The Battle Against the Banner

23rd May 2007

The Battle Against the Banner
Finbarr Barry

Be dog wide. Most of us assume that the earliest a major championship game in Thurles could start is a leisurely half three.

Road runner: Robot O'Connor #2 leaves the opposition flapping

The scheduled 2pm throw-in this Sunday is the equivalent of rising dawn for many Corkonians. Those travelling rebels who like to immerse themselves in the full "Thurles Experience" will have to rise with the sun to ensure they are sufficiently tanked up before attempting to mount the steps of the Town End terrace in Semple Stadium.

It is not outside the bounds of possibility that some Cork fans will contemplate staying up all night. As Pa Cronin sticks over his seventh point of the afternoon however, these formerly enthusiastic hurling fans will be found in the front gardens of random houses in Thurles curled up in the foetal position snoring like tractors.

Maybe the Tipperary tourist industry has had a say in the throw-in time, secretly hoping Corkonians who are terrified of pre-match traffic hell on the N8 will splash out and stay in the Premier County on Saturday night instead.

Clare people won't be worried by B&B or hotel bookings. Regardless of whether they stay at home or travel to Thurles the night before, they will end up sleeping in fields as per usual.

A Clare fan beds down for the night in a five star field

NO DAVEY
Another factor which may reduce Cork fans appetites for Thurles this Sunday is the absence of Clare goalkeeper Crazy Davey Fitzgerald. Fifteen minutes into most matches you'll still see tipsy Cork fans trailing into the stadium but if there was ever anything to encourage rebels to arrive before a game against Clare it was seeing this madman running on to the field.

The Clare goalkeeper's first actions were always a high speed sprint at full tilt towards the goal posts to batter the cross bar with his stick. Cork fans revelled in his eccentricity and he was often his own worst enemy, taunting Cork players taking frees and barking arrogance if he denied them a goal, only spend the rest of the match being heckled by Cork supporters from behind.

Although the subject of ridicule by many for his weird ways, Davey Fitz will be sadly missed on Sunday'