Stafford, Brian
June 11, 1993
Brian Stafford
Brian Stafford
Has an impressive record
"Brian, do you think that there's another All-Ireland left in this Meath team?" "There's one thing for sure, I wouldn't be running my butt off around the Hill of Tara if I didn't think it was possible." True. Brian Stafford is not the kind of keep fit enthusiast that will undergo the rigours of modern day training just for the fun of it. His aversion to training is almost legendary and yet, Meath's management team has recently appointed him to the position of captain. "The captaincy doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm delighted to be captain, it's a great honour for myself and the club, but really, I'll be concentrating on my own game rather than being captain." It may well be on account of his terrific record that the full forward has been selected. He has played in seven Leinster Championships and won five. And there are many who believe that his arrival on the scene in 1986 was the catalyst which helped to spark off Meath's great run.
O"Rourke, Stafford and Flynn. Over the past seven years the Meath full forward line has established itself as one of the outstanding lines that the game has known. A decade earlier, Sheehy, Liston and Egan set the standard but the three Meathmen were equally dominant at their peak. And they were probably forced to rely on a less efficient supply. Although the tactic was glaringly obvious, Meath's play of getting the ball to the full forward line as quickly as possible was difficult to counteract and in game after game, O'Rourke, Stafford and Flynn chalked up enough scores to bring unprecedented success to the Royal County. Good and all as they were, they could not have done it without a reasonable supply from midfield and the McEntee-Hayes combination was seldom less than efficient. But the fact remains that Meath won an awful lot of games on comparative crumbs and the full forward line can take much of the credit.
On Sunday at O'Moore Park, Meath return to the scene of their first outing in the memorable 1987 championship. The full forward line will be O'Rourke, Stafford and God knows who. Bernard Flynn's injury has been a devastating blow. Brian Stafford knows more than most what a loss he is. "Yes, Bernard's injury is a huge blow not only to the team, but to the man himself. He's always worth three or four points in any game." In 1990, Meath beat Laois by twenty points. Twelve months later the winning margin was reduced to just six points and then last year, at Pairc Tailteann, the Laoismen had three points to spare. How is the turnaround of twenty three points in three years explained. "Laois have certainly improved last year and they had learned from their mistakes of previous years. But having said that, we missed several opportunities last year and you simply can't afford to do that in championship football. It's all on the day. You have seventy minutes and that's it."
Kilmainhamwood is the most northerly village in Meath, only a stone's throw from the Cavan border. They've always had a proud football tradition in the area without feasting at the top table. Brian Stafford was always "messing about with a ball." "Ask my mother. I used to get into a lot of trouble at home for kicking a wet, mucky ball up against the gable wall of the house. I was always mad about football." He played at juvenile level with the club and went on to shine at under 16 and minor level. His performances caught the attentions of the county's minor selectors but there was a problem. Young Stafford was notoriously shy and was happy enough to play with the club and mess around at home. He wasn't interested in attending the minor trials and subsequently didn't play for the county at minor level. In his first year in the 'Wood's intermediate team they won the championship with Brian, despite missing a penalty, scoring 1-3 of their 1-5 winning total. He was eighteen years old.
Meath's under 21 selectors were determined to succeed where their minor counterparts failed. Eventually, he was coaxed, cajoled or lured into training. The first experience was a bad one. Louth ended their ambitions in 1984 but twelve months later the county began to sit up and take notice. Four goals against Longford, three against Loth and Stafford was on his way to helping Meath win a first Leinster under 21 title after two decades of failure. Robbie O'Malley, Bernard Flynn and PJ Gillic were members of the team. The call up to the senior panel came in the following National League campaign but a broken toe curtained his progress. Brian's involvement with the under 21 panel and his subsequent willingness to go on at senior level was greatly encouraged by his good friend and mentor, the late Peter Corbally. Peter was very much aware of his talent and nobody was happier when his protege brought unprecedented honour to Kilmainhamwood.
The route to senior glory began at Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow in 1986. Four players including Brian, made their championship debuts on that occasion, the others were Terry Ferguson, Liam Harnan and David Beggy. Meath went on to break Dublin's stranglehold on the Leinster Championship but lack of experience cost them dearly against Kerry in the All-Ireland semi final. Stafford was on the 40, Martin O'Connell was full forward. Lessons were learned. Meath began their 1987 campaign at Portlaoise with the man from Kilmainhamwood the surprise choice as free taker. They scraped over Laois, confirmed their superiority over Dublin and went on to take the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time in twenty years. The O'Rourke-Stafford-Flynn line had been born and the full forward's contribution to the success was duly acknowledged with the Texaco Footballer of the Year award and an All Star. The players became instant heroes in a football mad county. "Yes, it was fantastic. The build-up, the aftermath and of course, the winning of a first All-Ireland. I scored seven points and should have scored a few more, but it was what every young fellow dreams about and more."
It can be difficult enough to win a first All-Ireland, to retain the title calls for an even greater effort. "The second All-Ireland was equally memorable and remember, we won the National League in between." Memorable too, were the games against Dublin in 1991. "Yes, it was great to be part of what turned out to be one of the great episodes in the history of football. The countrywide interest was phenomenal and, in the end, it was great to come out on the right end of the result." There were times during those games when the pressure was unbearable. A packed stadium, nothing between the teams, an old age rivalry ... tension. How does he cope with the free taking in such red-hot situations. "Free taking is all about confidence. And you won't be confident without practice .... hours and hours of it. It doesn't really matter about the closeness or the importance of the game, there is only one place where the ball should go, and that's over the bar.:
He appears to have an ultra cool aura about him in such situations and there are many who believe that he is totally unaffected by nerves. "Of course I'm nervous and the older I get, the worse it gets. Maybe I don't give that impression but I can assure you that I'm as nervous before a game, or even more so, than the fellows next to me." Another legend bites the dust. There has been persistent belief throughout Meath that irrespective of the occasion, Brian Stafford, if not woken up, would sleep right through Sunday, even if it happened to be the third in September.
What about the future, Brian? "I'm playing now because I am still enjoying it but I certainly won't be playing for Meath into my mid thirties. (He was 29 last week). Sometimes the training can be a chore and if you're not enjoying it, then it shows in your game. But if you want to be at the top, if you want to win things, then a huge effort is required. There's a limit though. I was lucky in that I tasted success straight away after coming onto the county team. Joe Cassells, Colm O'Rourke, Gerry McEntee and Mick Lyons had been trying for years. It's difficult to match their enthusiasm. It should be all about enjoyment and once that stops, I'll be gone." There is one aspect of the modern game which lessons his enjoyment. "Pulling and dragging. I think that the inside forwards suffer most from this. There are several defenders in today's game who are not interested in playing football. Their concentration is entirely on spoiling their opponent. The best backs that I've come up against were those willing to play football." There is another, even more harmful tendency which he has encountered. "Young lads should be encouraged to enjoy the game. For them, it's all about kicking a ball around. That's what they enjoy. But you'll often see youngsters being made to sprint and undergo physical training as if they were adults. It's a sure way of turning them away from football. They should be encouraged to do what they enjoy."
There's no doubt about what sport Brian will be taking up when his playing days are over. "I'll watch any sport on television, but I really enjoy playing golf. Most of the Meath team are the same and I'm looking forward to spending more time on the course."
Which team does the Meath captain fancy for this year's All-Ireland? "Derry look a good bet at the moment, they're big, strong and powerful and they can play football too. Their performance against Down was outstanding."
If this writer could have a video of his choice, in gaelic football, he would opt for a few minutes of Brian Stafford at his best. It would begin with a point from play in the first half of the 1987 All-Ireland final against Cork. Into the Canal goals. The ball had been punted forward and the Meath attacker had to reach down with his left hand while still running, gain possession, dodge a tackle from Coleman Corrigan and slot the ball between the posts. Then there was the late blitz against Roscommon in the '91 semi final. Six points, four from play, in the last fifteen minutes. Meath had been trailing by four points. Every attacking skill in the book was on display. Another gem would be from the much less hectic surroundings of an intermediate championship game between Kilmainhamwood and Dunsany at Kilberry in September 1991, two weeks after Meath's All-Ireland defeat by Down. A free to the 'Wood. The Dunsany backs argue with the referee. The always aware Stafford plants the ball in the net. He jogs out to the centre field smiling. The defence is still arguing with the referee, totally oblivious to the fact that the ball is in the net. Typical Brian Stafford, or typical Mikey Sheehy, the forward that Stafford admired most. The admiration is probably mutual.
Brian is a sales representative with Co-Op Animal Health Limited and he services most of the Royal County. The company is based in Tullow, Co. Carlow and he is deeply appreciative if it's generosity towards him in terms of having time off for his football pursuits. He enjoys meeting the farmers, having a chat about football and listening to their problems. They obviously enjoy listening to him as well.
Leading out the Meath team on Sunday will cause him no additional worries. There are many Meath supporters who would dearly love to see him getting his hands on the Sam Maguire Cup. They fully understand the contribution of Stafford to Meath's glory years. Sean Boylan understands it too. The brain, the coolness, the skill, the accuracy and the vision. His free taking is back on course again and the new captain is bubbling again. The shyness is not as noticeable as it once was. Laois will need to watch out on Sunday. After all, Brian Stafford would not be running up and down the Hill of Tara ...
Taken from Hogan Stand magazine
11th June 1993
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