In the forthcoming provincial football championships, few matches are likely to receive a bigger billing than that of the meeting of 'erstwhile combatants Kildare and Wicklow. In boxing parlance, the tie would represent a promoter's dream re-match. What gurus of the noble art like Don King would make of the visit by the Lilywhites to the Garden County would test the imagination of al but Walter Mitty. The truth remains, however, that the aforementioned Leinster Championship appetiser has already assumed mouth-watering proportions. Madison Square Garden could hardly promise better in the world of sport. On the basis of last season's meeting between the sides under the glare of summer cynics, next year's championship re-match would ordinarily require the hard-sell by it's collective promoters. That would certainly be the case were it not for the fact that Kildare's trouncing of ambitious Wicklow last season was as much a surprise as Donegal's eventual capture of the All-Ireland crown. While the bookies sized up the '91 duel as an even-money bet, the enormity of the daylight between the teams at the death was a major shock, the shock of the year arguably. According to Wicklow's longest current serving player, the post-mortems are well and truly finished regarding the 1991 Croke Park debacle. Pat Baker, used to making the B-line for goal, doesn't beat around the bush either in giving his verdict on one of the most wretched chapters in Wicklow's recent football history. "We didn't give Kildare the respect that they were entitled to, that was immediately obvious shortly after the game opened up. We simply went into the match in an over-confident frame of mind and paid the penalty," explains the ace attacker who's been one of Wicklow's leading lights for more years than he cares to remember. A Director of Stillorgan-based Computer Support Services, the Avondale stalwart admits that a certain amount of fall-out is still yet to be erased from within the Garden County. "In terms of motivating the squad for the 1993 championship, there's little work to be done. The whole panel is still smarting from that defeat last season and I've no doubt but that being drawn again against Mick O'Dwyer's side is a good thing for us. Our meeting with them next year will give us an opportunity to get that match out of our system once and for all." Pat Baker's association with Wicklow seniors spans three decades. He made his debut for the team in 1977, under the leadership of the then County Board Chairman Pat Murphy. It was a year which featured the famous Kerry-Dublin All-Ireland semi final and was one season short of Wicklow's breakthrough in Leinster. A ten year championship duck was broken, players like Moses Coffey and Tommy Murphy provided a buffer for the young newcomer against the physical excesses of Leinster Championship, dog-eat-dog tussles. Nowadays, the roles are reversed with the experienced Baker linking up with Moses' son, young Ronan Coffey. Deeply involved in the business of orchestrating the sale of computer hardware and software, Pat Baker specialises in peddling the quality and reliability of the current Wicklow squad. As a launching pad for his ideas, he remains one of Wicklow's impressive '91/'92 season, save of course, the Kildare knock-out. Pat backs up his argument with hard facts. Last season's campaign followed their heroics against Meath in the championship quarter final of 1990. In their two matches with the Royal County, Wicklow's self-esteem leaped sky-high, the players grew by a foot each and everyone in the province immediately tipped them as the bete noir for the 1992 knock-out season. "In hindsight, our morale and confidence was high, but it was justified. We had held Meath and in the National League had beaten Donegal. We were playing at 150 per cent of our capabilities and it really looked like we were at last about to fulfil our potential," explained the 34-year old corner forward with the penchant for converting the most difficult of scoring opportunities. A quality player whose loyalty to the cause of gaelic football in his native county makes him a veritable role model for Wicklow's burgeoning young under 21 talent, the Rathdrum native is hesitant about making comparisons about the current squad's promise and that exuded by Wicklow teams of yesteryear. He concedes however, that a certain amount of confidence has been restored in Wicklow, a perception that the team is on the verge of better things definitely abounds. He quickly puts such speculation in perspective, though, with a piece of wisdom borne out of fifteen years solid service. "Wicklow supporters may well say that they've seen us show promise before and rightly so. We've a hard core of support but we have to put some results together to prove ourselves though." For observers of the resilient king, Pat Baker's caution smacks of 'oul times, a reminder of times when Wicklow threatened to storm their way to pole position in Leinster only to fall foul of opponents with the mental toughness and winning tradition to outgun the title-pretenders. Married to Baldoyle lady Siobhan (nee Henry), Wicklow's number one dead-ball specialist exudes the type of confidence that Wicklow are not over-shooting the mark by aiming for three plum titles in 1992. Baker acknowledges that the current team are still in the course of a learning process but "a place in the National League play-offs, a Leinster title and All-Ireland B success are realistic objectives." Such optimism is not the sole preserve of Pat Baker though. Reports of a mini-depression swamping the Wicklow camp following their National League defeat to Kerry on October 18th last were drafted metaphorically but nevertheless hinted at changing times for the Leinster county. There was a time when a 1-11 to 0-17 defeat in Tralee would have been viewed by Wicklow as a huge moral victory but not these days despite Baker's concession that "few teams will beat Kerry this year in Tralee, even though we didn't play particularly well. Kerry are a highly motivated team." The Avondale star's optimistic overtones remain tempered by reflections, sobering and thoughtful, of Wicklow's infamous inconsistency. The records support his approach. Ten years ago Wicklow were deemed a burgeoning force in gaelic football. Rathdrum's pride and joy was joined by messrs. Coffey, Murphy, Pat O'Toole, Owen Doyle and John Dooley among others on a potentially championship-winning team. In seasons '81/'82, the Garden County galloped from Division Four of the National League right through to the brink of promotion to the premier league. Sadly, the slide back down the league tables was just as dramatic as their rise to prominence and for the following nine seasons, the shadows cast by life in Division Three would serve to stem the growth and development of the team. Reflecting back on those enigmatic days Pat Baker is typically frank and methodical in his assessment of that period. "I don't think the necessary back-up or support was on hand then for the players and in some ways there was a lack of direction within the county too. Nowadays, there is a better overall set-up, the squad is possibly stronger all-round, and there is a good backroom team in place." Brother of Kevin, another Baker with senior county experience, Pat Baker continues to lead from the front in every way, both for 1977 intermediate champions Avondale, and for 1993 Leinster Championship pretenders Wicklow. The advent of manager Rennick and the professionalism of the county regime have combined to present the Wicklow warrior with a new zest for the game. He admits that he has become hungrier for success. Conscious of the effects of the ravages of time and the levelling off of standards, the coming season "will be make or break time for me personally and possibly Wicklow. The onset of the firm ground will suit our style of play and I'm genuinely hopeful that we will be able to make the breakthrough." The advent of the terra firma is indeed an appetising prospect for gaels up and down the country. Wicklow's hard core support will add their won sparkling ingredients to the summer feast of football and Pat Baker doesn't underestimate the value of their support. They deserve the ultimate in success. So too does the Avondale Ace. Taken from Hogan Stand magazine, October 1992 Tweet

Most Read Stories