In 22 years of adult football, Johnny Doyle never once missed a championship game.
“I’d love to tell you that’s because I mind the body and eat all the right stuff,” he said with typical modesty on The GAA Hour Show recently.
“No it’s a bit of a freak!. At times it was a bit of mind over matter, you’d go out in a championship match – look it you’ll strap yourself up and get on with it. I think adrenaline is a huge thing, you’re in the zone…I didn’t have any really serious injuries that would have stopped me but there would have been times when the leg was a bit dead, little strains or the groin was a bit tight, I just tried to get on with it…”
It would take more than a dead leg to stop Johnny Doyle. 41 years of age now, the Allenwood man is still playing intermediate football for his club. It was only last month when he kicked 0-7 for them, 0-3 from open play in a championship victory over Kill. Club chairman Joe Jacob told us that Doyle has been their best player in almost every one of those games he’s played.
He’ll be some addition to the Kildare juniors. They take on Longford in the Leinster junior semi-final in St Conleth’s Park on Wednesday evening and Doyle confirmed the rumours that he’ll be togging.
“I got a phone-call a few weeks back, I was wondering did he want me to do water or whatever,” he said to Colm Parkinson.
“Anyway, I was humming and hawing and then I thought I’ll be standing and looking over the railing giving out – well I do an awful lot of giving out anyway,” he laughs.
“I said sure if you think I’ve something to offer – we’ve a bit of a kick around later on, listen I mightn’t even be on the panel, I don’t know sure I’ll go in and have a look anyway! Sure I would be going to the game anyway…”
One of the greatest.
You can listen to the Doyle discussion and much more from Monday’s GAA Hour Show here.
