Should "old sores" be put aside and John Gardiner to brought back to the Cork panel? I am a veteran of watching Cork hurling for over 50 years and he was one of the true artists of half-back play I have ever seen. There are years still left in John and please, for the sake of Cork hurling, bring him back we need him badly.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 30/03/2013 10:29:11    1358726

I am also a big fan of John Gardiner and would love to see a fit & motivated John back on the Cork team. I always thought he could be converted into a good full back if he was getting caught for pace in the half back line. However the rumours in Cork are that he has fallen out with JBM that he wasn't training well etc. If these stories are true I can't see anyway back for him.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 30/03/2013 10:49:00    1358732

Even if these stories are true, surely they can be ironed out for the sake of Cork hurling. After all we are talking about adults here and not children.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 30/03/2013 11:12:46    1358736

Just when Cork hurling is beginning to move on we get people like ye going on about the past(John Gardiner). Younger players need time to developers which they won't get if ye want the old players back.

corkrebel (Cork) - Posts: 105 - 30/03/2013 11:38:07    1358747

I agree corkrebel that the future is with the young kids but ye need a few auld heads as well. Anyhow relax we are just talking about a lad who gave great service to Cork for years and is unlikely to feature again.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 30/03/2013 13:42:03    1358793

John Gardiner was a fantastic player there is no doubt about that but he has not been his best with a few years. I was talking to a few lads who were coming onto the Cork panel a few years ago and they said that John was a bit of an enigma. He wasn't very inviting to the lads coming onto the panel whereas Ben and Jerry and the likes were very welcoming of the new lads. I think that maybe where a lot of the issues arise when it comes to him and JBM as we all know everyone has to be willing to put themselves on the line for their teammate in order to be successful and if Gardiner wouldn't even be bothered to talk to the new lads then this is not going to happen. It would be great if he did come back and get right though especially for Cork hurling. I always thought he would move back into full back aswell it is a position that he would fit into very easily.

tipptothetop (Tipperary) - Posts: 531 - 30/03/2013 19:38:42    1358932

I have the ball from a free he scored in The Rebels last All Ireland win which i cought high up on the Davin Stand. He signed it for me too...........a legend

kikfada (Louth) - Posts: 2091 - 05/04/2013 21:35:09    1361759

After last Sunday's debacle, surely we have to go back and revisit the John Gardiner omission from the Cork panel. If ever we needed a leader with experience and a cool head we need one now. John perfectly fits that bill. I was go as far as making him captain.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 18/04/2013 10:58:55    1369584

The thing is he is not playing well. Time to move on and work with what we have. Sean Og is possibly the one that we should have asked to stay on for another year as he was doing ok and is still fit.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 18/04/2013 11:11:44    1369595

Cork need to bring on the young lads now no disrespect to Gardiner and Sean Og great players in their day but well paste the sell by date

thurlesblues (Tipperary) - Posts: 4475 - 22/04/2013 11:52:59    1371552

Saw John play football recently and he looked as fit as a fiddle. He was probably the best player on the pitch As I keep pointing out, he would still be a huge asset if brought back on board.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 16/05/2013 17:11:24    1385275

JG is a bit old to start wit cork footballers now riverman. ;) (;

Westfester (Limerick) - Posts: 980 - 16/05/2013 17:22:37    1385288

As you well know I was referring to the Hurling panel. If you can't make a sensible contribution, zip it.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 16/05/2013 18:24:17    1385338

Saw John Gardiner in action over the weekend, he looked in tip-top condition and hurling well. Again, I appeal to commom sense and say that he should be brought back to the panel at least.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 03/06/2013 11:16:59    1397459

If Cork need Gardiner to come back into the squad then I can safely say Cork hurling is in serious trouble for a few more years.

Good and all as the man was, his time has been past for a few years now. He's not going to add to the team, or even the panel, as he won't make a blind bit of difference, even if he comes on fresh as a sub (unless the opposition is fairly poor).

Its time to let the young lads come on and make a name for themselves and learn their trade on the field, and not relying on a past name to do it for them.

dblackandamber (Kilkenny) - Posts: 92 - 03/06/2013 18:05:04    1397818

Great hurler but don't think he will be wearing the red of Cork again.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13659 - 03/06/2013 18:08:52    1397823

Cork hurling has serious problems anyway, with or without John Gardiner. John is suffering because of the stance taken some years ago by him and some others and not through being over the hill. There is very few of the current crop of defenders to match up to him. I think if we had a full backline of Shane O'Neill, John Gardiner and Brian Murphy we might have some chance of not being humiliated this year.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 03/06/2013 20:23:34    1397969

Now that we appear to have an injury crisis, surely peace should break out and John Gardnier called onto the panel.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 13/06/2013 21:09:24    1406150

Can't agree with you Awbeg. As somebody else said, John Gardiner or no John Gardiner, we are not going to do anything this year. We need lads in a few positions. The most pressing for me are half forwards that can win a ball and take a score. JG is not one of them. We need a Michael Fennelly/Lester Ryan/Brendan Maher type midfielder that can run at people (given the modern obsession with holding on to the ball), JG is not one of them either. I take your point about him not being over the hill age wise and about his stance being remembered from a few years ago. Cork hurling suffered massively after all of that mess and we still are and it is a pity that fellas like JG, Ronan Curran, Niall McCarthy had their careers cut short as a result. They had though. Lets just move on.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 13/06/2013 21:47:01    1406181

With Brian Murphy being added to the list of walking wounded, bringing in the younger Cadogan was not a solution. John Gardiner should have been brought in straight away. These old vendettas are crippling Cork hurling and until such time as "that elephant in the room" retires, we are going nowhere.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 10/07/2013 16:15:47    1428374