JOHN ALLEN:Soft drinks ban took centre stage in the run-up to my first Cork-Tipp Munster championship clash

M Y FIRST experience as a manager of a team involved in a Cork-Tipp Munster championship clash was not the usual hurling-saturated one.

It was late June 2005. I was a little preoccupied with matters off the field for the fortnight before the provincial final. The press interest for a final is fairly intense but when there's aggro or controversy in the air it gets even worse.

From early in the year there was a bit of player unrest off the field in some counties. It was quickly coming to a head though as Munster final day approached.

Many players were peeved that the rugby and soccer players could stand for their post-match interviews with bottles of soft drinks in their hands. This bit of free advertising earned them a tidy fee. However, RTÉ was now putting a ban on GAA players doing likewise. "Not fair," say the players. "What can we do about it?" The decision was taken by the players in Cork that they wouldn't do any pre or post-match interviews with RTÉ.

I could have done without the hassle before my first final against the old enemy but ours was a united camp and we, in the management, were more than happy to stand with the players.

I had many phone calls from RTÉ during this period. They were very anxious that we should do the pre-match interviews. After all, this was (and is) the second biggest occasion in the hurling year and their build-up package would be seriously diminished by the non co-operation of one of the participating teams. At the same time, up to this point, the players' association were finding it difficult to get RTÉ to agree to meet them and make an effort to solve this issue. As the final day approached a summit was convened but the problem wasn't solved.

We were due to have a press night on the Friday week before the final. Pascal Sheehy rang me on the Friday morning to say that he would be attending complete with cameraman Olan O'Brien (a legend in Cork). I agreed that he could attend but that we wouldn't be answering any of his questions. We also agreed that he could ask the first question and that Seán Óg, the captain, would advise him of our refusal to answer and the reasons why. Pascal and Olan would then leave.

We convened that evening at 5pm in the Maryborough Hotel. I had already spoken to Sean Óg a few times that day and he was well aware of what he should say. However, when I met him that evening I was surprised that he didn't have a prepared statement with him.

The usual press cohort was in attendance. Pascal was in the front row.

There was a fair bit of tension at our table because we weren't sure how the whole evening would go. Our sponsors O2 weren't too happy and this added to the strain. Needless to say the county board could have done without the attention. I sat on one side of the captain and John Gardiner was on the other side.

With the introductions done I asked for questions. Up stands Pascal. "Well Sean Óg, are you looking forward to your first time captaining Cork in a Munster final?"

Sean Óg began to answer the question and was beginning to go into great detail when he felt Ga kicking him on one side and me on the other. Captain Fantastic, without his prepared statement had momentarily forgotten the arrangement. He then began to stutter into the answer he was supposed to give. It seems funny now but it was far from humorous that evening

Pascal, true to his word, left.

Over the next week the issue remained unresolved and I spent many hours on the phone dealing with this unnecessary dilemma when I really should have been totally immersed in the build-up.

Match day arrived and the usual protocols with RTÉ weren't adhered to where Cork were concerned. But on the field, in the first half, the team gave one of the two most complete performances by these players in the four-year period from 2003 to 2006 (the other, in my opinion, being the second half against Kilkenny in the 2004 final).

We won but there weren't any interviews with the national broadcaster. It also meant none of our players would get the sought-after man-of-the-match award. John Gardiner probably deserved it but Tipperary's Paul Kelly was the recipient. Kelly did have a fine game though and scored a few excellent points from midfield.

Overall it was wonderful to manage the team to a Munster final victory but there was too much happening off the field for a rookie manager to really savour the occasion. However, there is no such pressure this Sunday. Back in November the hurling public recognised the Cork-Tipp clash as the plum game of the first rounds even though it was pre-strike in Cork's case and pre-National League victory for the Premier County.

In purely hurling terms Cork had a much better season last year than their opposition on Sunday. Back then rumours were rife that all was not well in the Tipp dressingroom and their onfield performances reflected this. Strangely enough, one of their better showings was against the Rebels in their last qualifier game in Thurles.

But all has changed (or was made to change) for the Premier, with the league title secured and Kilkenny beaten along the way. But most impressive has been the high octane, workmanlike performances by a team that is playing like a team.

In 2007 Cork had a few very good performances against Waterford in games that they lost. Their year ended, and the New Year began, with all the action off the field and in the boardroom. It seemed for a while that Cork wouldn't be participating at all this year. But all's well that ends well (who said that?) and the Rebels are back with a good late spring and early summer showing and hope is alive in the southern capital.

It was interesting to note that all The Irish Times GAA writers have tipped Cork to win Munster. I wonder will they change their minds after seeing the Rebels' forward selection. I'm not at all sure that the forwards are properly positioned or that the full line is the correct one.

Who will win? My head is overruling my heart on this one.

Staying in Munster, it was wonderful to see Clare pull themselves back up to the province's top table last Sunday in a performance full of endeavour and intensity. Limerick have been warned. The TV3 GAA sports department also catapulted themselves into the frontline with a very slick professional debut. It was also good to see the post-match interviews done indoors and not a screaming fan in or a bottle of Energise in sight.