The last time there was this much talk about Joe Sheridan’s behaviour in a goalmouth the county of Louth nearly imploded.
It is just not right. The scourge of the Wee County is subverting the natural order of things by returning to the intercounty fold as a goalkeeper.
A forward of much, well-warranted renown, Sheridan has been away from Meath set-up since 2013 but Andy McEntee has plans to bring him back in 2017 as a custom-made custodian.
The GAA Hour’s resident Junior C goalkeeper, Mikey Stafford, was having none of it on this week’s show.
“There is a way to become a goalkeeper,” he said. “You’re a shit corner-forward at under-14, you have a growth spurt and they look at you different. ‘Kick that ball off the ground there’. If you get it past the 21, disco. You’re a goalkeeper.
“That is how it works. You don’t have a successful career as an intercounty forward for Meath and then decide after a 3-4 year hiatus to come back as a goalkeeper. We had Armagh trying it this year. It is bullshit,” he continued.
Despite mentioning his former Laois team-mate and All-Star goalkeeper Fergal Byron, who won an Leinster Under-21 medal as a corner-forward, Colm Parkinson agreed this Sheridan plan was upsetting the natural order.
“It is disrespectful to every goalkeeper who has served his trade. Goalkeepers are supposed to fail at under-12, under-14 level, lick their wounds and say, ‘Right, I understand my position here and I am going to have a go in goals’. Because, let’s be honest, most outfield players can play in goals,” said Wooly, a five-a-side keeper of some renown.
Undeterred, Stafford continued, arguing that Sheridan is not mentally prepared for life between the sticks.
“You have to be bet down mentally and have given up on life and you have to be able to take the slings and arrows. That is being a goalkeeper and I don’t think Joe Sheridan is up to it.”
Conan Doherty, who has brain-washed a few children into playing in nets in his time, concurred.
“I have been involved in the beat-down mentally process, trying to convince players that they are going to have to stay in goals, but it is bloody tough: ‘Oh, you are really good in nets! You should stick to being a goalkeeper.’ Every single week you are trying to convince young lads to stay in goals.”
Then both Wooly and Doherty turned on Stafford, arguing that McEntee may have struck gold with his leftfield goalkeeping selection.
“I think Joe Sheridan could be an outstanding goalkeeper,” said Wooly. “He has a brilliant kick off the ground and when you look at Andy McEntee, he had Paul Durcan at Ballyboden, obviously saw the value of having a good, mobile goalkeeper who could hit the wings, Obviously the most important part of goalkeeping now is being able to place your kicks. Sheridan can do that, brilliantly.”
As always, Doherty had to weigh in with a Derry example.
“One of the best goalkeepers I have seen is Barry Gillis from Derry. He was a forward who played in a couple of National League games for Derry and Mickey Moran just brought him in as a goalkeeper.
“He spent a summer as third choice and then just turned into this great keeper,” added Doherty. “He had such a big presence, it will be the same with Sheridan, any high ball he would gobble up. He had no fear at all when a ball went into the area.”
Goalkeepers playing without fear, having never been told repeatedly at a young age that they had no choice but to stand in nets… It’s just not right.
