation to beat us, because they have never beaten us in the Championship, and they're going to use that against us. I'm sure they're very confident."

And the return of Stephen O'Neill finds favour with the man who supplied much of the possession that the former Footballer of the Year turned into classy scores over the past decade.

"It's good to have Stephen back. He said he would retire, but we always knew that Stevie probably would come back," said McGuigan.

"He just wasn't confident with his injury. A big deal has been made of it in the media, but I see it no different from Paul Galvin playing for Kerry. Stephen has played as much football this year as Paul Galvin has, and I don't see it any different."

[ziggysego]

Read the article this morning Fear. Great stuff and shows what Brian has come through over the last two years.

[orangeman]

Read the article this morning Fear. Great stuff and shows what Brian has come through over the last two years.

I still am convinced that most Tyrone supporters haven't a clue as to the efforts made by Dooher and Mc Guigan to get back to where they are at ! Hats off to them both - both are great examples of triumph in the face of adversity !


Well done to the 2 Brians and hope that they will be rewarded on Sunday with a third Celtic Cross !

[ziggysego]

Whilst I may not know the ins and outs of their recovery, I do know what it's like to come back from something like that. They are a credit to all people, not just in Tyrone or the sporting world. Shows the character of the men and proves that if you truly put your mind to something it is achievable, no matter know unlikely is seems at the time.

To see these men with a 3rd Celtic Cross next weekend would be fantastic for them, but to be on the pitch is good enough reward in itself.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

UTV Live are coming to town this Friday:

http://gaelsport.com/html/club/newfullstory.jsp?c=258&newsID=20567&p=n

[maggie]

thanx for that article- as im now unable to hack into irishnews.com anymore
Well written and if im honest, kinda moving (i cry at x-factor, gimme a break)
So cheers for that.

[Yes I Would]

Its ok Maggie. I cried too when that guy on Sat night who came back after rejection 3 years ago didnt make it

Agree that Mc Guigan has had a torrid couple of years and outside of Canavan Tyrones most influnetial player in 03 & 05

[maggie]

Its ok Maggie. I cried too when that guy on Sat night who came back after rejection 3 years ago didnt make it

Agree that Mc Guigan has had a torrid couple of years and outside of Canavan Tyrones most influnetial player in 03 & 05

In fairness he was dung-just chavved up bit more than the last time he got the road.

[Yes I Would]

You have no heart woman!!

[tyssam5]

Best behaviour in Dublin this weekend lads. Don't say you've not been warned!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7616715.stm

[comethekingdom]

Any truth that Brian McGuigan may not start on Sunday?

[maggie]

Just heard on the GV that joe mcmahon is starting at full-back.

[ziggysego]

Team won't be named until Thursday night, so until then I won't be listening to the rumours.

[comethekingdom]

The 'Galvinator' will be back!!


http://www.gaa.ulsterbank.com/news.html/3464

[laceer]

Just heard on the GV that joe mcmahon is starting at full-back.

mightn't be a bad shout - harte will def have something up his sleeve to deal with donaghy and walsh