With Derry’s football fortunes on an apparently inexorable rise, one of the county’s most distinguished players, Tony Scullion, is reminded of his 1993 heyday and the footballers who brought home the All-Ireland for the first and, so far, only time.
Derry have been promoted from Division Four to Division One in five years and have won back-to-back Ulster titles for the first time in 48 years. On Saturday, they opened their first season back at the top since 2015 by beating All-Ireland finalists Kerry in Tralee just six days after Glen won the club All-Ireland in Croke Park.
Scullion, speaking in advance of the Laochra Gael programme dedicated to his career, which screens on TG4 this Thursday at 9.30, said the county was now in contention for the highest honours.
“We are definitely in the conversation and we can’t say that too often. When you’re talking about Sam Maguire, we’re in that conversation – whenever you’re in the top four or five in the country. I would feel we’re in that position at the moment.
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“Can we push on? Time will tell but I am getting very excited by this Derry team. It might not happen. There’s only one team can win the Sam Maguire every year so we need the bounce of the ball, but I really do think we’re in with a good chance.”
The weekend’s match with Kerry set a tone for the new campaign and Mickey Harte’s management, which Scullion is on the record as supporting despite some misgivings in Derry about appointing someone from Tyrone – even a multiple All-Ireland winner.
Next Sunday’s league fixtures bring Tyrone to Celtic Park, face to face with the man who took them to three All-Irelands in the 2000s.
Scullion dismissed the idea that going down to Tralee last weekend and winning was some sort of landmark breakthrough after last July’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Kerry.
“I would say Mickey and the players, their interest was going down and getting two points. It wasn’t anything other than getting a good start to the national league because the national league can be so unforgiving.
“You have seven games there and all so important. You need to get three victories. So, I would say it was just a matter of going down there – we know Kerry were not at full strength.
“We were near enough at full tilt and we came away with a one-point victory. That game could have gone either way. There are areas we need to improve on because we were too leaky in defence.”
The Laochra Gael programme revives memories of Derry’s great championship of 1993 under the guidance of their manager, the late Eamonn Coleman. By that stage Scullion’s career was well under way and he had developed into one of the best corner backs in the game.
In the All-Ireland semi-final, he was switched on to a rampant Vinny Murphy, as Dublin led 0-9 to 0-4 at half-time, and his performance earned the commendation of Irish Times analyst, John O’Keeffe.
“Moving Tony Scullion inside proved to be a magnificent switch. He reads the outfield kick a split second ahead of his man and this is the great strength of his game. On many occasions he seemed to sense where the ball was going to be kicked just before Vinny and his quickness off the mark helped him to the ball.
“This quality in a full back comes from lots of experience and of course, it’s a great advantage if your legs move as quickly as your brain.”
He had already won two All Stars and would add two more. Scullion was also a key defender for Ireland in the 1987 and 1990 International Rules series, an involvement he remembered fondly, along with the Railway Cup, winning six medals in his interprovincial career.
After playing, he maintained his involvement both as a games development officer and an administrator, serving on the Football Review Committee, which introduced the black card 11 years ago.
Commenting on the state of football now, Scullion didn’t subscribe to the now commonplace counsels of despair.
“I’m sure there’s tweaks can be done to make the game more attractive but you’re asking me about the black card my group brought in and I would stand by that – not because I was involved.
“I would say it was a great rule to bring in, the black card. It’s hard to get the right balance but it’s taken away that third-man tackle and that tackle down the middle – a dangerous, dangerous tackle – and I’m glad to see it’s cleaned that up. At least the team is punished for it by being down a player.”
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