Waterford GAA Discussion Thread 3 ***Updated Mod Note Post 1***

PTH2009

sheepo wrote: »

How come you reckon Thurles would have the quarter finals? I thought they were always in Croker

Ed sherran is in croke park that weekend

robopaddy2

sheepo wrote: »

How come you reckon Thurles would have the quarter finals? I thought they were always in Croker

Quarter finals haven't been in Croker since they got rid of the '4 game' quarters I think 07. Ever since then its always been Thurles. Bar 2010 I think it was because both Tipp and Antrim were involved in the quarters so they were played in Croker.

archieknox

Great to see Tyrion back I for one definitely missed his knowledge of the Waterford hurling scene!

Waterford are 7/4 for Sunday? I will be having some of that. Vital we start well and that hasn't been happening for us lately,but the longer we stay in it the more confident I will be.
Shane Bennett should still start,tan or no tan!!!

danganabu

archieknox wrote: »

Great to see Tyrion back I for one definitely missed his knowledge of the Waterford hurling scene!

Waterford are 7/4 for Sunday? I will be having some of that. Vital we start well and that hasn't been happening for us lately,but the longer we stay in it the more confident I will be.
Shane Bennett should still start,tan or no tan!!!

12/5 is freely available on Waterford

PTH2009

Only terrace tickets available from the Walsh park/fraher field public sales this week. Demand must be there for stand tickets. Nothing against the terrace but it mostly associated with drunken fans who have little interest in the game.

If we lose its either Clare/Limerick or Dublin in the quarters.

I pray it won't be a repeat of the 2011 final and we are beaten by 7 goals. If so it will kill this team and we will lose the quarter final

skaface

PTH2009 wrote: »

Only terrace tickets available from the Walsh park/fraher field public sales this week. Demand must be there for stand tickets. Nothing against the terrace but it mostly associated with drunken fans who have little interest in the game.

If we lose its either Clare/Limerick or Dublin in the quarters.

I pray it won't be a repeat of the 2011 final and we are beaten by 7 goals. If so it will kill this team and we will lose the quarter final

If you haven't anything Positive to say, don't say anything..
FFSake, we're League Champions, turned Cork over TWICE, playing Tipperary in Thurles in the Munster Final and guaranteed a Q Final at the very least, hurling into end of July..
Cheer up Bhoy :pac:

Mountainlad

Munster council screwed up meaning both Counties only got an allocation of 5,000 stand tickets each due to overselling on tickets.ie

How this can happen is beyond me but it seems the supply is well below demand. There'll be a big crowd at the game at least and a fuller terrace for Waterford. Must have been cat for those that went on the terrace against Cork as it was quite empty.

taytobreath

PTH2009

Mountainlad wrote: »

Munster council screwed up meaning both Counties only got an allocation of 5,000 stand tickets each due to overselling on tickets.ie

How this can happen is beyond me but it seems the supply is well below demand. There'll be a big crowd at the game at least and a fuller terrace for Waterford. Must have been cat for those that went on the terrace against Cork as it was quite empty.

They better not of oversold my seats , if someone's in my seat when I get there they will be told to move

thesultan

What the hell are the county board playing at. Each club told they will only get half their ticket allocation. A person with no affiliation to a club has got tickets before a paided up member of a club?????

Mountainlad

PTH2009 wrote: »

They better not of oversold my seats , if someone's in my seat when I get there they will be told to move

That won't happen, once you have a ticket you're fine.

PTH2009

Mountainlad wrote: »

That won't happen, once you have a ticket you're fine.

Hopefully one thing I hate during a match when people end up sitting in the wrong seats and then when the real ticketholders arrive a big mess starts. Stewards outside of Croke Park are a lot more laid back and some don't give a toss really

blue note

thesultan wrote: »

What the hell are the county board playing at. Each club told they will only get half their ticket allocation. A person with no affiliation to a club has got tickets before a paided up member of a club?????

A lot of people getting them through clubs for matches like these are getting them for their mates who might not have been at a match in years whereas there are really dedicated fans who get their tickets on tickets.Ie. There's just no perfect way to do it.

TheScoringGoal

blue note wrote: »

A lot of people getting them through clubs for matches like these are getting them for their mates who might not have been at a match in years whereas there are really dedicated fans who get their tickets on tickets.Ie. There's just no perfect way to do it.

I take your point but clubs are the pillars of the organisation. They should never lose out in these circumstances

Speak Now

PTH2009 wrote: »

Hopefully one thing I hate during a match when people end up sitting in the wrong seats and then when the real ticketholders arrive a big mess starts. Stewards outside of Croke Park are a lot more laid back and some don't give a toss really

I always found the assigned seating in Thurles to be a bit of a disaster. A steward looked at me like i was crazy when i told him my seat wasn't available for the A.I Quarter finals in 2013.

HillFarmer

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=240643

D Fives apparently back fully fit.

What do you guys think, anyone close to training or the panel know his form?

If he regains the form against the cats a few years back would love to see him come on in second half in the half forward line, would be another outlet aswell as Maurice.

thesultan

It's a joke when each club are paying a big levy each year to an incompetent county board. We have have brute paided member of the executive who's abrupt manner won't notify clubs on the matter and when he does it's normally late and calous.

deiseach

Are we going to be significantly outnumbered here? Tickets sold through clubs will mostly go to county natives - plenty of Tipp men in Waterford, but not that many - while online sales might favour the bigger counties. And, more worringly, I'm not seeing an upsurge in people planning to go beyond the usual suspects who went to the last two games against Cork. All anedotal, but I dread the thought of seeing pockets of white and blue amidst all the blue and yellow on Sunday.

Mountainlad

There's gonna be a huge Tipp crowd given its a home final, but we should get a good attendance all the same a lot better than previous games.

On the tickets, Munster councils fault not th County board. And then it's at the clubs discretion how to deal with the deficit of tickets, but I'd have sympathy for them as its a tough job when you only get half the requested allocation.

thesultan

Surely with Waterford giving Tipp home advantage they would have coms to agreement with the Munster council over tickets.

Mountainlad

thesultan wrote: »

Surely with Waterford giving Tipp home advantage they would have coms to agreement with the Munster council over tickets.

Don't think that's how it works, both teams get the same allocation but it should have been more. Can't understand how they can oversell on tickets.ie they would surely have put a quota.

deiseach

I wonder whether quotas on tickets.ie and in SuperValu in recent years have been purely notional. No danger that the allocation of (say) 20,000 was going to be sold.

thesultan

Could they not get their tickets after the clubs were sorted.

blue note

TheScoringGoal wrote: »

I take your point but clubs are the pillars of the organisation. They should never lose out in these circumstances

I more agree with you, but I'm just making the point that when you say the clubs will lose out, I'm wondering who that actually is. I'm thinking back to 2008 when people who had never been to a match before were telling me that they were sorted for a ticket for the final because they knew someone on a committee in a club. Meanwhile I'd been going to matches for over 10 years at that stage with the same group and barely missed a championship match, but the guy we were getting tickets from (a county board man) warned us that he mightn't be able to get them for the final. Instead it seemed that the nieces and daughters boyfriends of club Irish officers were getting them. Not actual club men and women.

Of course what might actually happen when less go to the clubs is that the actual club members will lose out and the tickets will still filter out to people who don't really care about the game but will go along because sure why not?

Oh, and the county board man still sorted us out for the final by the way. And sadly I can't get to this final anyway so it doesn't make a difference to me. But I think anyone who tries hard to get a ticket will come by one to be honest.

PTH2009

We used to be one of the best supporters in Ireland didn't someone from Waterford win a guiness supporters competition a few years back ??. You can blame job losses and all that but in fairness gaa matches(except all Ireland finals) are a lot cheaper than international rugby and soccer matches and if people car share or busses/trains it's cheap too.

If we get to an all Ireland final or even semi final people will come out of the woodwork and go.

Us Waterford people are just stingy, not everyone thank christ.

It's going to be a good weekend win lose or draw, UFC on the Saturday and then the big one Sunday

archieknox

It is not often I do this but our club today has lost one of its real characters to a tragic accident in Thailand. Words cannot describe the doom and gloom around the town. I am mentioning it here because if Houly was home he would be in Thurles on Sunday with his 3 mobile jersey supporting his beloved Waterford. Gutted is an understatement. Rest in peace mo chara I would love to see the cup in Dungarvan Monday night for you. There wouldn't be a dry eye in the square.

Deise_2012

archieknox wrote: »

It is not often I do this but our club today has lost one of its real characters to a tragic accident in Thailand. Words cannot describe the doom and gloom around the town. I am mentioning it here because if Houly was home he would be in Thurles on Sunday with his 3 mobile jersey supporting his beloved Waterford. Gutted is an understatement. Rest in peace mo chara I would love to see the cup in Dungarvan Monday night for you. There wouldn't be a dry eye in the square.

Couldn't meet a sounder lad, a gent he'd always have you in the knots laughing, RIP buddy

thesultan

blue note wrote: »

I more agree with you, but I'm just making the point that when you say the clubs will lose out, I'm wondering who that actually is. I'm thinking back to 2008 when people who had never been to a match before were telling me that they were sorted for a ticket for the final because they knew someone on a committee in a club. Meanwhile I'd been going to matches for over 10 years at that stage with the same group and barely missed a championship match, but the guy we were getting tickets from (a county board man) warned us that he mightn't be able to get them for the final. Instead it seemed that the nieces and daughters boyfriends of club Irish officers were getting them. Not actual club men and women.

Of course what might actually happen when less go to the clubs is that the actual club members will lose out and the tickets will still filter out to people who don't really care about the game but will go along because sure why not?

Oh, and the county board man still sorted us out for the final by the way. And sadly I can't get to this final anyway so it doesn't make a difference to me. But I think anyone who tries hard to get a ticket will come by one to be honest.

So you support your county and not your club?

robopaddy2

PTH2009 wrote: »

We used to be one of the best supporters in Ireland didn't someone from Waterford win a guiness supporters competition a few years back ??. You can blame job losses and all that but in fairness gaa matches(except all Ireland finals) are a lot cheaper than international rugby and soccer matches and if people car share or busses/trains it's cheap too.

If we get to an all Ireland final or even semi final people will come out of the woodwork and go.

Us Waterford people are just stingy, not everyone thank christ.

It's going to be a good weekend win lose or draw, UFC on the Saturday and then the big one Sunday

Nothing stingy about waterford people. $21000 raised for the family of david houlihan so far within 48 hours. Phenomenal response. Just shows the esteem he was held in. I know he was friends with some of the waterford team and it will have an effect no doubt. Hope they go out sunday and do it for hoolie

blue note

thesultan wrote: »

So you support your county and not your club?

Where did you get that from? I was making the point that even when distributed through the clubs that they still filter out to people who aren't players, members and even the most casual of fans. It might very well be the best way of distributing tickets, but it's far from perfect.

And I missed the last match and will miss this one to play matches for my club. Sure I suppose it's the same for the Waterford team, they're probably gutted to be missing some junior hurling to go play the munster final. Wouldn't be surprised if they tried to get it rearranged.

PTH2009

robopaddy2 wrote: »

Nothing stingy about waterford people. $21000 raised for the family of david houlihan so far within 48 hours. Phenomenal response. Just shows the esteem he was held in. I know he was friends with some of the waterford team and it will have an effect no doubt. Hope they go out sunday and do it for hoolie

Real tragedy. My condolences to family and friends of the deceased

3ships

Fergal Hartley was on the radio during the week talking of All Irelands. A far cry from his contribution to the 'fallow period' article in the Examiner pre Christmas. Derek McGrath scoffed, after beating Cork, at his father's negative suggestion that we had at least an All Ireland Quarter Final spot. The same man was talking up the virtues of finishing in the 'top 4' of 1b a few months ago. From outside the County Ger Loughnane cranked up the hyperbole. Last July he said we would be in transition for a very long time, as if banished to some woe-be-gotten land by an evil Disney character. This June Ger puts us on a level maybe Kilkenny couldn't reach. An uncontrolled flip-flop there, Ger. Nonetheless perceptions have changed. It's amazing what a few wins will do (or in Clare's case any win) for the confidence. I think it is a confidence well placed.

Most are expecting the one change on Sunday with Shane Bennett coming in, unless of course he has something else planned. Tom Devine will probably be named number 9, a false 9 if there ever was one, but be held back until later in the game. Tipp will have a new corner back but no Noel and Lar on the bench.

If you matched up the teams 1 to 15 I think you'll find there is not much in it depending on your bias. An easier way to compare teams would be to say Waterford's 1-9 is better than theirs, and their forwards are better than ours. If you count our forward unit as the starting 6 + 3 off the bench then we don't fare too badly in that department at all. We may not have is the marquee forwards like Bubbles and Callinan. But these two are relatively new to that level and we may have a couple of lads getting there, starting Sunday.

Tipp's retribution handed out to Limerick was impressive but it took them a couple of attempts. We delt with Cork at the first opportunity and did it again 5 weeks later. 5 weeks later again and here we are. Thurles, where else.

So far this year Waterford have matched up to Tipp 3 times and not lost. A winter win, a drab draw in challenges and an affirming win in the league, which in fact is probably still the game of the year to date. Not conclusive proof but enough to steel the resolve. Can you imagine playing the cats 3 times in one year and not losing. There is nothing to fear. I expect it to be a close game if not something has gone worryingly wrong or worryingly right.

Tipp-Waterford? I tip Waterford.

HatchetMan7

The biggest plus for Waterford if they win on Sunday is sending Tipp on a collision course with the Cats. The big question then would be have we the competition in the panel to be able to remain at our competitive peak during the 5 week break. With Darragh Fives just back and Stephan Daniels, Eddie Barrett, Tom Devine, Shane Bennett and Patrick Curran could all make a strong justification on why they should be in the starting 15. The panel of the 00's didn't have that strength in depth that this panel has but it could still be a year or two before we really see that come to fruition.

It may be more beneficial for Waterford in the long term to go into the quarter final. We would meet a team like Clare or Dublin that we would still fancy our chances of winning (although Clare would be a particular tough nut to crack at this stage IMO). Then if we got through that we would meet Kilkenny in the semi final. Kilkenny are still the bench mark not so much that they have better players than Tipp but they are mentally stronger. This is a game (V Kilkenny) that this Waterford team could really learn alot about themselves, where they are and where they need to be in the years to come. We need to be patient with this team, they are on a steep learning curve this year and if we get to play Tipp, Clare and Kilkenny in July and August i think it could really stand to this team next year.

Now i'm not writing off our chances this year but Kilkenny and Tipp are ahead of us with experience being the biggest gap to close. All i'm looking for on Sunday is a performance, something that tells me we have improved since the Cork semi final. If there is evidence of that i will be happy win, lose or draw.
Clash of the day: Neol Conners v Bubbles O Dwyer.

Mountainlad

Always entertained reading your posts 3ships, top stuff again. Away for the final, may not post between now and then so Up The Déise. Win or lose we're in a good place.

Bigsliothar

Anyone know anywhere that will show m/final in Amsterdam?? Thx

Canyon86

Bigsliothar wrote: »

Anyone know anywhere that will show m/final in Amsterdam?? Thx

Mulligans or molly malones in amsterdam surely be showing it,

worth a try,

blue note

I'm buying tickets online for this match. Anyone know which is the Waterford end for the final? Or is it a complete mix?

fricatus

blue note wrote: »

I'm buying tickets online for this match. Anyone know which is the Waterford end for the final? Or is it a complete mix?

Town end... or so I hope, since that's where we have ours, and the lady in the shop told us that was the Waterford end! Anyone confirm, just in case, for blue note's sake?

Picasso100

Ok lads
Planning a sneaky little tenner bet on Sunday and maybe another tenner on September?
Anyone know the best place to shop.
PTH need not reply

Bigsliothar

Canyon86 wrote: »

Mulligans or molly malones in amsterdam surely be showing it,

worth a try,

Thanks for that

danganabu

3ships wrote: »

From outside the County Ger Loughnane cranked up the hyperbole. Last July he said we would be in transition for a very long time, as if banished to some woe-be-gotten land by an evil Disney character. This June Ger puts us on a level maybe Kilkenny couldn't reach. An uncontrolled flip-flop there, Ger.

There is only one thing that remains constant with Ger Lock and that is his utter contempt for Tipp, and tbh we wouldn't have it any other way.

Everything else with him he just changes like the weather to suit whatever agenda he has at that time.

KevIRL

Tipp v Waterford: Gleeson; Barrett, Barry, Maher; Breen, Maher, Bergin; Woodlock, McGrath; Forde, Maher, Maher; O’Dwyer, Callanan, O’Meara

seananigans

Waterford SH Team to play Tipperary in Sunday's Munster Final has been announced following training tonight.
The VERY best of luck to all concerned.
1. Stephen O’Keeffe Ballygunner
2. Shane Fives Tourin
3. Barry Coughlan Ballygunner
4. Noel Connors Passage
5. Tadhg de Búrca Clashmore Kinsalebeg
6. Austin Gleeson Mount Sion
7. Philip Mahony Ballygunner
8. Jamie Barron Fourmilewater
9. Tom Devine Modeligo
10. Kevin Moran De La Salle
11. Stephen Bennett Ballysaggart
12. Jake Dillon De La Salle
21. Maurice Shanahan Lismore
14. Michael Walsh Stradbally
15. Colin Dunford Colligan

Deisegodeo

fricatus wrote: »

Town end... or so I hope, since that's where we have ours, and the lady in the shop told us that was the Waterford end! Anyone confirm, just in case, for blue note's sake?

Yes Waterford are definitely in the Town End terrace for Sunday. Will be in there myself, couldnt find a stand ticket for love nor money. Although we did leave it late.

Forecast for Sunday isnt bad so should be fine in the terrace

Deisegodeo

Picasso100 wrote: »

Ok lads
Planning a sneaky little tenner bet on Sunday and maybe another tenner on September?
Anyone know the best place to shop.
PTH need not reply

As far as i know Boyle Sports are still doing 12/5 on Waterford for Sunday. Crazy odds really and well worth a few quid.

I got Waterford at 6/1 to win Munster before the Cork game so that would be a nice little bonus if the lads can do the business Sunday.

Limestone1

seananigans wrote: »

Waterford SH Team to play Tipperary in Sunday's Munster Final has been announced following training tonight.
The VERY best of luck to all concerned.
1. Stephen O’Keeffe Ballygunner
2. Shane Fives Tourin
3. Barry Coughlan Ballygunner
4. Noel Connors Passage
5. Tadhg de Búrca Clashmore Kinsalebeg
6. Austin Gleeson Mount Sion
7. Philip Mahony Ballygunner
8. Jamie Barron Fourmilewater
9. Tom Devine Modeligo
10. Kevin Moran De La Salle
11. Stephen Bennett Ballysaggart
12. Jake Dillon De La Salle
21. Maurice Shanahan Lismore
14. Michael Walsh Stradbally
15. Colin Dunford Colligan

The text I got from Club diese has Brian O Halloran instead of Devine

seananigans

Limestone1 wrote: »

The text I got from Club diese has Brian O Halloran instead of Devine

CLG Port Lairge - Waterford GAA has it on fb this way


same on the website

http://waterfordgaa.ie/taggedNews/362706/2119/w_a_t_e_r_f_o_r_d_t_e_a_m_v_tipperary-2015_munster_s_h_final

seananigans

I am so happy to bring my nephew to his first munster final.

he's 12 in august growing up in antrim, and for christmas he asked me for a cork jersey (mainly because of nash but still).

part of the kickham creggan's club who famously "defeated" ballysaggart in the ai junior final last year, and although im not sure exactly how close,is related to Aaron graffin who plays county with antrim .

I just remember my disinterest as at his age, and my father bringing me to the semi in croker v kk in '98,and i hope for the same spark .

its great at his age that he stops looking at cork ,kk, tipp and realises his heritage ,its been a long couple of years since 2010 and i am looking forward to a massive performance win lose or draw

Punt Road

While many fans can recall ’82 and ’83 my own vaults only contain files back to the late 80’s and in particular ’89. I guess the first proper memory was the ’89 replay against Cork. I don’t recall any of the drawn game even though we travelled as a family. The replay; I just remember being tossed in the air a few times, a woman with a very distinctive Cork accent (a bit alien to us at the time) and running out the gate at the end as fast as we could to beat the traffic. Cows to be milked, ya know.

The grandmother always had a wink and a nod for us when we spoke about hurling. A Kilkenny woman she had long afforded herself a soft spot for Waterford after marrying a farmer and commuting one last time over the bridge. Her heart was always black and amber though and her love for the Cats had such infection that we even shouted a bit for them as youngsters. Sure what else would we be doing after May?

’89 was different. That year she was delighted that we could talk longer into the year about Waterford. A Munster hurling final. Jesus, Waterford in a Munster hurling final.

I’d never been to Cork before let alone to Pairc Ui Chaoimh. There was a lot of debate as to arrangements. Should the young fellas go at all? Tickets were limited enough and the father eventually said he wasn’t travelling. The uncle agreed to stick us in the back of the 2 seater jeep, all six of us. Different times.

I remember being nervous of the expected crowd. Another uncle in Cork had telephoned during the week to advise us on travel and how best to get to the stadium. Our seats were in the open stand. The small lads might need a cushion he said. My aunt (another Kilkenny woman also by then heavily involved in local Waterford GAA) had enough sandwiches made to keep the entire stadium happy.

We were happy.

What of Tipperary? Being honest we didn’t know that much about them as youngsters. Not like the kids these days who know which side is Seamie Callahan’s good side or that Bonner Maher can win his own ball. We just didn’t have that kind of exposure. Remember this was the first live televised Munster final. However we did know that in English and Fox, they probably had something we didn’t.

Traffic was septic. Juiced up on Cadet and club milks we made the most of merging with the Tipp traffic on the Tivoli road and hung as much colour out the jeep as we could manage. We had the back door wide open at one stage, as one of the cousins was feeling ropey when the flow of air in the front windows had ceased. Cant remember where we parked but it wasn’t close, that much I do remember.

The crowd was something we had never experienced before. The packed tunnels in the stadium were daunting. Dangerous. And skank as overflowing toilets made for trepid tiptoeing. The venue was defying its 13-year youthfulness.

The game however took a course that Waterford people were all too familiar with. Tipp led the dance pretty much from the off. One, two, three, one two three. We stepped on their dainty toes a few times. Two red cards.
Seat colours became apparent again long before the final whistle. Disaster.

A seed had firmly been sown though and I met the same group of cousins for a pint in Thurlas after the Cork semi final. Much dispersed we now make the annual trips to these games from different directions. We all travel again tomorrow and hope that this generation of hurlers keep evolving. Best of luck to the team and management. The darker days are long behind us and you have a great opportunity to do something very special tomorrow.

To the supporters, lets bring some colour and encouragement. We’ll be heavily outnumbered tomorrow and we’ll need to be vocal, especailly during Tipp purple patches. Safe travelling.

robopaddy2

Punt Road wrote: »

While many fans can recall ’82 and ’83 my own vaults only contain files back to the late 80’s and in particular ’89. I guess the first proper memory was the ’89 replay against Cork. I don’t recall any of the drawn game even though we travelled as a family. The replay; I just remember being tossed in the air a few times, a woman with a very distinctive Cork accent (a bit alien to us at the time) and running out the gate at the end as fast as we could to beat the traffic. Cows to be milked, ya know.

The grandmother always had a wink and a nod for us when we spoke about hurling. A Kilkenny woman she had long afforded herself a soft spot for Waterford after marrying a farmer and commuting one last time over the bridge. Her heart was always black and amber though and her love for the Cats had such infection that we even shouted a bit for them as youngsters. Sure what else would we be doing after May?

’89 was different. That year she was delighted that we could talk longer into the year about Waterford. A Munster hurling final. Jesus, Waterford in a Munster hurling final.

I’d never been to Cork before let alone to Pairc Ui Chaoimh. There was a lot of debate as to arrangements. Should the young fellas go at all? Tickets were limited enough and the father eventually said he wasn’t travelling. The uncle agreed to stick us in the back of the 2 seater jeep, all six of us. Different times.

I remember being nervous of the expected crowd. Another uncle in Cork had telephoned during the week to advise us on travel and how best to get to the stadium. Our seats were in the open stand. The small lads might need a cushion he said. My aunt (another Kilkenny woman also by then heavily involved in local Waterford GAA) had enough sandwiches made to keep the entire stadium happy.

We were happy.

What of Tipperary? Being honest we didn’t know that much about them as youngsters. Not like the kids these days who know which side is Seamie Callahan’s good side or that Bonner Maher can win his own ball. We just didn’t have that kind of exposure. Remember this was the first live televised Munster final. However we did know that in English and Fox, they probably had something we didn’t.

Traffic was septic. Juiced up on Cadet and club milks we made the most of merging with the Tipp traffic on the Tivoli road and hung as much colour out the jeep as we could manage. We had the back door wide open at one stage, as one of the cousins was feeling ropey when the flow of air in the front windows had ceased. Cant remember where we parked but it wasn’t close, that much I do remember.

The crowd was something we had never experienced before. The packed tunnels in the stadium were daunting. Dangerous. And skank as overflowing toilets made for trepid tiptoeing. The venue was defying its 13-year youthfulness.

The game however took a course that Waterford people were all too familiar with. Tipp led the dance pretty much from the off. One, two, three, one two three. We stepped on their dainty toes a few times. Two red cards.
Seat colours became apparent again long before the final whistle. Disaster.

A seed had firmly been sown though and I met the same group of cousins for a pint in Thurlas after the Cork semi final. Much dispersed we now make the annual trips to these games from different directions. We all travel again tomorrow and hope that this generation of hurlers keep evolving. Best of luck to the team and management. The darker days are long behind us and you have a great opportunity to do something very special tomorrow.

To the supporters, lets bring some colour and encouragement. We’ll be heavily outnumbered tomorrow and we’ll need to be vocal, especailly during Tipp purple patches. Safe travelling.

A dark day. I think Nicky English scored more points alone that day than what we put on the scoreboard. It was the mentality in the county that was the issue at the time. We were beat before we ever went out on the field. Like 82 and 83. We werent a bad hurling team. We knocked out a very good Cork side after a replay that year. Cork came back and won the AI the following year.