Replying To festinog:  "Just what the world needed, another thread for some of the Meath lads to have a good cry.

Man-up lads. If this is what ye're like off the field, no wonder ye're lads are bossed around when ye're on it.

I get that relegation is a real blow, and it's not long since my own county team was in the absolute doldrums of mediocrity, but this whining is unbecoming."

Replying To festinog:  "So when Meath do it, it's "manly", but when it's done to Meath it's "cynical".

Thanks for clarifying."

Replying To Maestro:  "and Galway are now out of the doldrums of mediocrity by winning a few league games?
They really struggled to beat a poor Meath team.
I dont think they even made the super 8's last year did they?"

Replying To Furlong1949:  "What did Meath do in 96.
Win an extraordinary unique historic All Ireland title. Meath won an All Ireland in 1996 came from nowhere. Teams rarely come from nowhere to win Sam. Since 1950 last 70 years its happened 6 times eg Down 1960, Dublin 1974, Kerry 1975, Down 1991, Meath 1996 and Galway 1988. Meath won with 7 under 21 players which is unprecendeted. You dont not win All Ireland with kids. Only twice has this happened in last 70 or 80s years eg Kerry in 1975, Meath 1996. Meath had 7 players who were playing under 21 football for Meath in 96. Meaths defender in 1996 was 20 year old called Darrn Fay. Meath best player and footballer of the year was 20 year old Trevor Giles who won footballer of the year. 20 year old rarely win footballer of the year.

Meath were 6 points down with 12 mins to go in drawn game. It is very rare for a team to be 6 points down with 12 mins to go and still not lose final. And unreal in the replay Meath were 6 down in last 15 mins. It is unprecendented for a team to be 6 point down in drawn and replay final and win. And it truly was historic and remarkable for a young team with 7 under players to be six points down in two All Irelands and still.win. So it is true to say the Meath victory in 1996 was a unique All Ireland win and grestest display of courage and never say die spirit by a young team in the history of All Ireland finals. Name one other final were a team was 6 point down with 12 mins to go with 6 under 21 players and still won, its an exceptional All Ireland win. And then. you had Brendan Reillys winning point. When Brendan Reilly scored his winning point from a very tight angle, it was injury time. It was an All Ireland winning point. In last 50 years there has only being 3 All Ireland winning points eg Steve McDonnell Armagh 02, Cluxton 11 and Reilly 96. Cluxton was from a free. McDonnell was in 63rd min and while a good score, it was infront of the goals and very scorable. When Reilly got the ball , it was just aftet passing 70th min, it was near sideline with all star Mayo defender right behind. He dummied the defender and with 3 Mayo defenders charging down on him he scored an esquisite point from a very tight angle that was the final score from play and won the All Ireland. So Reillys point we can then say is the greatest point from play to win an All Ireland in last 50 years. Name a better one. There is not one. And its eitheir Reillys or Cluxtons is the greatest All Ireland winning point in last 50 year. Again Reilly point another example that shows this was an exceptional unique All Ireland win for Meath.

All this happenned. But afterwards a campaign started to change the narrative. Mayo stole the narrative for 25 years with interviews books, tv documenataries and radio documentaries. Mayo sucessfully stole the narrative abided by a willing anti Meath media and anti Meath factions in the GAA. Mayo took an unique All Ireland win by Meath and turned into the poor me Mayo were robbed show. An exceptional unique All Ireland win from nowhere and backboned by the youngest ever to win Sam was forgotten about as Mayo sucessfully stole narrative to McHale sending off and the boucing ball.

All Ireland wins are complicated and many many factors and incidents go into winning Sam. All people remeber fron 96 was the franca/McHale sending off and the boucing ball. Not that Meath scored 6 unanswered points in drawn game in last 12 mins to level the game at 69 min. Mayo were hanging on for dear life when Meath won the ball at midfield and were charging towards the goal for a 7th unanswered point when ref blew the whistle as early as he could.

In the drawn game and replay in last 15 mins in both games Meath scored 1- 6 , Mayo scored 2 points. Why did Meath win. Well 2 time All Ireland winning team is better then team.that loses 2 All Ireland finals. Why did Meath win ? Forwards. Not one of the Mayo forwards would get on the Meath team. Mayo had strong defence and midfield. But forwards were average at best eg Finnerty, Casey, Loftus, Horan, McMenanin. That Mayo forward line won between them 2 All stars in the career. Meath forward line won 15 All stars in their career and two football of the year awards for Trevor Giles. The only footballer to ever win footballer of the year twice.The Meath forward line had all all star players like Tommy Dowd, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty, Brendan Reilly, Evan Kelly and Ollie Murphy. Thats as good as a forward line that has won Sam in last 25 years. Thats why Meath scored 1- 9 in last 15 mins and Mayo scored 2 points. You cannot win Sam without one top class forward like Mayo had. Meath forward line was full of top class forwards.

Thats what happenned in 96. But is rarely mentioned. There is an anti Meath element in the media, in the GAA hierachy and in parts of GAA community. Coming from the neighbours and rivals in 80s and 90s who couldnt accept an average midlands rural county in 80s and 90s for 16 years reaching 9 All Ireland finals in that period( including replays) . The ABM refused to accept that for 16 years Meath had the best manager in the country and best footballers in the country. So excuses were made to blacken Meaths name. And anytime Meath have had sucess or shown progress in last 35 years it devalued, degraded and underapreciated as the ABMs ( Anybody but Meath) always ignore the greatness of Meath wins and ignore the positive things Meath have done and always zoom on one negative and exxagerrate this negative so this negative becomes the narrative, while the positives are ignored.

When someone says about Meath what you said above my response is to name the above list of names eg Sean Boylan, Robbie O Malley, Mick Lyons, Martin O ' Connell, Gerry McEntee, Colm O Rourke, Brian Stafford; Bernard Flynn, Mark Reilly, Darren Fay; John McDermont, Tommy Dowd, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty and Ollie Murphy and many more. Basically some of the greatest footballers of the modern era with one of the greatest manager ever ( and for some like Colm Parkinson Boylan is the greatest manager ever). I then talk about the 4 All Ireland wins, 8 leinster titles and 3 national.league wins in 16 years..I then talk about great comebacks like in the 4 games in 1991 or great victories with great brillant swashbuckling football like beating the great kerry team of 00s by 15 points in All Ireland semi final in 01. Their response to that is usually quite and mute. You cannot argue about greatness. And the anti Meath faction in every level of the gaa, ABMs can say what they like ; but the fact is Meath had great players and a great manager in that era,

Meath had the best manager in the country and best players in the country in that era. The titles won, the all stars won, footballer of the years won( 5 different Meath players won footballer of the year in that period, the legendary games eg v Dublin 91, v Kildare 97, the great victories over every county , the extraordinary sucess rate over Dublin ( 8 championship victories 3 draws in 16 years over the Dubs) , this is what happened in those years. People who value great players and a great manager know this best, the rest who are filled with hatred to Meath football are blinded by their hatred of Meath , they ignore and exxagrate a one negative at the enpense of the greatness Meath achieved in 80s and 90s."

Replying To Furlong1949:  "What did Meath do in 96.
Win an extraordinary unique historic All Ireland title. Meath won an All Ireland in 1996 came from nowhere. Teams rarely come from nowhere to win Sam. Since 1950 last 70 years its happened 6 times eg Down 1960, Dublin 1974, Kerry 1975, Down 1991, Meath 1996 and Galway 1988. Meath won with 7 under 21 players which is unprecendeted. You dont not win All Ireland with kids. Only twice has this happened in last 70 or 80s years eg Kerry in 1975, Meath 1996. Meath had 7 players who were playing under 21 football for Meath in 96. Meaths defender in 1996 was 20 year old called Darrn Fay. Meath best player and footballer of the year was 20 year old Trevor Giles who won footballer of the year. 20 year old rarely win footballer of the year.

Meath were 6 points down with 12 mins to go in drawn game. It is very rare for a team to be 6 points down with 12 mins to go and still not lose final. And unreal in the replay Meath were 6 down in last 15 mins. It is unprecendented for a team to be 6 point down in drawn and replay final and win. And it truly was historic and remarkable for a young team with 7 under players to be six points down in two All Irelands and still.win. So it is true to say the Meath victory in 1996 was a unique All Ireland win and grestest display of courage and never say die spirit by a young team in the history of All Ireland finals. Name one other final were a team was 6 point down with 12 mins to go with 6 under 21 players and still won, its an exceptional All Ireland win. And then. you had Brendan Reillys winning point. When Brendan Reilly scored his winning point from a very tight angle, it was injury time. It was an All Ireland winning point. In last 50 years there has only being 3 All Ireland winning points eg Steve McDonnell Armagh 02, Cluxton 11 and Reilly 96. Cluxton was from a free. McDonnell was in 63rd min and while a good score, it was infront of the goals and very scorable. When Reilly got the ball , it was just aftet passing 70th min, it was near sideline with all star Mayo defender right behind. He dummied the defender and with 3 Mayo defenders charging down on him he scored an esquisite point from a very tight angle that was the final score from play and won the All Ireland. So Reillys point we can then say is the greatest point from play to win an All Ireland in last 50 years. Name a better one. There is not one. And its eitheir Reillys or Cluxtons is the greatest All Ireland winning point in last 50 year. Again Reilly point another example that shows this was an exceptional unique All Ireland win for Meath.

All this happenned. But afterwards a campaign started to change the narrative. Mayo stole the narrative for 25 years with interviews books, tv documenataries and radio documentaries. Mayo sucessfully stole the narrative abided by a willing anti Meath media and anti Meath factions in the GAA. Mayo took an unique All Ireland win by Meath and turned into the poor me Mayo were robbed show. An exceptional unique All Ireland win from nowhere and backboned by the youngest ever to win Sam was forgotten about as Mayo sucessfully stole narrative to McHale sending off and the boucing ball.

All Ireland wins are complicated and many many factors and incidents go into winning Sam. All people remeber fron 96 was the franca/McHale sending off and the boucing ball. Not that Meath scored 6 unanswered points in drawn game in last 12 mins to level the game at 69 min. Mayo were hanging on for dear life when Meath won the ball at midfield and were charging towards the goal for a 7th unanswered point when ref blew the whistle as early as he could.

In the drawn game and replay in last 15 mins in both games Meath scored 1- 6 , Mayo scored 2 points. Why did Meath win. Well 2 time All Ireland winning team is better then team.that loses 2 All Ireland finals. Why did Meath win ? Forwards. Not one of the Mayo forwards would get on the Meath team. Mayo had strong defence and midfield. But forwards were average at best eg Finnerty, Casey, Loftus, Horan, McMenanin. That Mayo forward line won between them 2 All stars in the career. Meath forward line won 15 All stars in their career and two football of the year awards for Trevor Giles. The only footballer to ever win footballer of the year twice.The Meath forward line had all all star players like Tommy Dowd, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty, Brendan Reilly, Evan Kelly and Ollie Murphy. Thats as good as a forward line that has won Sam in last 25 years. Thats why Meath scored 1- 9 in last 15 mins and Mayo scored 2 points. You cannot win Sam without one top class forward like Mayo had. Meath forward line was full of top class forwards.

Thats what happenned in 96. But is rarely mentioned. There is an anti Meath element in the media, in the GAA hierachy and in parts of GAA community. Coming from the neighbours and rivals in 80s and 90s who couldnt accept an average midlands rural county in 80s and 90s for 16 years reaching 9 All Ireland finals in that period( including replays) . The ABM refused to accept that for 16 years Meath had the best manager in the country and best footballers in the country. So excuses were made to blacken Meaths name. And anytime Meath have had sucess or shown progress in last 35 years it devalued, degraded and underapreciated as the ABMs ( Anybody but Meath) always ignore the greatness of Meath wins and ignore the positive things Meath have done and always zoom on one negative and exxagerrate this negative so this negative becomes the narrative, while the positives are ignored.

When someone says about Meath what you said above my response is to name the above list of names eg Sean Boylan, Robbie O Malley, Mick Lyons, Martin O ' Connell, Gerry McEntee, Colm O Rourke, Brian Stafford; Bernard Flynn, Mark Reilly, Darren Fay; John McDermont, Tommy Dowd, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty and Ollie Murphy and many more. Basically some of the greatest footballers of the modern era with one of the greatest manager ever ( and for some like Colm Parkinson Boylan is the greatest manager ever). I then talk about the 4 All Ireland wins, 8 leinster titles and 3 national.league wins in 16 years..I then talk about great comebacks like in the 4 games in 1991 or great victories with great brillant swashbuckling football like beating the great kerry team of 00s by 15 points in All Ireland semi final in 01. Their response to that is usually quite and mute. You cannot argue about greatness. And the anti Meath faction in every level of the gaa, ABMs can say what they like ; but the fact is Meath had great players and a great manager in that era,

Meath had the best manager in the country and best players in the country in that era. The titles won, the all stars won, footballer of the years won( 5 different Meath players won footballer of the year in that period, the legendary games eg v Dublin 91, v Kildare 97, the great victories over every county , the extraordinary sucess rate over Dublin ( 8 championship victories 3 draws in 16 years over the Dubs) , this is what happened in those years. People who value great players and a great manager know this best, the rest who are filled with hatred to Meath football are blinded by their hatred of Meath , they ignore and exxagrate a one negative at the enpense of the greatness Meath achieved in 80s and 90s."

Replying To festinog:  "Yeah, you're right. Cynical tactics never existed before and poor Meath is an innocent victim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpFFmlAPCek

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship_Final"

Replying To Furlong1949:  "What did Meath do in 96.
Win an extraordinary unique historic All Ireland title. Meath won an All Ireland in 1996 came from nowhere. Teams rarely come from nowhere to win Sam. Since 1950 last 70 years its happened 6 times eg Down 1960, Dublin 1974, Kerry 1975, Down 1991, Meath 1996 and Galway 1988. Meath won with 7 under 21 players which is unprecendeted. You dont not win All Ireland with kids. Only twice has this happened in last 70 or 80s years eg Kerry in 1975, Meath 1996. Meath had 7 players who were playing under 21 football for Meath in 96. Meaths defender in 1996 was 20 year old called Darrn Fay. Meath best player and footballer of the year was 20 year old Trevor Giles who won footballer of the year. 20 year old rarely win footballer of the year.

Meath were 6 points down with 12 mins to go in drawn game. It is very rare for a team to be 6 points down with 12 mins to go and still not lose final. And unreal in the replay Meath were 6 down in last 15 mins. It is unprecendented for a team to be 6 point down in drawn and replay final and win. And it truly was historic and remarkable for a young team with 7 under players to be six points down in two All Irelands and still.win. So it is true to say the Meath victory in 1996 was a unique All Ireland win and grestest display of courage and never say die spirit by a young team in the history of All Ireland finals. Name one other final were a team was 6 point down with 12 mins to go with 6 under 21 players and still won, its an exceptional All Ireland win. And then. you had Brendan Reillys winning point. When Brendan Reilly scored his winning point from a very tight angle, it was injury time. It was an All Ireland winning point. In last 50 years there has only being 3 All Ireland winning points eg Steve McDonnell Armagh 02, Cluxton 11 and Reilly 96. Cluxton was from a free. McDonnell was in 63rd min and while a good score, it was infront of the goals and very scorable. When Reilly got the ball , it was just aftet passing 70th min, it was near sideline with all star Mayo defender right behind. He dummied the defender and with 3 Mayo defenders charging down on him he scored an esquisite point from a very tight angle that was the final score from play and won the All Ireland. So Reillys point we can then say is the greatest point from play to win an All Ireland in last 50 years. Name a better one. There is not one. And its eitheir Reillys or Cluxtons is the greatest All Ireland winning point in last 50 year. Again Reilly point another example that shows this was an exceptional unique All Ireland win for Meath.

All this happenned. But afterwards a campaign started to change the narrative. Mayo stole the narrative for 25 years with interviews books, tv documenataries and radio documentaries. Mayo sucessfully stole the narrative abided by a willing anti Meath media and anti Meath factions in the GAA. Mayo took an unique All Ireland win by Meath and turned into the poor me Mayo were robbed show. An exceptional unique All Ireland win from nowhere and backboned by the youngest ever to win Sam was forgotten about as Mayo sucessfully stole narrative to McHale sending off and the boucing ball.

All Ireland wins are complicated and many many factors and incidents go into winning Sam. All people remeber fron 96 was the franca/McHale sending off and the boucing ball. Not that Meath scored 6 unanswered points in drawn game in last 12 mins to level the game at 69 min. Mayo were hanging on for dear life when Meath won the ball at midfield and were charging towards the goal for a 7th unanswered point when ref blew the whistle as early as he could.

In the drawn game and replay in last 15 mins in both games Meath scored 1- 6 , Mayo scored 2 points. Why did Meath win. Well 2 time All Ireland winning team is better then team.that loses 2 All Ireland finals. Why did Meath win ? Forwards. Not one of the Mayo forwards would get on the Meath team. Mayo had strong defence and midfield. But forwards were average at best eg Finnerty, Casey, Loftus, Horan, McMenanin. That Mayo forward line won between them 2 All stars in the career. Meath forward line won 15 All stars in their career and two football of the year awards for Trevor Giles. The only footballer to ever win footballer of the year twice.The Meath forward line had all all star players like Tommy Dowd, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty, Brendan Reilly, Evan Kelly and Ollie Murphy. Thats as good as a forward line that has won Sam in last 25 years. Thats why Meath scored 1- 9 in last 15 mins and Mayo scored 2 points. You cannot win Sam without one top class forward like Mayo had. Meath forward line was full of top class forwards.

Thats what happenned in 96. But is rarely mentioned. There is an anti Meath element in the media, in the GAA hierachy and in parts of GAA community. Coming from the neighbours and rivals in 80s and 90s who couldnt accept an average midlands rural county in 80s and 90s for 16 years reaching 9 All Ireland finals in that period( including replays) . The ABM refused to accept that for 16 years Meath had the best manager in the country and best footballers in the country. So excuses were made to blacken Meaths name. And anytime Meath have had sucess or shown progress in last 35 years it devalued, degraded and underapreciated as the ABMs ( Anybody but Meath) always ignore the greatness of Meath wins and ignore the positive things Meath have done and always zoom on one negative and exxagerrate this negative so this negative becomes the narrative, while the positives are ignored.

When someone says about Meath what you said above my response is to name the above list of names eg Sean Boylan, Robbie O Malley, Mick Lyons, Martin O ' Connell, Gerry McEntee, Colm O Rourke, Brian Stafford; Bernard Flynn, Mark Reilly, Darren Fay; John McDermont, Tommy Dowd, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty and Ollie Murphy and many more. Basically some of the greatest footballers of the modern era with one of the greatest manager ever ( and for some like Colm Parkinson Boylan is the greatest manager ever). I then talk about the 4 All Ireland wins, 8 leinster titles and 3 national.league wins in 16 years..I then talk about great comebacks like in the 4 games in 1991 or great victories with great brillant swashbuckling football like beating the great kerry team of 00s by 15 points in All Ireland semi final in 01. Their response to that is usually quite and mute. You cannot argue about greatness. And the anti Meath faction in every level of the gaa, ABMs can say what they like ; but the fact is Meath had great players and a great manager in that era,

Meath had the best manager in the country and best players in the country in that era. The titles won, the all stars won, footballer of the years won( 5 different Meath players won footballer of the year in that period, the legendary games eg v Dublin 91, v Kildare 97, the great victories over every county , the extraordinary sucess rate over Dublin ( 8 championship victories 3 draws in 16 years over the Dubs) , this is what happened in those years. People who value great players and a great manager know this best, the rest who are filled with hatred to Meath football are blinded by their hatred of Meath , they ignore and exxagrate a one negative at the enpense of the greatness Meath achieved in 80s and 90s."

Replying To Maestro:  "and Galway are now out of the doldrums of mediocrity by winning a few league games?
They really struggled to beat a poor Meath team.
I dont think they even made the super 8's last year did they?"

Replying To Furlong1949:  "What did Meath do in 96.
Win an extraordinary unique historic All Ireland title. Meath won an All Ireland in 1996 came from nowhere. Teams rarely come from nowhere to win Sam. Since 1950 last 70 years its happened 6 times eg Down 1960, Dublin 1974, Kerry 1975, Down 1991, Meath 1996 and Galway 1988. Meath won with 7 under 21 players which is unprecendeted. You dont not win All Ireland with kids. Only twice has this happened in last 70 or 80s years eg Kerry in 1975, Meath 1996. Meath had 7 players who were playing under 21 football for Meath in 96. Meaths defender in 1996 was 20 year old called Darrn Fay. Meath best player and footballer of the year was 20 year old Trevor Giles who won footballer of the year. 20 year old rarely win footballer of the year.

Meath were 6 points down with 12 mins to go in drawn game. It is very rare for a team to be 6 points down with 12 mins to go and still not lose final. And unreal in the replay Meath were 6 down in last 15 mins. It is unprecendented for a team to be 6 point down in drawn and replay final and win. And it truly was historic and remarkable for a young team with 7 under players to be six points down in two All Irelands and still.win. So it is true to say the Meath victory in 1996 was a unique All Ireland win and grestest display of courage and never say die spirit by a young team in the history of All Ireland finals. Name one other final were a team was 6 point down with 12 mins to go with 6 under 21 players and still won, its an exceptional All Ireland win. And then. you had Brendan Reillys winning point. When Brendan Reilly scored his winning point from a very tight angle, it was injury time. It was an All Ireland winning point. In last 50 years there has only being 3 All Ireland winning points eg Steve McDonnell Armagh 02, Cluxton 11 and Reilly 96. Cluxton was from a free. McDonnell was in 63rd min and while a good score, it was infront of the goals and very scorable. When Reilly got the ball , it was just aftet passing 70th min, it was near sideline with all star Mayo defender right behind. He dummied the defender and with 3 Mayo defenders charging down on him he scored an esquisite point from a very tight angle that was the final score from play and won the All Ireland. So Reillys point we can then say is the greatest point from play to win an All Ireland in last 50 years. Name a better one. There is not one. And its eitheir Reillys or Cluxtons is the greatest All Ireland winning point in last 50 year. Again Reilly point another example that shows this was an exceptional unique All Ireland win for Meath.

All this happenned. But afterwards a campaign started to change the narrative. Mayo stole the narrative for 25 years with interviews books, tv documenataries and radio documentaries. Mayo sucessfully stole the narrative abided by a willing anti Meath media and anti Meath factions in the GAA. Mayo took an unique All Ireland win by Meath and turned into the poor me Mayo were robbed show. An exceptional unique All Ireland win from nowhere and backboned by the youngest ever to win Sam was forgotten about as Mayo sucessfully stole narrative to McHale sending off and the boucing ball.

All Ireland wins are complicated and many many factors and incidents go into winning Sam. All people remeber fron 96 was the franca/McHale sending off and the boucing ball. Not that Meath scored 6 unanswered points in drawn game in last 12 mins to level the game at 69 min. Mayo were hanging on for dear life when Meath won the ball at midfield and were charging towards the goal for a 7th unanswered point when ref blew the whistle as early as he could.

In the drawn game and replay in last 15 mins in both games Meath scored 1- 6 , Mayo scored 2 points. Why did Meath win. Well 2 time All Ireland winning team is better then team.that loses 2 All Ireland finals. Why did Meath win ? Forwards. Not one of the Mayo forwards would get on the Meath team. Mayo had strong defence and midfield. But forwards were average at best eg Finnerty, Casey, Loftus, Horan, McMenanin. That Mayo forward line won between them 2 All stars in the career. Meath forward line won 15 All stars in their career and two football of the year awards for Trevor Giles. The only footballer to ever win footballer of the year twice.The Meath forward line had all all star players like Tommy Dowd, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty, Brendan Reilly, Evan Kelly and Ollie Murphy. Thats as good as a forward line that has won Sam in last 25 years. Thats why Meath scored 1- 9 in last 15 mins and Mayo scored 2 points. You cannot win Sam without one top class forward like Mayo had. Meath forward line was full of top class forwards.

Thats what happenned in 96. But is rarely mentioned. There is an anti Meath element in the media, in the GAA hierachy and in parts of GAA community. Coming from the neighbours and rivals in 80s and 90s who couldnt accept an average midlands rural county in 80s and 90s for 16 years reaching 9 All Ireland finals in that period( including replays) . The ABM refused to accept that for 16 years Meath had the best manager in the country and best footballers in the country. So excuses were made to blacken Meaths name. And anytime Meath have had sucess or shown progress in last 35 years it devalued, degraded and underapreciated as the ABMs ( Anybody but Meath) always ignore the greatness of Meath wins and ignore the positive things Meath have done and always zoom on one negative and exxagerrate this negative so this negative becomes the narrative, while the positives are ignored.

When someone says about Meath what you said above my response is to name the above list of names eg Sean Boylan, Robbie O Malley, Mick Lyons, Martin O ' Connell, Gerry McEntee, Colm O Rourke, Brian Stafford; Bernard Flynn, Mark Reilly, Darren Fay; John McDermont, Tommy Dowd, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty and Ollie Murphy and many more. Basically some of the greatest footballers of the modern era with one of the greatest manager ever ( and for some like Colm Parkinson Boylan is the greatest manager ever). I then talk about the 4 All Ireland wins, 8 leinster titles and 3 national.league wins in 16 years..I then talk about great comebacks like in the 4 games in 1991 or great victories with great brillant swashbuckling football like beating the great kerry team of 00s by 15 points in All Ireland semi final in 01. Their response to that is usually quite and mute. You cannot argue about greatness. And the anti Meath faction in every level of the gaa, ABMs can say what they like ; but the fact is Meath had great players and a great manager in that era,

Meath had the best manager in the country and best players in the country in that era. The titles won, the all stars won, footballer of the years won( 5 different Meath players won footballer of the year in that period, the legendary games eg v Dublin 91, v Kildare 97, the great victories over every county , the extraordinary sucess rate over Dublin ( 8 championship victories 3 draws in 16 years over the Dubs) , this is what happened in those years. People who value great players and a great manager know this best, the rest who are filled with hatred to Meath football are blinded by their hatred of Meath , they ignore and exxagrate a one negative at the enpense of the greatness Meath achieved in 80s and 90s."

Replying To Jackeen:  "It was an All Ireland winning point. In last 50 years there has only being 3 All Ireland winning points eg Steve McDonnell Armagh 02, Cluxton 11 and Reilly 96.

Bit confused about this statement Furlong. Would Rocks point not qualify as an all Ireland winning point. Costellos last point in the replay v Mayo too?"

Replying To SamandLiamSoon:  "So what does all this have to do with Andy McEntee and complaining about referees?"

Replying To yew_tree:  "^^^ That's some rant I'll give you that. You complain about the narrative and then go an an epic moan...."

Replying To festinog:  "Nope, we didn't. Having done pretty well the year before finishing in top 2 of the league, and only getting beaten in the final by Dublin, we got through the Super 8s and then calved. Last year, we had an appalling championship and we didn't sit around blaming it on the refs or other teams for being mean.

That said, we managed to stay in Div 1. How did that work out for ye?"

Replying To Maestro:  "So you have done well in the league and thats it?
Why do you consider that being out of the doldrums?
Meath actually got further than Galway in the championship but because Galway do well in January and February you consider them out of the doldrums.
Each to their own I suppose."

Replying To Furlong1949:  "Galway are no angels eitheir The Galway hurling team of late 80s took no prisoners. Men like Brendan Lynskey, Peter Finnerty, Conor Hayes and certain Slyvie Linnane were tough. Slyvie made Mick lyons look like an angel. I was at the 1989 All Ireland hurling semi final Galway and Tipp and it is the most violet affair, most violet big championshio match I ever attended in Croker. Galway had two men sent off with of course Slyvie being sent off and Michael McGrath rugby tackling A Tipp player to the ground. Tipp were also involved , John Leahy swung the hurley into Finnertys stomach stands out. Galway were also involved in the most violet final in Irish sporting history in 83 when 4 men were sent off. While Dublin were the main culprits, Galway were involved at the start.

The point is gaelic football, soccer and rugby were much togher games in 60s, 70s and 80s then now. Gaelic football and hurling were much more tougher. Every team had hard men. The thing was there was very little tv coverage in 60s 70s and up to early 80s so you dont see all the tough play in that era. Meath were the last great tough rural team following in the foosteps of the Cavan team of the 40s and 50s and Offaly team of 70s and 80s. They appeared on the scene just as the Sunday game was growing in popularity and more games were televised.

But that Meath team.was not even in the top 2 toughest team to come out of leinster in last 50 years. The second toughest team was Heffernans Dublin. Sean Doherty made Mick Lyons like an angel. Dublin players like Sean Doherty, Robbie Kelleher, Gay O'Driscoll, Gerry Hargan, Mick Kennedy, Brian Mullins. Teams were afraid of the Dublin in 70s and early 80s. But the toughest of all was Offaly team of 71 72, hard hard midlands men. Talk to any of the older generation about that team, they had fearsome reputation. The full back was called The Iron man of Rhodes. He was only 5ft 8.

But Meath got a repuation. Name was blackened. This always happens when a new county wins Sam or has unprecedented sucess. Everything is rosey in gaa garden when Kerry, Dublin, Cork and Galway win football. Or Tipp, kilkenny or Cork win hurling. Anything outside them or unprecendented sucess is criticised

For example
1 Galway won All Irelands in 87 88 with possession game. They were heavily criticised for ruining hurling. Cork won two All Irelands in 00s. They had a much more possession game, they were called as revolutionising hurling in a good way.
2 Clare won 2 All.Ireland in 90s. They were criticised for bringing to much physicality to hurling..Kilkenny won All.Irelands in 00s with much more physical game they were called the greatest.
3 Tyrone and Donegal won All.Ireland since 2003. They were labellef puke football and ruining gaelic football with sweepers and blanket defence. Kerry won Sam in 2014 final.with sweepers and blanket defence, the criticism was mute compared to Donegal faced in 2011 12.
4 Dublin win 4 in a row , 5 in row this decade, they are acussed of financing the wins. Kerry and kilkenny win 4 in a rows the criticism is few.
5 Limerick win hurling title in 2019, there is allot of talk and criticism of JP McManus and his role and finance. Tipp win hurling 2020 and Liam.Sheedy gets the backing of top businessmen to help out with Tipp hurling. There is no criticism.

6 Then we have Meath. Meath win All Ireland in 87. Its welcomed a new team winning Sam. By 88 all changed. Cork were very tough on Meath in drawn game, very tough. Colm O Rourke got a terrible belt. No one mentioned Corks rough play in the drawn game. Meath were up for the replay. Meath went down to 14 men at 9 min. And gave the greatest performance by 14 men ever in a final. They were heroic. Especially Colm O Rourke was magnificent. Martin O Connell gave an exhibition f wing back play. There was 2 or 3 tough challenges in the game. It was a tough game, nothing more then a tough club game. Afterwards the media went to town on Meath. Even the gaa president criticed Meath which was unprecedented.

But 5 years early Dublin played Galway in the mostr violet final in Irish sporting history ever. 4 men sent off 3 Dubs. The Dubs were actin like 15 Conor McGregors, watch the footage on you tube. The media labelled the 12 remaining Dublin players the heroric dozen, a legend grew around the final, a myth. The media labelled the players the 12 Apostles. The Dubs were basically doing the work of god. Meath 5 years later in a much much much tamer game were dragged across the coals by the gaa establishment.

Meath are an anti establisblment county. So were Clare hurlers or Tyrone and Donegal footballers. Dublin and Cork are the establishment counties. If football teams were music The Dubs are 70s disco swagger and style, the dubs were the Bee Gees, Meath were punk in your face upstarts who were ready to take on the establishment. Meath in musical terms are the Sex Pistols.

So after 88 Meath were the bad boys. The GAA hierachy wanted Dublin and Cork winning. There was an obssesion about Dublin had to win Sam to keep GAA alive in Dublin in 80s and 90s . The GAA didnt want smelly Meath farmers winning Sam. Meath stopped Dublin winning 13 leinster titles in a row from 83 to 96. And cost Dublin winnning multiple All Irelands. The GAA wud not have wanted that. The same with Cork a succesful Cork would be more liked by GAA hierachy Cork winning, then Meath.. And Cork and Dublin wud accept kerry beating them, especially Cork, who took defeats to Meath real badly. Meath played Cork in 5 big matchs in Croker in 4 years and Meath lost once between 87 to 90. Meath played Dublin in 9 games in 5 years and Meath lost once v Dublin in 9 games between 87 to 91. The media didnt like this remeber. The media is in Dublin and always are very positive towards the Dubs. Some of the articles were disgraceful v Meath. One. journalist wrote a disgraceful article on Meath and there was talks he was going to be suspended.

Meath are unusual in GAA. No other county other then Tipp has more rival neighbours on their border. Kerry has two neighbours. Meath has 7 neighbouring counties on its border which is unusual. But what makes Meaths position unique Meath is the only county with 7 strong football.counties on it borders. And even more unique to Meath, Meath had 7 strong football counties with exception of Dublin , starved of All Irelans sucess for 50 years at least and even little provicial sucess for 50 years at least. While Meath had in 80s and 90s outside kerry and Dublin one of the most sucessful period any county had in history.

So counties like Kildare, Cavan, Dublin, Westmeath, louth and Cavan depise Meath , all neighbours. Look at this forum. Any time Meath is mentioned Kilare, cavan lads always have something negative to say about Meath. Look at the post about Andy McEntee and refs. The usual suspects answered negatively. Meath perform.well v Mayo, kerry and Galway. How do the anti faction in GAA respond. They zoom in on a negative and exaggerate the negative at the expense of the positive. Becaude it is for ABMs a nightmare to see a resurgent sucessful Meath. Look.at McEntees and refs thread on this forum. If McEntee was the only manager complaining fair enough. But manager after manager after manager after manager after manager ,game after game year after year after year managers giving out about refs. Cahill the waterford hurling manager gave out about ref last Sunday. No posts on Cahill and refs. Brian Cody has been giving out about refs for years and years. Davy Fitz has also complained about refs for years
No posts titled Brian Cody and Davy Fitz and refs.

Take McGeeney, McGeeney has spent ten years complaining about refs. Where are the posts on McGeeney and refs. He has had arguements on the field with refs, he was suspended 3 months after criticism of ref, last year he was very critical afrer Mayo game regards refeee. He was very critical after kildare loses v Dubs in 09 and 11with refs. And other games v Westmeath and DCU and Offaly he complained v Refs. Even the gaa president Christy Cooney referenced McGeeney criticising refs.Yet I cannot remeber on this site McGeeney and refs. I am not critical of McGeeney or Cody criticising refs. I could not care less what they say about refs. But the reason Cody and McGeeney are not being criticised is because they are not Meath men
McEntees biggest crime in many eyes, he is a Meath man. And the neighbours and the rest of ABM once Meath show promise or achieve sucess, they will target the negative at the expense of the positive.

(Look at soccer Ferguson, Wenger and Mourinho have criticised refs for decades. Look at Ancellotti roaring into the face of the ref last Sunday. Every manager in soccer , every manager gaa complain re refs. But none of them are Meath men. Its when you are a Meath man critising refs then it becomes an issue.)

So back to the history of the Anybody but Meath group v Meath. Then after Meath taking on the the big two of Cork and Dublin and winning. Meath broke the hearts of Tyrone and Mayo in 96. And while Mayo and Tyrone could take the beating of Dublin or kerry, not an average midlands county like Meath. So they complained in papers on tv on lifeline with Joe Duffy. Tyrone would be a county who really dispises Meath..All to do with 96. Meet a Tyrone person and mention 96 and listen to their bile and bitterness, it is a sight to behold to say the least. Mick O Connell one of the greatest footballers ever called Meaths performsnce the football performance of the 90 in the semi final in 96. I was at the match and have seen recording of the match multiple times on video. Grtaghty was magnificent on that day. The greatest performance by a half forward in All.Irekand semi final in the 90s scoring 1-3. Geraghtys first goal the build up was mesmerising as Giles, Callaghan and Gerathy inter linked passes that cut open the Tyrone defence brillantly. McDeromnt and McGuinness gave an exhibition of high fielding. While Meath long range score were marvvellous scores. So many of the Meath points were 40 metres out .Brendan Reilly hit a few beauties. And Coyler hit a 45 metre long range point from play. Watch the game in full , it wasnt a dirty game Meath played open attractive football. But there was 2 incidents. Thats all. Isolated incidents One disputed. I have seen dirty games, two tough incidents doesnt make it a tough game. But it makes Tyrone feel good about the result..They werent really beaten . Meath used play to roughen them up.. Which is a myth. That Tyrone began on lifeline the next day.

What happened, Two Tyrone players got knocks. And for some reason there was banadages placed on their heads that look like tiolet rollls. It waa comical looking. It was like something like out of Monty Phyton or Father Ted. It looked bad , oh Tyrone were in the wars. They werenr they just faced better team. How many All Irelands did that Tyrone 0. How many did Meath win 2. How many top teams did that Tyrone beat in 90s outside Ulster 0. Meath defeated Dublin a record 4 times in 5 years and defeated Kerry, Tyrone, Cork , Mayo and a team that would become greatest Armagh team ever..Meath had a much better team in 96 then Tyrone.

So one incident with O Connell, O Connell says he was looking at ball he was, but Tyrone disagree. But it is disputed. The late challenge on Cavanan was late. You would have seen many challenges like that in. Ulster championship match in 90s. Ollie Murohy got his hands smashed to bits and broken after stamping incident v Galway in 01 final. Murphy was rushed to hospitak . You dont see Meath complaining about a worse incident then Cavanans.But Tyrone stole the narrative. And you would think Meath had decapitated Tyrone and ripped their limbs from them. And it was a dour tough dirty match incident after incident. If you ever get the chance to see a recording of te game you will be shocked what you will see. It was a open game of football.were Meath put on exhibition of long point scores and exhibition of football.as Meath scored 2 - 15 most them from play and won by 9 points. Yes there was two incident. One disputed. The other a late challenge , that was it.

So after 96 again after, Meath again were bad guys and the bile and venom throwed at Meath was extreme. But it was positive for Meath in so many ways. Us against the world, us againat everyone else is the best sporting motivating tool in the world. Fergusons Man Utd had it, so did New England Patriots had it. So did Boylan Meath. The more you hate a team, the stronger that team becomes as a I kind of siege mentality us againsr the world begins. It was a massive part of the Meath identity. I have no doubt we won titles becaude of the bile and venom from Cavan, kildare, Tyrone towards Meath.

Thats what going on here. Its nothing to with do with refs, its because he is a Meath man. Thats whats going on here. So thats it there has been going on a 35 year campaign from top to bottom v Meath. Anti Meath faction in the media, in the gaa hierachy and the neighbours and rivals from 80s and 90s. Anytime, any single time, Meath be sucessful, the sucess is ignored and a negative is picked on and exxagerated to become the main story. Meath show promise in last 3 games what do the ABMs do they ignore the promise and take a negative ( McEnttee criticism of ref, which all managers do ) and exaggerate it to become the main story. So Meath are the bad guys. I have seen for 35 years, I saw it after the 88 and 96 final.and many times. Thats whats going on here. Thats the history of 35 year of Meath v anti Meath faction who hate Meath in the GAA. Meath biggest crime in 80s and 90s they had a genius of a manager and many many great players . To ignore that is rewriting history."

Replying To Furlong1949:  "It has to do with on page 3 of this thread a Galway contributer brought up 96 His name was Festnog I think. And he had the link to you tube footage of 96 final and the wkipeda address of 1996 All Ireland final. It was a short message. Referencing that final 96. I was responding to that. He brought up 96 final and webpage link to footage of the final and wiki webpage on the 96 final."

Replying To festinog:  "We've lifted a few provincial cups in the last few years too, but I thought bringing that up would be crass and insensitive."