Football

Charlie Vernon still clocking up the miles and ready for Armagh's promotion push

Charlie Vernon hopes there is still a couple of big days left in him before his Armagh career ends
Charlie Vernon hopes there is still a couple of big days left in him before his Armagh career ends Charlie Vernon hopes there is still a couple of big days left in him before his Armagh career ends

CHARLIE Vernon goes back further than you think. Drafted into the Armagh senior panel in the winter of ’05, he made his NFL debut against Kildare the following year and had to wait until 2008 before getting his first taste of Championship football.

That summer ended with an Anglo-Celt winner’s medal in his back pocket – which turned out to be Armagh’s last provincial success.

Spool forward 10 years and Charlie Vernon is still going strong, still clocking up the miles and punching his weight for Armagh.

Over the last decade there has been the odd good day in the orange jersey but no-where near enough of them, to the point where Vernon questions his decision to keep going with the county.

He celebrated his 31st birthday over Christmas and lives in Magherafelt with wife Joanne and son Charlie Og.

The flexibility shown by his manager Kieran McGeeney has probably extended his Armagh career.

“There are a lot of things to consider,” he says.

“I don’t feel anything physical that would stop me from playing at county level. It’s not an issue yet but things can change quite quickly.

“It’s more the time you spend at it and you’re trying to justify that time because it’s an absorbing experience being an inter-county player.

“Yes, you’ve got your training and your preparation. The thing about it is where those training sessions are; [and] do you have to be at a certain place for a certain length of time?

“I’m fortunate that Kieran has been able to work with me and Julie [Davis ] – our strength and conditioning coach – allows me to do some of my sessions and my gym work where I live, in Magherafelt.

“So that frees up a bit of time… You have to weigh up your work and family commitments. If truth be told, parts of those things get neglected.”

The dark months of December and January are probably the hardest period of the year for the seasoned inter-county player. This particular close season has been made worse by the withdrawals of quality players Jamie Clarke, Stefan ‘Soupy’ Campbell, James Morgan, Ciaran O’Hanlon, Shea Heffron and Oisin O’Neill.

Just when the Armagh footballers were building towards something…

“Being an Armagh footballer is different to being a Dublin footballer,” Vernon adds.

“In terms of reward, you’re at two different levels.

“I’m probably long enough playing to know and recognise that. You get family and friends asking you: ‘Is it worth it?’

“Sometimes you question yourself, there’s no doubt about that. You get really bad results and have really bad games but I definitely enjoy the big games and you live in hope that there’s a big day in you and a big day in the team...

“You know, there are many days your hopes get dashed but you get back up again and keep going.”

Vernon and Brendan Donaghy are Armagh ’s last remaining warriors of the halcyon days.

Veteran defender Ciaran McKeever announced his retirement at the end of last season.

A host of new players have been drafted into McGeeney’s much-changed panel for their stab at promotion out of Division Three in 2018.

“I remember one of the guys was finishing up with the club and he said to me: ‘All the guys I’ve played with at minor and U21 – my friends - they’ve all quit. And all you younger guys are coming through. I like youse and I talk to youse and I train with youse but youse aren’t my mates.’”

Heading into another season without the likes of McKeever, Vernon says: “Ciaran will be a big miss. He didn’t play a whole pile last year.

“He was the ultimate competitor and a great man to have about. He knew the opposition very well and was able to coach boys as well. He essentially became an extra arm of the management team.

“Some people in life have presence - and Ciaran had presence, and that presence will be missed surely. It’s up to others to fill his shoes and take the attitude that he had with his football and see where it takes them.”

After crashing out of last year’s Ulster Championship, Armagh strung together four wins on the trot – the obvious high points being their nerve-shredding victories over Tipperary and Kildare.

But the Armagh Harps man quickly adds: “The balloon was getting pumped up and it got burst the following week [by Tyrone].

“I remember saying to the guys before the Kildare game that people have this image in their head that they’re playing at Croke Park and it’s going to be great. A lot of the times you go to Croke Park and it’s absolutely terrible.

“You suffer a heavy defeat because you’re usually playing top teams.

“But that Kildare win was one of the biggest wins in our recent history. Armagh haven’t had too many big Championship wins but those ones you do get you really savour them.”

Vernon applied the best possible balm to that painful 18-point defeat to Tyrone in last season’s All-Ireland quarter-final by helping Armagh Harps climb the summit in the county championship for the first time in 26 years.

“That county final win with the Harps was one of the best sporting experiences I’ve ever had in my whole career,” he said.

This time last year Armagh were being tipped for promotion out of Division Three – but they left the back door open in the closing stages of their final game against Tipperary that condemned them to another season in the lower echelons of the Allianz Leagues.

They face Sligo in their opener at The Athletic Grounds on Sunday week with further home games against Longford and Derry.

Without Jamie Clarke and Stefan Campbell in the Orchard attack this year, Vernon envisages problems getting scores on the board.

“It is early days in terms of how the absences are impacting on us. But, listen, you have to be hopeful every year otherwise you wouldn’t go. You have to play the hand your dealt.

“If the guys aren’t there you have to focus on the guys that are there. There are definitely players there who are very, very hungry to play for Armagh.

“It might be a baptism of fire and it might be tough but all the top players started somewhere and it’s up to the newer breed to come in and really step up and be the best they can be.”

VERDICT…

THE pre-season debate among Armagh fans has probably centred on where the scores are coming from this season. In today’s edition, Charlie Vernon admits as much. Getting scores has always been Armagh’s Achilles heel.

Nothing’s changed. So, why panic?

Of course, any team would miss Jamie Clarke and Stefan Campbell from their forward ranks but when you look a little closer at Kieran McGeeney’s squad things don’t look as bleak as the absentee list suggests.

Aidan Forker has played some of his best football in the Maghery attack over the last couple of seasons and has the football brain to play higher up the pitch for Armagh this year and be a scoring threat.

Ethan Rafferty, currently recovering from a dead leg, played only a peripheral role last season because of injury - but if gets a run of games he’ll be a major asset. Likewise full-forward Andy Murnin who gives the Armagh attack structure and direction.

Armagh Harps half-forward Ryan McShane can also be the joker in the pack and Micael McKenna has resumed his county career after a year out.

‘Geezer’ says Armagh face a “mountain to climb” but perhaps the gradient won’t be as tough as imagined.

For starters, it’s Division Three football Armagh is playing – not a League where the finer margins really count.

Even without Clarke and ‘Soupy’, Armagh are far enough down the road now to expect to gain promotion. They have a talented and experienced nucleus of players that can lead the team in times of stress.

Stephen Sheridan and Niall Grimley have stitched a thick layer of confidence to their backs from 2017 and will continue to grow on the inter-county stage. A fit Ben Crealey and Ciaran Higgins will improve Armagh too.

Overall, the Orchard men look a strong, imposing unit that will overwhelm most teams in Division Three. And they have a sufficient spread of scores in their ranks to make their physical advantage count on the scoreboard.

The management team, boosted considerably by the appointment of Jim McCorry, will be keeping their fingers crossed that injuries don’t expose their lack of depth. Before a ball has been thrown in, Armagh look a good bet for promotion.

ONES TO WATCH…

JASON Duffy has impressed since joining the senior squad and given Armagh’s thinning resources in the forward line the Cullyhanna man might see some game-time in Division Three. Culloville defender Niall Rowland played a bit of NFL last season and is adept at stealing forward and taking scores. He should be in the frame this year and has the ability to nail down one of the defensive berths.

Half-forward Ryan McShane was rewarded for his excellent displays in Armagh Harps’ county championship triumph and could make a name for himself this year.

He is tenacious and brave and showed these characteristics in Armagh grabbing a late draw against UU in their McKenna Cup encounter earlier this month.

Ben Crealey and Ciaran Higgins are two lynchpins of 2016 county champions Maghery. Injury ruled them out of contention last season for Armagh but the pair have plenty of ability to push for starting places.

The towering Crealey would be an interesting option at centre-forward as he can take a score while Higgins is an excellent front foot defender and probably would have made the breakthrough last season only for an early-season leg fracture. Their club-mate Ronan Lappin has also produced decent form in the game-time he got in the McKenna Cup.