Manager meets up with fans

DOWN manager James McCartan took time out of his hectic schedule in the build up to the All-Ireland final to visit in town.

He came to Lurgan and met up with Down supporters who attend St Mary’s Junior High School.

The schoolgirls had a series of questions for the Down manager who was brought to the town by the special invitation of his lifelong friend John Byrne who, like the Down boss, is a former pupil of St. Colman’s College in Newry.

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James McCartan was a member of the victorious Down sides which won All-Irelands back in 1991 and 1994 but he feels that the fact that Down have never lost an All-Ireland final will not put any undue pressure on his players this Sunday.

He said: “We would be aware of the history attached to all of this but the players want to set their own agenda by creating their own piece of history on Sunday against Cork.” Whilst McCartan has left no stone unturned in his side’s preparation for the final on Sunday, he has taken the unusual step of allowing his players to travel down on the day of the game.

“I don’t feel that it is an unorthodox step to take. Individual teams prepare differently for these big matches and I believe that it is important for the players to be with their own families, particularly on the Saturday night,” he said.

Down supporters, similar to Armagh fans back in 2002, will be looking to involve themselves in post-match celebrations should the Mournemen lift the Sam Maguire Cup, so does the Down boss believe that Croke Park have gone too far in curtailing the celebrations on the pitch?

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“I will certainly be delighted if Down fans are celebrating on Sunday, irrespective of whether it’s on the field or on the terraces. Our fan base has been tremendous all season and I hope that all those genuine supporters who have followed us all year can avail of tickets,” he added.

This season the Mournemen would have been viewed by many as ranks outsiders for the competition and in stark contrast Sunday’s opponents, Cork, would have been amongst the favourites, a scenario which does not particularly bother James McCartan.

He said: “We have been underdogs for the All-Ireland series basically since our first game but all of that sits fine with us. Cork, in anybody’s book, are strong favourites and were seen as one of the top three sides from the start of the Championship.”

John Byrne believes that his lifelong friend has the character to lead Down to their first All-Ireland SFC title in 16 years.

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He said: “James has the same intense attitude to management as he had during his playing career and, on a personal note, I would like to wish him and his players all the best for Sunday’s decider.”

The schoolgirls from St Mary’s were given the chance to have a word with James when he visited Lurgan recently and here are the various comments which they have supplied as they look forward to Sunday’s game.

Nicole: Meeting the Down manager was a great experience for me as I am a very keen Down supporter. I asked him what they do the day before a match, do they train or get some rest, and he answered that they usually just rest. My uncle John Catney is a very good friend of his brother Daniel McCartan who plays corner back for the Down team.

Deidre: Meeting James McCartan was an exciting day for me as I have never met a manager of any gaelic team before. I thought he was very friendly as he answered all our questions for us and he kindly signed our Down jerseys. I asked him was he nervous or excited about his down team playing in the final, he answered “a bit of both, I'm nervous as it is a very big match and also excited.'” We really appreciated him taking time out of his busy schedule to come and visit our school.