Tractors, jeeps and buses

March 21, 2018

Waterford's Conor Gleeson.
©INPHO/Ken Sutton.

Waterford's Conor Gleeson went through a re-enactment of the 1987 hit move Trains, Planes and Automobiles in order to line out for his county last Sunday.

The comedy starring Steve Martin and the late John Candy sees them having to make their way across the U.S. by any means necessary as heavy snowfall made their commute very difficult.

Gleeson may have had a much shorter journey to go last Sunday, but getting from his home in The Nire to Pairc Ui Rinn for Waterford's NHL 1A relegation play-off against Cork proved to be a difficult task. The Fourmilewater clubman had to rely on a number of vehicles to make the game, with his journey starting out on the back of a tractor after unforeseen overnight snow saw the roads in the area mainly blocked.

Unfortunately, the tractor had to turn back and Gleeson then turned to a 4x4 to get him through the snow drifts before he eventually made his way to the Cork venue.

Waterford manager Derek McGrath told the Waterford News & Star that they were forced to rejig their starting line up because of Gleeson's predicament.

"We got a message at 11.15am to say that he was on the back of a tractor and the tractor had to turn back. Then they got a four-wheel drive jeep out of his home. It probably serves to highlight, not the madness of it, but the dangers of the weather at this time of year," said McGrath.

"It was a freak in fairness. Conor was going to come late, he had no food in him, so we made an early decision in the Silver Springs that Colin (Dunford) would come in and Kieran (Bennett) would go back wing back."

Gleeson did manage to make the game late and was introduced in the 53rd minute for Kieran Bennett, but there was to be no fairytale ending as Cork preserved their top flight status at the Deise's expense, while Gleeson travelled home on the team bus with the rest of the squad.


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