Football

Kieran McGeeney takes a dim view of match reporting

"You have to look at where some people are coming from and what they are trying to cover up – I have been beating this drum for a long while" - Kieran McGeeney
"You have to look at where some people are coming from and what they are trying to cover up – I have been beating this drum for a long while" - Kieran McGeeney "You have to look at where some people are coming from and what they are trying to cover up – I have been beating this drum for a long while" - Kieran McGeeney

FAMOUS writer and storyteller CS Lewis once wrote: “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” 

And Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney wasn’t pulling any punches with his dissatisfaction on how Saturday’s Allianz National Football League Division Two clash between Cavan and the Orchard county is being perceived in the national media.

Speaking candidly to the small gathering of journalists at the Athletic Grounds, McGeeney wasn’t happy with how recent games have been covered, but considering the history between Armagh and Cavan and given that they will meet in the first round of the Ulster Championship – a bit of bite has to be expected.

But for McGeeney it depends how you want to look at it.

“It is going to be a tough game, but is it going to be any tougher than the game between Roscommon and Kerry [last month’s Division One clash], especially in the last 10 minutes – I doubt it?” said McGeeney.

“Will there be a different perspective on it? Most definitely. 

“You have to look at where some people are coming from and what they are trying to cover up – I have been beating this drum for a long while.    

“Someone once said to me to look at where the information is coming from and if he is an idiot then treat it as such and if he is not then learn something from it.”

In 2013 under manager Paul Grimley, Cavan beat Armagh 1-15 to 1-11 in the Ulster Championship, the next season the Orchard county came out on the right side of the result but a massive brawl before the match made the headlines and Armagh’s Brendan Donaghy, Kieran Toner and Andy Mallon were given one-match bans along with Cavan’s Martin Dunne and Fergal Flanagan.

Then, more recently, in the opening Sunday of the Dr McKenna Cup; five players were sent to the line. Cavan’s David Givney, Josh Hayes and Killian Brady and Armagh’s Aaron Findon and Brendan Donaghy. 

With both teams struggling at the bottom of the Division Two table and given what has gone on in previous games, it is natural the game will be feisty.

But McGeeney insists he doesn’t want his players to go over the edge.

“Contrary to what people might think, we don’t want people on the sideline, whether it is Pete McGrath, Terry Hyland or myself,” McGeeney said.

“No-one is being told to go out and tear the head off somebody. 

“Things do get out of hand but if you look at the reasons that things get to that point...

“And it would be worth watching videos to see how things escalate to a particular point.”

The Orchard boss pointed to the All-Ireland semi-final replay in 2014 between Kerry and Mayo and how even despite the number of fights in that game, including members of the public entering the pitch during the match and Kerry’s Donnacha Walsh being pushed over the fence, that it was seen as a game of manliness.

But if the same were to happen this weekend between Cavan and Armagh or during Tyrone’s Division One contest against Derry, that it would be reported as little less than thuggery.

“We watched an All-Ireland semi-final a few years ago between two teams and everyone said what a great game it was but not every team is allowed to play like that.”

Indeed the beautiful game is in the eye of the beholder.