After Wexford were eliminated from the championship in 2018, the Clare legend was going to step away.
12 Wexford players got together and visited the house of Davy Fitzgerald to convince him to stay at the helm. That he did, and the Yellowbellies were rewarded with a uproarious Leinster title victory.
Wexford were up against a Tipperary side that have been free-scoring all summer and although they racked up 3-20 in their All-Ireland semi final, Liam Sheedy’s charges still had two points to spare.
Tipperary stride on while Wexford have fallen one step short of a final against a Kilkenny side they would have been confident of beating for a second time this summer.
Yet another stupendous @sportsfile picture from Croker today
Ecstasy and agony in one frame pic.twitter.com/bACsafECIU
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) July 28, 2019
The Sunday Game wrapped up their live coverage 15 minutes after the final whistle and while they had time to get the thoughts of Liam Sheedy, there was no Davy Fitzgerald interview before the show wrapped.
Fitzgerald did do the post-match press conference and his emotions were not far from the surface. With glassy eyes and halting speech, at times, he admitted he was not sure if he would be carrying on as Wexford boss.
A dejected Davy Fitz talking to the media following their defeat to Tipp pic.twitter.com/SQPPKjbte6
— Beat 102 103 (@beat102103) July 28, 2019
An emotional Davy Fitz after todays game!
Hear the full chat tomorrow night from 9.45 @SPINSouthWest #GAA #tippvwex pic.twitter.com/Fu9cJXYURg— Valerie Wheeler (@ValerieWheeler_) July 28, 2019
Fitzgerald caught up with Newstalk after the game, too, and wore his heart on his sleeve in his three-minute chat.
“I’m  just absolutely gutted,” he began. “I’m devastated
“I think our boys deserved a bit more but, listen, you have to admire Tipperary. The courage and the tenacity as they fought it out at the end… but we had our chances and we can’t complain.
“I’m extremely proud of the Wexford boys. They were incredible; stuck to the game-plan. I just feel when [Tipperary] had the man sent off, it gave them a bit more space and they avoided our spare man.”
Fitzgerald says he does not ‘fear any team out there with this bunch’ and that he was confident heading into the last four clash. He feels the people of Wexford should be delighted with the Leinster champions and their 110 per cent effort.
Left with a “horrendous feeling” in his stomach, Fitzgerald said all he wanted was for him and his team to wake up on Monday morning with their health and their heads held high.
