Forgetting Farney

We can dress this up all we want, but the last team we wanted to draw in Round 2 of the qualifier was Monaghan. Away. I immediately thought to myself 'God, a week of listening to nonsense about the last game in Celtic Park. Violence, suspensions, appeals. Banty... again.' At least the game is this week, and that gives minimal time for the media to blow this potentially-extremely-fractious encounter even further out of proportion (I just hope no-one talks about hoping for a good game of football to make up for the last game.) But still, I feel it is necessary to try and forget about this game totally until the ball is thrown-in at 3pm on Saturday.

It won't be easily done I admit, but at least Paddy Bradley has got the ball rolling. Has he left the squad? Is he back in the squad? The confusion over his apparent departure from the Derry panel took care of Monday and half of Tuesday. Most Derry supporters had possibly forgotten all about Saturday's game at this stage. Perfect.

And just as the Glenullin-man was throwing the boots in the bag before heading to Owenbeg, Michael Jackson's memorial service (99% showbiz spectacle; 1% funeral) was doing a good job of keeping the mind firmly off any impending football matches. Did you know that Jacko was born on the very week that Derry defeated Kerry to reach their first All-Ireland Final (August, 1958)? He probably never even realised... I suppose he did OK for himself in any case.

This morning was slightly quieter. I verged on heading to the various GAA websites and online Discussion Boards to read all sorts of nonsense relating to Saturday's game. Thankfully, I was stopped in my tracks by the thought of another event that many will likely rush to place firmly in the "foreign sports" file: The Ashes. This'll keep me occupied for a while! And before anyone starts, Michael Cusack was himself a keen Cricket enthusiast, and if it's good enough for one of the GAA's founding fathers then it's good enough for the rest of us. Plus - provided the other English batsmen don't follow Kevin Pietersen's example of trying impossible sweep shots - the first test between England and Australia should run for most of the scheduled five days. Perfect.

At this rate I mightn't have to go near Clones at all!