JOE BROLLY: Football is alive again

‘Maradona has the ball, two are marking him. He touches the ball. He passes them both. Maradona, the genius of world football. He dashes to the right. He leaves the third defender behind him. He’s going to pass to Burruchaga. No he doesn’t. He passes the fourth defender. It’s still Maradona. Genius, genius, genius, he’s still going..ta ta ta ta ta ta. GOOAALLLLLLLLL, GOOAALLLLLLLL, GOAAALLLLLL, sorry I want to cry, GOOAAALLLLLL, Diego Diego Diego. LONG LIVE FOOTBALL’

The above is a translation of the Argentinian commentator going into euphorics as Maradona scores his second goal against England in the 1982 World Cup. When he cries out “Long Live Football” (“Que viva fútbol hasta siempre”) at the end, he can no longer speak, instead sobbing and screaming. It reminds us of what sport can be when it is played properly, with adventure and joy and courage. It reminds us that it can be something immortal.

It is no surprise that the attendances for this year’s National Football leagues are up by more than 200,000. The attendances for the first round of the Leinster football championship alone are up by 40%, a championship that was like the Dodo. The game that was dead has arisen. The tomb has been rolled back and football has re-emerged, blinking into the light. Contests, something we haven’t seen in years, are back. Every kick out is a battle. Attacking play no longer has a plastic bag over its head with tape wrapped round its neck. Strange things are happening. Forwards are tackling defenders. Defenders are learning novel techniques – man marking, and how to kick the ball. Attackers are also adapting to this new world. They are learning how to score a thing called ‘goals.’ They are also learning how to ‘Take your man on.’ Every player is learning to take risks, which must have seemed to them at first like jumping out of a plane or throwing yourself off a bridge. The days of holding possession endlessly, handpassing your way slowly upfield under no pressure, playing keep ball with the goalie, tactical fouling to kill the game, defending with 14 men inside the 45, are over. Hello Gaelic Football. Hello Gaelic footballers.

Just as Jim planned it, the game can no longer be controlled. A four point lead coming into the last quarter used to mean game over. Now, it means nothing at all. With eight minutes to go in the electrifying Derry Donegal league game a few months ago, Derry were eight up, with a kick out to come. Our keeper kicked it long, both teams fought furiously for the break, Donegal won it, attacked and Dáire Ó Baoill kicked a two pointer. From the next kick out, Donegal won the break again, sprinted forward, Shane O’Donnell saw Michael Murphy coming across the square, gave him the handpass, took the return and blasted to the net: Derry 1-19 Donegal 1-16. From the next kick out, Donegal won the ball again and Ciarán Thompson kicked another two pointer. The next kick out, they won the break again and Conor O’Donnell soloed through to kick the equaliser. When they won the next one again – Ciarán Moore soloed through and kicked a point. In the space of four minutes we went from being eight up to being one behind. It was an electrifying, unpredictable game. For the GAA community, it feels like redemption, as though we have been granted early parole.

Donegal were expected to easily beat Monaghan. In the end, they survived by two points but only after Monaghan had threatened to win a totally absorbing contest. By half time Donegal were seven points up, which before Jim Gavin would have meant game over, crowd heading home, or chatting among themselves through the second half as their lift had gone to the pub. Now, all is changed. Monaghan went after them, which the new rules allow teams to do. By the 69th minute, the score was Donegal 0-23, Monaghan 0-21, the crowd was going bonkers and Monaghan were flying. Jack McCarron took possession just outside the 2 point arc, shimmied to shoot and decided not to, instead laying it off to Dessie Ward, who was in a better position, perfect for a right footer. Dessie took his time, took the shot and the ball went narrowly wide. Cue the whistle. Down missed three great goal chances that would have made all the difference. The Kilcoo man had his head in his hands watching them miss two simple handpass to the far-post palm in chances.

Likewise, in Pairc Ui KFC or whatever it is called now, Kerry survived against Cork in an absolutely breath taking game of football only after Joe O’Connor scored a magnificent winning goal from 25 yards out. Marty Morrissey did not sob and cry out or break into Spanish, although he probably would have if it had been a Clare goal. There also, Cork had excellent chances at the end of extra time. First, Conor Cahalane raced through and instead of dummying the keeper and passing the ball into the net at the near post, kicked across the keeper to the far corner, sending it narrowly wide. I can never understand why footballers do this. The angle shrinks to a foot or two and it is what every keeper expects. Cahalane held his head in his hands but the game still wasn’t over. From the Kerry kick out, Cork won the ball and went on the attack, the crowd looking and sounding like a Munster hurling final. Cathail O’Mahony took his time, steadied himself and shot for the two pointer from an excellent position. “It’s wide” said Marty, which wasn’t one of his better finales. I suppose everyone has the odd off day.

The game is emotional again. It is exciting and unpredictable and bringing us to our feet. The Armagh Tyrone game was another old style classic, both teams looking as though they might win it at the very end. Thankfully, there is a God. The other one.

We are cheering and jumping and crying out again. We are coming away from games elated and drained. Another thing that I had forgotten was that in the old days, we used to talk about games the next day. Sometimes throughout the following week. Great scores. Great moments. Great high catches. What might have been. The geniuses. The idiots.

Football is coming alive. Training is fun again. Boys are undergoing a cultural transformation, from dullness and routine to excitement and self expression. A corner forward can play like a corner forward again. A midfielder can play like a midfielder. A full back a full back. Athletes are making way to footballers. The era of the robot is over.