This years topsy turvey performance of a below par Meath outfit, who really struggled and appeared completely out of dept, and lost embarrassingly along the way in the Leinster Championship and Qualifiers.
As a student you would tear your report in shreds and wonder what you were doing wrong. Colm O’Rourke has had to deal with the role of teacher and principal in his chosen professional. He knows the story.
This week the rumors of disenchantment in the Meath GAA will come to a head tomorrow evening, where a meeting will be held on his position as manager.
What will happen is anyone’s guess, the chat on the street is the main sponsors, Bective Stud, have become disillusioned with the state the Meath senior team finds itself and is considering pulling the plug. In reality there will have been some form of contractual obligations agreed, you would presume, in writing and maybe there are opt out clauses that can be effected.
Noel and Valerie Moran have not been shy in taking out the cheque book and digging deep to promote various sporting interests with the financial success they have enjoyed in business. In his own story, he too would have admitted to have sailed close to the wind but survived and came out on top.
Whatever happens tomorrow night, let a bit of common sense prevail, all men and women are entitled to be judged, they are also entitled to give their opinions.
Meath enjoyed a purple patch in the mid 80’s to the late 90’s, indeed we lost to a Galway team that came in through the back door system to bury a over confident
Meath team in 2001. We lifted a Leinster title in 2010, which to my mind, was a somewhat dubious success. That was 14 years ago, we haven’t featured since then.
Football has changed dramatically, Meath has fallen behind, I have spoken to many genuine footballers who have lost interest in a game that in reality is not fit for purpose. Change maybe on the way with the Gavin & Co Sandbox trials. Leinster football is in free fall, out from a surging Louth team there is no real threat to Dublin, that is the reality. O’Rourke has maintained he needs five more years, tomorrow night will see what the wise counsel of Meath Management and clubs think.
Be careful what you wish for.
Above pic; Colm O’Rourke and Barry Callaghan at the last Louth game.
