There's a story told in Westport United circles about a time when the team was playing an important FAI Junior Cup game in Donegal and with the game level entering injury time, Jack Tarmey (father of club stalwart, Tom) left the ground to find a phone to ring Blousers with the result and to start preparing for the replay the following Sunday in the Sports Park.
However, by the time Jack got back into the ground United had conceded and a second phone call had to be made. There would be no replay.
That story often comes to mind when, towards the end of matches, people start leaving before the final whistle. As the late and great Brian Clough once said, it only takes a second to score a goal so why would anyone leave a game before it's over.
It's one of the great mysteries but you see it all the time on the telly, people heading for the exits from the 85th minute onwards.

Just a few weeks ago, this column was in London for the Champions League tie between Chelsea and Man United and, unbelievably, with the game on a knife-edge people started to leave the ground. In London, people want to beat the traffic or get a tube but will five minutes make such a difference? Apparently, it does.
This phenomenon is not exclusive to the world of soccer; it exists in almost all sports.
The 2004 All-Ireland final was not 20 minutes old when significant numbers of Mayo supporters started to leave Croke Park. Admittedly, the team was being hammered at the time but there were still 50 minutes left to play and anything could have happened in the remaining hour.
It didn't happen for Mayo that day, but that's not the point. The point is there is no point in turning up to support your team if you are not prepared to stick it out until the bitter end. It's what proper supporters do.

Wishing I was from Leitrim
The late, and very great, Tony Naughton once said on his way coming out of another Croke Park defeat that he wished he had been born in Leitim. Tony wasn't being disrespectful to Leitrim or its people (he hadn't a disrespectful bone in his body) but he felt there was very little expectancy in Leitrim GAA at the time (this was before John O'Mahony guided them to a Connaught title) and there was much less scope for the type of bitter disappointment he felt that day.
I thought of Tony last Saturday at about half past two when Hernandez nodded United into the lead against Everton. A draw would have meant some hope for the Blues. But that single goal took it all away and, metaphorically at least, I wished I was from Leitrim at the time.

But, not for too long, as later that evening a smile was returned to the face of this column when the 50 million quid footballer came good. And that allowed us to dream again for another week.
It's what football fans do. A win on Saturday next against Spurs, an Arsenal win on Sunday against Man United (that might just happen as there will be no real pressure on Arsenal and we all know they just can't hack the pressure at this time of the season) and we're talking about a potential title decider the following week at Old Trafford.
In all probability, what most likely will happen is that the Blues will drop two points against Spurs and United will cruise past Arsenal. That's how it always seems to pan out.

Super League 'blitz'
It's far too early to start drawing conclusions but if the early rounds are anything to go by, the decision of the Mayo FA to turn the Super League into an eight team division in order to make it more competitive is not, so far at any rate, having the desired impact.
In the four games played last weekend, three ended in very comprehensive wins while there was just one close game. That's hardly what the authorities had in mind when they set about reducing the number of teams in each division.
It's a strange situation, just having four matches in the top division each weekend, and it's going to be extremely difficult for any team if they lose a couple of matches on the trot to actually stay in the division.
Not sure who said it, but I recall reading some time ago a Super League team manager describing the league as being like a blitz this season. It was a good call as with four less matches than in previous seasons this season is going to be done and dusted in no time.

A step too far
Isn't it absolutely mad what's going on in Scotland with the death threats to the Celtic manager, Neil Lennon, and two high profile supporters of the club?
It must be horrific for Lennon to be living his life under such pressure and no matter what one thinks of him, no person deserves to have to endure what he has to every day of his life.
Lennon might not be everyone's cup of tea but to have a life threatened solely because of an allegiance to a football club, well that is taking things more than a bit too far.

 

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