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GAA

24th Jan 2018

The text messages exchanged between a manager’s pet and his bainisteoir

Niall McIntyre

This lad is doing absolutely everything he can this year. This is his year.

Training is called for 8.00 on Wednesday. Life is a training session for Seanie. Apparently.

When he’s not training, he’s stretching. When he’s not stretching, he’s foam-rolling. When he’s not foam-rolling, he’s doing yoga. When he’s not doing yoga, he’s lifting weights, and running sprints. At the same time.

The one constant is that he’s always pulling wool he pulls over his manager’s eyes.

When you ask him to come for a pint, he’s at a spin-class. But when you ask him to come for a spin-class, he sweated the beer out on a bike earlier that morning.

You never see him in the gym. But he is always there. Apparently.

The manager hasn’t seen through him. Yet.

He has seen his texts, though.

14.30 – Tuesday. (Day before training)

Seanie to Manager.

20.00 – Tuesday

Manager to Seanie.

Manager takes it at face value. It’s early in the season. He’s only been in the club for two weeks, he doesn’t know a spoofer when he sees one.

20.55.

Seanie to manager.

Messages have been read but no response. Manager is catching on to Seanie’s ways. Seanie is worried and knows the pressure is on to impress him at training tomorrow.

13:00 – Wednesday (Training day)

Behind it all, Seanie’s the laziest lad on the team but he always gets away with it because of his ability to spoof. He thinks the new manager is there for the taking, he goes in for the kill.

14.00 – Wednesday.

No response.

15.00 – Wednesday

Still no response.

16.00 – Wednesday

Seanie is bricking the togs at this stage. He’s always been the managers’ best friend but this lad can see right through him. Seanie is worried that the manager has caught onto him.

Seanie goes out on a limb.

17.30 – Wednesday

After 7 messages from Seanie, the manager responds.

Seanie has won this one. Seanie always wins. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel for our lad.

19.30 – Wednesday

Seanie is the first lad out on the pitch. He’s pucking balls off the wall at the stand when the manager drives into the GAA club car park.

Seanie runs down to him.

Seanie: “There was no way I was going to miss this session, I don’t know what I was thinking earlier.”

Manager: “Fair play Seanie, because it’s going to be a tough one.”

Seanie: “Ah great stuff, that’s what we need to kick on this year. How’s work going for you?”

*Seanie carries the manager’s cones and bag of balls out onto the pitch.

Seanie:“Do you need a hand filling the water there boss?”

Manager: “No you’re alight Seanie. You can go in and get ready for training, sure, I’ll sort this out.”

Training:

The manager isn’t happy with the intensity at training. Seanie backs us up and says it’s not good enough lads. Seanie’s a beast and he demands more from his teammates

Seanie gives out to teammates for breaking the manager’s call during sprints.

He asks the manager for more sprints after the sprints are completed.

Seanie gives out to other players for talking during the stretches.

Seanie’s spoofing is so well done that he’s actually a good influence in training.

After training, he sends his manager a friend request on Facebook…

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