Full disclosure: the Irish News Sportsdesk wasn’t anticipating an upset in the Derry SFC Final.
Closer contests were expected in the Fermanagh and Monaghan contests, but the involvement of the reigning All-Ireland champions in the Derry decider persuaded us to ‘staff’ it.
I had a nagging feeling that it might be tighter than most expected but didn’t have the cojones to say that in my match preview, which – like many – went for a comfortable win for Glen.
After all, they were the reigning All-Ireland champions while Newbridge were in their first senior final for 33 years.
Yet Sunday in Celtic Park was one of those great days which reminds you of the glorious unpredictability of sport, the constant chance of change.
The weather was awful, almost ceaseless rain, but the entertainment was excellent.
A day when former All-Ireland champions Ballinderry Shamrocks were taken to extra time and forced into a replay by Faughanvale in the Derry Intermediate Football final.
In the senior game which followed, Newbridge showed that while never accepting defeat is a great quality, refusing to accept anything other than victory is even better.
Glen have been brilliant champions of Derry, as their neighbours Slaughtneil were for several seasons too.
The Maghera men made it to the Ulster final in the second and third of their three seasons as Oak Leaf representatives, winning both of those. Their only provincial defeat came after extra time in a semi-final against Kilcoo – who went on to lift the All-Ireland.
To cap it all, Glen, the club that had never even been county senior champions before 2021, staged a stunning comeback to win the All-Ireland final themselves earlier this year.
They showed remarkable resilience to level matters late on against Newbridge, but for once in recent times their opponents showed even more of that quality.
Newbridge’s winning mentality was immense.
Ahead for most of the match, they could have crumbled, would have been entirely entitled to feel sorry for themselves, when Glen grabbed an equalising goal with the hour almost up.
Extra time or perhaps a late loss in added time beckoned, and in either of those scenarios the underdogs would have garnered great praise for their performance.
But Newbridge wanted nothing other than to be winners.
The combination of calmness and courage from Newbridge in scoring what proved to the winning point was extraordinary.
No panic, no self-pity, just a steely focus on getting themselves in front again.
Midfielder Conor Doherty carrying the call up the field, head up, scanning ahead of himself. His brother Mark showing for the ball, wanting to take on the responsibility, then moving forward when possession was instead passed to Conor McAteer.
The captain could have, most would say should have, run with the ball, perhaps tried to win a kickable free closer to the Glen posts.
Instead, he boldly kicked the ball forward. A Glen defender knocked it back, but there was Mark Doherty popping up again to snap up the breaking ball, then somehow, despite being surrounded by Glen men, getting it out to a team-mate in some space on the right.
Ciaran Brooks.
A corner-back.
Who had never scored a championship point before.
The ball clipped over the bar. With complete confidence.
The identity of the scorer summed up Newbridge’s desire to win.
Most corner-backs would have sat back, determined to prevent their opponents getting a winner.
The fact that Brooks had the belief to go forward – and so far forward - ensured his name will never be forgotten around Newbridge.
The wheel always turns in sport, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly.
The weekend was a bad one for other sides who had hit the heights last season.
In Kilkenny, the losing All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Finalists of earlier this year, O’Loughlin Gaels lost their county and provincial crowns, beaten in the county decider by Thomastown, who were Intermediate champions.
The day before, the actual All-Ireland SHC holders, St Thomas’ of Galway, were knocked out too.
Seeking a record-breaking seventh consecutive Galway title, St Thomas’ fell in the semi-final, beaten by Cappataggle who made it to their first ever senior final.
As former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag once infamously said, ‘All eras come to an end’.
That’s the truth which keeps all teams going.
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It’s good to see Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri win the Ballon d’Or - for several reasons.
The main one is the recognition for his role, as a defensive midfielder, a key position for many teams in the modern game.
Too often such individual awards go to attacking players, failing to acknowledge the importance of all departments of a side. The last defender voted as the best player was Italy’s Fabio Cannavoro, way back in 2006 when he starred as they won the World Cup.
Rodri is much more than someone who simply sits in front of his defence protecting them; he’s an all-rounder who can get forward to both create and score goals. City are always a weaker team without him.
It’s also useful that Real Madrid have been reminded that there is more to the game than the club scene. Sure, they won the Champions League, but they did only pip City on penalties along the way.
Real Madrid snubbing the awards ceremony because Vinicius Jr did not win is embarrassing behaviour.
Rodri helped a fairly young Spain side to win the Euros shortly after completing a Premier League four-in-a-row with Manchester City. It’s another bonus that this award might stop some of their supporters claiming that most of the media are massively biased against them.
