NAME: Brian Burke DATE OF BIRTH: 10/4/67 HEIGHT: 6'2" WEIGHT: 13st 5lb CLUB: Fethard COUNTY: Tipperary HONOURS: Munster Minor football; 2 county senior football INTER-COUNTY DEBUT: 1985 Championship versus Cork PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Dairygold, Mitchelstown TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Jack O'Shea FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Thurles and Croke Park FAVOURITE POSITION: Midfield SPORTING AMBITION: To win an All-Ireland football medal DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS: Squash and swimming BOYHOOD HEROES: Jack O'Shea, Pat Spillane and Ciaran Duff FAVOURITE PLAYER: Maurice Fitzgerald ANY GOOD SPORTING YARN: Local player penalised for late tackle. Questioned referee. Player: "The ball was there ref" Referee: "The ball was gone" Player: "If it was, it wasn't long gone!" BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: Past players in locality WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: Referees to let the game flow as a lot of players play for free kicks BEST GAME SEEN: 1984 Munster Hurling Final PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: Kevin Coonan - Under 21 player and senior panelist with Tipperary; Colm Corkery - Cork player HOPES FOR 1992: That other counties, apart from the big four, win the All-Ireland football, like Down last year HOW MANY FOOTBALL CLUBS ARE IN TIPPERARY: There are up to fifteen senior football teams including combinations THE FOOTBALL HEARTLAND IS IN THE DEEP SOUTH OF THE COUNTY: The winning of county championship would suggest this as would the number of players. There is fierce rivalry between clubs and this, of course, keeps the football alive TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB: It has won most county titles in football. Fethard was playing games before the official start of the GAA and was officially formed in 1887 FETHARD IS A KNOWN FOOTBALL STRONGHOLD. IS HURLING PLAYED IN THE AREA? Yes. We have an intermediate hurling team. Some good hurlers have been on the Tipp teams that won All-Irelands. Most famous is Liam Connolly of the fifties and sixties hurling teams YOU WERE SELECTED ON THE LAST IRISH COMPROMISE RULES TEAM TO TOUR AUSTRALIA: Yes, it was very enjoyable - the highlight of my football career. It was great to play with some of the top footballers in the country. I learned a great deal from them HOW DOES THE PRESENT TIPP FOOTBALL MANGER SEAMUS MCCARTHY DIFFER FROM EUGENE MCGEE, THE MANAGER OF THE IRISH TEAM: Very few managers can compare to McGee who masterminded the beating of the great Kerry team. Seamus McCarthy has a good record with Tipperary underage football and has done well already in difficult circumstances ARE THE TIPPERARY FOOTBALLERS ENVIOUS OF THE SUCCESS ENJOYED BY THE COUNTY HURLERS: No. It's great that Tipperary can win the hurling, but there was too long a gap when Tipperary won nothing at both. The hurlers have ended their barren spell but the football famine has gone on far too long for a county that has a great tradition in football. Tipperary have always had the footballers, but it has been the case of hurling people versus football people and both games have suffered as a result. If the County Board put as much effort into the football side of things as they do with the hurlers, I'm sure both games could flourish in Tipperary HOW DOES YOUR TREATMENT I.E. AFTER TRAINING, MEALS, TRIPS ETC COMPARE TO THAT OF THE HURLERS: There is no comparison as priority is given to the hurlers who then have a better chance of achieving success. As a result, a lot of the fine footballer sleave the football to concentrate on hurling. Who can blame then, as only the die-hard football players battles on. Things have improved recently but realistically the Football Board should be completely independent from the Hurling Board, with their own finances A TIPPERARY FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS CLUB CAME INTO EXISTENCE AFTER CHRISTMAS. HAS IT HELPED YOUR CAUSE: Yes, of course, any support is welcome but the Supporters Club has given people that want to help Tipp football - an opportunity to help in an organised way. Already they have secured sponsorship by Cidona for the Erin Foods Football Challenge back in January WERE YOU SURPRISED AT THE EASE TIPP BEAT DOWN IN THAT ERIN FOODS FOOTBALL CHALLENGE: Although it was only a challenge and Down were just back from holidays, I was not surprised because we always knew there are footballers in Tipperary and they find it frustrating that we haven't won at national level for so long. It hasn't helped staying in Division Three South of the Football League because we play the same teams over and over again and the only way to improve is to play teams better than you. This way you will not be over awed by the big guns - Cork and Kerry - on the important days in the championship THE OPEN DRAY IN MUNSTER, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH IT: Most certainly. It has created great interest in counties like Limerick, Clare and Tipperary as it gives them a realistic chance of winning something. Already it has worked well in Munster and Leinster. The GAA thought it might lose out financially, but the same numbers are still going to see Cork and Kerry play the first round. The annual Cork-Kerry Munster Final was getting boring for people outside those counties - long may it continue Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 26th June 1992 Vol 2 No 61 Tweet

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