Free Trade Really Does Benefit All

Every Game An Away Game by Bluebeard

(first published in the July 2011 Wexford Youths match programme)

Our geographically close rivals Wexford are back in the RSC tonight for the South Eastern Derby, and as always when we play the men in pink, we will have a battle on our hands to secure the points. Wexford fans will be doubly sore at the moment just a week after losing to Monaghan when it looked like a point was saved, and also after their Gaelic counterparts’ brave display in Croke Park on Sunday. It was a big day for GAA fans on this side of the border too, but I think we are best to forget Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the time being. On a happier note, I spotted that the ref for Waterford’s “Gaelic” win on Saturday in London was a Wexford man.

Gaelic football never meant anything much to me, being brought up in and around the Wexford side of New Ross. It was always third place to the brand of football we have tonight, and of course hurling: I never found the big ball as compelling a study, and as a player considered it an extra training session, or a warm up to a hurling match as a spectator. However the combination of Wexford being in a Leinster Final, and a good scatter of Ross district men on the team (prominent among these including the former Blues Eric Bradley and PJ Banville) focussed my attention on it for a change.

Speaking of men from Ross, it is nice to see the latest in the long line of Ross men in Blue, and I am personally particularly delighted to see Paul Phelan come to the club from Ross Celtic. It sounded like he made a significant impact on coming on last week, though unfortunately too late to perhaps change the game – a match with the League leaders is big occasion for anyone’s first senior game and it sounded like he rose to it. While I have a sneaking suspicion he might be from the wrong side of the Barrow for the title, hopefully we’ll get to see him combining with the other yellow-bellied Blues tonight, and ending up on the better side of the score this time.

I don’t think that the Blues have had as many Wexford men before in my time watching them. We picked up five Wexford players this Spring, including ex Youths stars Shane Dempsey, and Conor Sinnott, who came by way of Pat’s and Drogheda, while Dwayne Wilson has been with UCD for the past couple seasons. Phelan joins Paul Murphy and Lee Chin in coming here directly from the Wexford Football League. Indeed, Chin and Murphy were on that League’s Oscar Traynor Cup winning side, alongside Thomas Hawkins, another former Blue.

Of course, it has not been all one way traffic, nor should it be. Breener returned here from spending last season there. Of note among others who moved from the RSC to Ferrycarrig was Gavin Doyle who blossomed there as a striker having had a torrid time here under Mike Kerley. It was as much a release for him to go and establish himself, as it was for us to see Kerley depart.

Of the current crop, the Wexford net minder is former Blue (and legend from THAT night in Dalymount in November 2005), Packie Holden, while another fan favourite – David Grincell – is at the other end of the field. Currently, Ben Ryan and Shane Nolan, both ex Waterford United Under 20s, made the move and are getting regular football there. Indeed, if Shane Nolan is playing, it may cause a double take from our fans, as he is the image of his twin brother Brian.

There is one other current link between the clubs that comes to mind, albeit more tenuous. Steve Yelverton joined us for a half season in 2005 from Cobh, a bleached blond midfielder. His cousin Greg also played for them, and is still playing for the Youths.

Mention of the Yelvertons only further points how it appears that, in some senses, Wexford have in taken the place of Cobh Ramblers, and to a lesser degree, Kilkenny City, in providing transfer traffic with us. Sadly, this is a League generally dominated by a radius of Dublin. Those clubs in the Division within the radial arm (Shelbourne, Longford, Monaghan, Athlone) tend to become retirement grounds and testing labs for Dublin players and journeymen. Dubs who have failed with one club, have several second chances, where regionally based players can fade into obscurity without a second chance.

With so many players in the region, the trade between the two gives many that second chance that could have been lost with the collapse of Cobh and Kilkenny. And this is not only good for building stronger clubs into the future, but also stronger Junior Leagues (as is to be seen in the recent win of Wexford in the Oscar Traynor Cup, and the success of Carrick in the Munster Senior Cup).

Indeed, clearly the level of performance and discipline expected from those who play for the senior clubs is good for sports of all colours in the South East. Looking back at the Leinster final on Sunday, aside the two ex-Blues, Wexford forward Ben Brosnan cut his teeth with the Youths. Their progress as athletes of standing is largely thanks to their time with professional coaching at the Blues and the Youths. Clearly, it is to the benefit of all that our clubs be filled with the best of the region’s players, so may the trade between the Model and the Decies long continue!