Shane Elliott – Penalties and fixtures issues

I was in a shop at the weekend and heard “Last Christmas” by Wham quickly followed by “Jingle bells” playing out over the tannoy system. Almost six weeks from Christmas seems a bit soon for that but at least I was able to walk out of the shop.

The poor shop workers will have to endure it on repeat for the next few weeks.

Hearing it did make me think where has that year gone? There is no doubt time really does seem to go faster as you get older and although I hate the fact that Christmas preparations seem to begin as soon as the Halloween costumes come off.

I think we all should look forward to this time of year to slow down a bit and reflect on the year just gone. But how many of us actually do? Management teams and players all over the country will be reflecting.

They will either be basking in the glory of a successful year or licking their wounds and starting to think about next year.

That’s for those who will be returning to their posts.

Many will be contemplating their futures which we all know is not always in their own hands. The questions many will ask are “can I improve on last year?” and “do I have the time and energy to do the job for another year?”

Unless you have done it yourself very few will truly understand what managers commit to in the search of glory each year. They can be thankless jobs even for those who are successful and that can take its toll on even the most resilient personalities.

Few sports do all-year involvement like the GAA. The lead up to Christmas is not the down time it was in years gone by. Managers and players don’t get much time to switch off, rest and refresh as the planning and preparation never stops.

The modern-day player, who is serious about it, doesn’t let himself go at this time of year. Indeed, there is an expectation that even in the so-called off-season players maintain a level of fitness and control the excesses the rest of us experience at this time of year.

From a hurling perspective in Ulster the club season is over, and we look to the club action in Leinster and Munster for our fix over the next couple of weeks.

Sleacht Néill Naomh Éanna and Eoghan Rua, Coleraine are all worthy champions in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior club championships respectively and rather than reflecting like the rest of us their management teams will be flat out stepping up preparations for an All- Ireland assault early in the New Year.

I still can’t get my head around that Sleacht Néill and Naomh Éanna will be playing so early in January in such important competitions but that’s a story for another column.

I am also struggling to understand how the Ulster Intermediate final was decided on penalties.

I could see through it if time was really tight but the All-Ireland semifinal is in January so there was ample time to have a replay between now and then. I think both Naomh Éanna and Eoghan Ruadh, Dungannon deserved better at the end of a long year. Perhaps those who make such decisions should take some time to reflect themselves and consider if it was the right call.

At inter-county level the season finished in July/August, but managers will have been far from idle.

They will have been busy assembling their backroom teams and taking in the club championships looking for new talent to boost their panels for next year. The National Leagues commence in January, so most are already well into their preseason.

Again, proving that the life of a GAA manager and player is constant regardless of the time of the year.

Meanwhile the top four counties last year, Tipperary, Wexford, Limerick and Kilkenny were off to New York for the Super 11’s. I remember expressing my views on this format of the game at the same time last year.

It is portrayed by the Association as an opportunity to showcase our game to a wider world audience which is of course well intentioned, but the truth is the format will never take off as it is a pale shadow of the real spectacle.

However, if it gives the top players a well-deserved break after their efforts during the year then I have no complaint with that.

The biggest surprise for me was that Kilkenny came out victorious as I seem to recall Brian Cody expressing the view that they would never be a part of such a game.

But even the greatest can reflect and change their mind on something, and I am sure he now sees it for what it is, a good opportunity for team bonding going into next year.

As the year comes to an end, all management teams and players should step back and reflect and when doing make sure they don’t get too hung up on the negatives.

Even teams who have not won silverware should be able to find positives in the year just gone. Those who can’t have serious problems and are probably the type of individuals who hate Christmas songs in the shops too early.

Bah humbug!!