It’s the Club, Stupid.
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For many it might be a case of stretching an antique O’Neills shirt optimistically over a gut that wasn’t there when championships were won and lost. Stray football boots rounded up; maybe a favoured wand of a hurl retrieved from cobwebs in the corner of the garage. An ancient tracksuit donned, recalling an ancient campaign of scores settled and points made.
What is it about the club that makes people behave the way they do? Driving miles to sell draw tickets obsessively. The attraction of spending an hour at the pitch after an under 12 match dissecting every ball kicked, tackle made and score taken. The prospects of the young midfielder developing into a player, when his brother wouldn’t, his father couldn’t or his sister shouldn’t. Why do otherwise sane and rational people foam at the mouth; tramp the sideline like men and women possessed; gulder abuse at an unsuspecting ref. As an American President might say: “It’s the Club Stupid.” The GAA’s own president said:
“Our home club is where it begins for us all and for that reason it occupies a special place in us all. It’s where we are first introduced to the games and it very quickly assumes a badge of identity that in many cases comes second only to our family allegiances.
“Sunday is all about highlighting the incredible work that our clubs do in every community in Ireland and re-affirming the place of the club at the very heart of the organisation.
“Some of our older club units are also celebrating their 125th anniversaries, which is testament to the massive and long standing contributions that they make to the fabric of the communities they interact with and serve so well.
“I acknowledge the superb work overseen by our volunteers in clubs everywhere and hope that the GAA will be as well served by its members in the years ahead as it has been since its inception back in 1884.”
Where else would you rather be this Sunday. Lá na gClub. Be there or be quare.
