Mickey Harte joins the Irish News

[Maximus Marillius]

Last weeks and this weeks coloumn are the best to date.

Fell over laughing at this mouthful

'Spillane postulates with such authority with regard to coaching that I'm amazed he hasn't put that apparent nous to the test at the top level(or indeed any level) of Gaelic football'


....he has hit the nail on the head...no holding back Mickey....fair play to ya

[The GAA]

Please tell me he's not on about the international rules again today?

[Maximus Marillius]

Please tell me he's not on about the international rules again today?

not at all, he is giving Spillane a dressing down

[SidelineKick]

Can anyone post the article?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Time we kicked narrow-minded views to touch
Mickey Harte

20/03/2009

WHEN I was a young fellow growing up in the late fifties, sixties and early seventies, there was a senior citizen in our locality who had a rather memorable phrase, which went: "There are none so blind as those who don't want to see". Many times since that period I have come to understand the wisdom of his words. A certain gentleman, well known in the world of punditry, both on television and through the Sunday print media, gives regular credence to this particular truth.

Former Kerry footballer Pat Spillane, who undoubtedly harvested a lot of silverware as a player, invariably berates the modern day players and coaches for their skill deficit. He postulates with such authority with regard to the field of coaching that I'm amazed he hasn't put that apparent nous to the test at the top level (or indeed any level) of Gaelic football, and supply the concrete evidence – which would endorse his beliefs – by managing some highly successful teams. To have the audacity to describe the best efforts of our current inter-county players, playing in what might be described as arctic conditions, in some cases, as "dross" reflects more on his limited mindset than on those who bravely performed in such difficult circumstances. To keep things in perspective and context, this is winter football, played between teams who are often experimenting with permutations and personnel in order to find the best possible combination for the provincial and All-Ireland series. It's difficult not to imagine that this highly esteemed former player (especially by himself) only has eyes for the seventies looking through green and gold tinted glasses.

For some time now, he and others have been on what might accurately be described as a crusade to discredit modern day Gaelic football. Huge emphasis is placed on the fact (erroneous in my opinion) that the foot has gone out of football. Those of us who were lucky enough to live through and experience the Kerry and Dublin golden years of the seventies, appreciated the new standards these counties brought to Gaelic football. Equally so, Down in the sixties scaled new heights. However, on closer inspection, the Kerry v Dublin encounters, as well as being exciting, often exhilarating in their time, were also error-ridden. The simple truth is that, unlike Spillane alluded to in his article, we enjoyed and appreciated the positives and didn't allow the poorer elements of play to dominate our thoughts.

In essence, these were the best players of their generation, playing our games to the highest standard that anyone could at that time. It is also worth remembering that this was summer football, played in summer conditions, and it is quite unfair to compare this with current Allianz National Football League football. There were no live televised National Football League games back then, only limited highlights, again distorting the reality of comparing like with like. Indeed, one of the most famous commentary lines ("a long, relieving clearance") from the late, great Micheal O'Hehir, gives us an insight into what might have been described as effective play back then. Translated, it means kick the ball as far, long and high as you can towards the other team's goals and hope some of your own players get it!

Thankfully, the game has evolved and players are much more aware of the value of retaining hard earned possession. Of course, it's not a perfect science and mistakes are part and parcel of all improvement. The evolution of Gaelic football continues at a much faster pace than in the past.  Developments and innovation that used to take at first a generation, then perhaps a decade, are now emerging almost annually. The beauty and challenge for all of us involved in Gaelic games is that no-one has a monopoly on innovation and we are only limited by our imaginations.

IT is also worth making the distinction that the game we play is Gaelic football, not football (we call that soccer). Gaelic football embraces a host of skills – kicking only being one of them – so those who are fixated with that narrow view might do well to keep their minds a little more open. The suggested solution for improving the standard of kicking was even more lamentable than the idea that the game depended on this one facet. Old-fashioned kicking in and out of the goal area is recommended as the best way to improve a player's kicking skills. I can only say I wouldn't recommend this to trainee teachers as one of their lessons on teaching practice – that is if they didn't want to be repeating this aspect of their course in the summer term!

To commit such an idea to print on a date other than April Fool's Day is incredible. To further assert that such a process is not nearly sophisticated enough for the modern day coach is even more ridiculous. This was an inane activity, even when it was en vogue in the fifties and sixties. How anyone could seriously assert that this would enhance the skill of kicking in Gaelic football, in the year 2009, is absolutely incomprehensible.

Life is a process of change. So too is the search for sporting excellence. Even teams or individuals who achieve their best, in terms of results in any given season, must embrace innovation if they wish to retain that status. Gaelic football is an ever-evolving sport and the thrill is in the journey, not the destination. Some of the game's past masters are continuing to live there (in the past).

Thank God many others have recognised the need to move on.

Bad day for my old Alma Mater

WITH my obvious Tyrone bias, I was delighted to attend this year's MacRory Cup final in Healy Park to see my old school, Omagh CBS, take on St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon. Unfortunately, I could empathise with the CBS team and my nephew Peter Harte (pictured far right), their captain, as a similar fate befell myself as captain in 1973, when we lost the decider to St Michael's, Enniskillen.

The fact that it was another Tyrone school who took the honours in this case softens the pain at least for those not directly involved in the Omagh side. I would like to congratulate the Academy boys and their mentors, Peter Herron and our own county senior player Ciaran Gourley and wish them well in their efforts to retain the Hogan Cup.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

That one is surely destined to be written off as puke writing by Pat. But I enjoyed it

[BennyHarp]

  I thoroughly enjoyed that! I didnt see Spillane's article - did he really suggest that players should spend time kicking the ball up and down???

[longrunsthefox]

Aye this was more like it. There is a lot of that 'in my day' blah blah... I thoroughly enjoyed Kerry-Dublin years but it had its shortcomings too. There was a lot of basketball played by those teams. These are great days too and some very exhilerating football  but has its flaws as well. It is never a perfect world. Spillane is a begrudger though he was a fantastic footballer.
However I don't really like Mickey's style of making sircastic remarks in brackets.         

[Drumanee 1]

as i may agree with alot of what mickey Harte's says in this article he makes a wrong statement in saying 'Spillane postulates with such authority with regard to coaching that I'm amazed he hasn't put that apparent nous to the test at the top level(or indeed any level) of Gaelic football'

he may not have managed at the top level but this man was manager of his school team,his clubs u/12 and senior team and club chairman,he may be ott but he has put some time into the gaa,as much if not more than mickey harte and alot of what Harte says is total hypocrisy

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

he may not have managed at the top level but this man was manager of his school team,his clubs u/12 and senior team and club chairman,he may be ott but he has put some time into the gaa,as much if not more than mickey harte and alot of what Harte says is total hypocrisy

Exactly, and therefore he hasn't subjected himself to the same mass scrutiny as managers at the top level have, i.e., Spillane hasn't put his product on the line to be dissected by the like of the pundit with his head up his arse that Spillane so often is.

[Fuzzman]

Spillane reminds me of my yer typical aul fella who complains about everything new & that its not a patch on what it was in his day.
He's got a very closed mindset to others people's views and comes across very arrogant and annoying on TV & in the newspapers.

I think most of the current Sunday game viewers would prefer to see him removed from that show as he seems to always add a negativity to everything, even when he's trying to be positive to a team that have won a good game.

I'm just glad to see someone else in the media limelight say it as it is and that is there's none more blind than those who ....

[corn02]

I say a few of us will be buying the Sunday World on Sunday now.

[Drumanee 1]

he may not have managed at the top level but this man was manager of his school team,his clubs u/12 and senior team and club chairman,he may be ott but he has put some time into the gaa,as much if not more than mickey harte and alot of what Harte says is total hypocrisy

Exactly, and therefore he hasn't subjected himself to the same mass scrutiny as managers at the top level have, i.e., Spillane hasn't put his product on the line to be dissected by the like of the pundit with his head up his arse that Spillane so often is.

harte said he has not managed at any level,thats completely wrong.you can go right across the board with this argument ie:hanson,dunphy,hook etc,pundits are there for a reason and that is to give there opinion weather you agree or not,show me a pundit of ant sport which all people agree

[Our Nail Loney]

I say a few of us will be buying the Sunday World on Sunday now.

It should be fun anyway!! This will be better than any loyalist feud...

[SidelineKick]

I say a few of us will be buying the Sunday World on Sunday now.

It should be fun anyway!! This will be better than any loyalist feud...

Will they maybe try and link the two?

Harte outs Spillane as UDA informer