Jamie Clarke: Sledging not just an Ulster issue

It may not be a complete novelty act and yet there is something refreshing about Armagh meeting Galway in Sunday’s All-Ireland football qualifier. At least it spares the Armagh players some of the contempt that is often bred with the familiarity of Ulster opposition.

The counties have met in the qualifiers twice before. In 2001 – the first year of football’s back-door – Galway beat Armagh in round three, before going on to win the All-Ireland outright. They also met two years ago, also in round three, with Galway winning again.

For Armagh forward Jamie Clarke, Sunday’s meeting at the Athletic Grounds might also lessen the possibility of the sledging incidents which have marred certain Ulster championship matches to date.

Sectarian abuse

Speaking as an ambassador at the launch of the GPA’s Fair Play Campaign, Clarke admitted that such sledging or verbal abuse was nearly always more likely between Ulster opposition, although he has also experienced such incidents when the opposition came from further south.

“It’s certainly become a strategy of certain teams, absolutely,” said Clarke. “I would say more so in Ulster, yes, although from an Armagh perspective, there are times when you are playing southern teams, and you stupidly have got sectarian abuse. Even though it doesn’t make sense when you are playing Gaelic football.

“Ultimately, teams will do whatever it takes to win. The fair play campaign is something we need to promote more. There has been a lot of focus on cynicism and verbal abuse over this summer. There is not a game that goes by that you don’t hear about it.

“We all give it everything, we all want to win and we all want that winning mentality. But ultimately the GAA itself and everything around it is based on respect, on and off the field. Although we are amateur, it has grown professionally and it is heading in that direction. And it us up to the players to lead by example.”

Part of the GPA Fair Play Campaign will be to reward teams or individual players for their exemplary behaviour on the field, and according to Clarke, there is also an increasing need to make sure teams don’t abuse the rules around the black card. “With the introduction of that, the whole area of diving and feigning injury has become more prevalent,” he said.

Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney, meanwhile, has injury doubts over Ciaran McKeever, Aaron Findon and Mark Shields.