“I would like to say I scored a hat-trick but not quite.”
Watty Graham Glen’s Connor Carville has lead his team to glory, and up the Hogan steps but he also learned about another tradition that comes with being the winning captain.
Carville is well used to climbing steps, making speeches and lifting trophies by now, having captained his club to three senior county championships, two Ulster titles and now the All-Ireland.
Connor Carville learns about tradition for every All-Ireland winning captain.
The dynamic cornerback had all of his due diligence done, prepared his speech, lifted the trophy with flair, and ticked all of the boxes you expect from a man in his position.
However, another tradition had to be fulfilled that not many people know about, but one that would be the cherry on the cake, and that is having the honour of being presented with the match ball.
Carville the seen holding the size five O’Neill’s in his hand when being interviewed by the BBC, and he explains the tradition for us.
“Apparently it’s a tradition that the referee after the game presents the match ball to the captain of an All-Ireland winning captain.
No hat-trick for Glen captain Connor Carville, but he did get the match ball 🏐
Big question is…will it be going up in the house? 🤔😂#BBCGAA pic.twitter.com/MeoAVgb5a7
— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) January 21, 2024
“I would like to say I scored a hat-trick but not quite – that’s how I came to have the match ball anyway. This will go pride in place at home, I’ll have to speak with the missus now, and try and get it up on the mantlepiece.
“I don’t know if she will like it or not but we will see.”
Seeing as the Glen skipper is continuing to add to his trophy collection at an alarming rate, we fear that he might have to get a bigger mantle piece, but if that’s the biggest downside to guiding your boyhood club to unprecedented success, we’re sure he will manage just fine.
Related links:
- Croke Park still recovering from damages caused by Storm Glass
- The five moments that sparked Watty Graham’s Glen’s crazy comeback
- Conor Glass on the Glen boys he would ‘love to have playing for Derry”
