SOCCERGATE… Seamus Quigley
By Colm Bradley
Winston Churchill has been quoted in this column before. Something about Fermanagh’s dreary steeples.
Clawing around for a start to this weeks column his words on Russia’s intentions way back in 1939 sprang to mind. “It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”
That particular quote is a favourite of columnists; particularly when they are trying to sound smart and well read.
The reality of course is that they probably first heard it uttered from the lips of Joe Pesci in Oliver Stone’s JFK. I know that was the case for me. I’m not sure if Joe or Oliver credited Winston.
I will credit all three.
Anyway, I was going to pin the quote firmly to the chest of Seamus Quigley for this weeks offering. Since Fermanagh beat Sligo hardly a conversation has gone by without me being asked, ‘What did you make of Quigley?’
People have said to me that ‘he would need a team of sports psychologists to keep him right’ while opinion on what his future should hold for Fermanagh has varied from ‘he should be shown the road now’ to ‘we can’t do without him, he has to have his own set of rules.’
To be honest the whole thing has the feel of a bit of a circus. Of course I realise that there is a certain irony in me adding to said circus with 800 words of print on the matter but all I can say in mitigation is that this is an attempt to add a little perspective to the whole thing.
We need to stop fixating over Seamus Quigley.
It is not healthy for Fermanagh football and it certainly does no favour to the man himself.
What was his major indiscretion anyway? He played a soccer game on the same day as he was listed in in the subs for Fermanagh.
It is hardly the crime of the century now is it. And we must remember he was not the only one. Niall Cassidy did the same yet no-one is calling for the hangman’s noose for him.
It is not the end of the world that the two boys played a bit of ground football. In many ways it was good that something like this happened early on in the year.
Ambiguity has been removed and everyone knows where they stand. Players have played soccer with the blessing of Fermanagh managers before.
Pete McGrath doesn’t agree this is possible and I would be with the Down man on this one.
In many ways the reaction to what happened is really more to do with the past four or five years in the colourful career of the Rosela full forward.
Quigley is one of those rare breed of players. Someone worth the admission fee alone. In years to come his feats will take on mythical status. To such a point that everyone will have been there ‘the day that Seamus Quigley did (add you own piece of superlative play)……”
It is well documented at this stage that Seamus hasn’t started an ulster championship match. This is a shame. His genius when in possession is unmatched by any Fermanagh player in my memory.
His natural ability with a size five on par with any other forward in the country. Yet, the reality is that save for a few fleeting glimpses that undoubted genius has not been seen in championship football.
But in a way this only adds to the legend. With each magnificent performance for Roslea the ‘if onlys’ concerning his county career take on added status.
In Fermanagh we love the ‘what could have been’ stories.
But this sort of speculation is not beneficial and to be brutally honest we should not concern ourselves too much with it.
We also should not concern ourselves with what any of the Fermanagh players do off the pitch. That is something for the manager to deal with it.
And in respect to Seamus we owe it to the rest of the Fermanagh team to not add fuel to the furnace of speculation. And we also owe it to Seamus to simply marvel at what he does when he is on the pitch rather than endlessly indulge in conversation about what happens when he is off it.
In many ways the saddest things about the ‘soccergate’ that surrounded the Sligo game was that it overshadowed the brilliant performance of Fermanagh and of Sean Quigley in particular.
Fermanagh are going through a transition period. To date I have been pleasantly surprised. We should support the Fermanagh team that takes to the pitch.
That is all that matters. Barry Owens said a few years ago that you only have the jersey on loan and that Fermanagh football will outlive any player. He is right. It will even outlive Seamus Quigley.
In fact the harsh reality is that in eight or nine years time there will be no circus surrounding the Roslea man. He will be too old by that stage. Such is life and such is sport.
So, I am not going to pin that quote of Chruchill’s to big Seamus’ chest. Because on reflection I don’t think the whole situation is all that complicated.
No enigma, no riddle, no mystery. When you boil it all down it is just a game of football. Everyone, Seamus included, have more important things in their lives.
Instead of feeling frustration at the situation we should be hopeful.
Hopeful that over the next few years we get to see Seamus pull on the green of Fermanagh on a regular basis. If that happens he will no doubt produce some moments of brilliance to make the heart leap and the spirit soar. He will be good for Fermanagh football and Fermanagh football will be good for him.
But, if it doesn’t happen it is not the end of the world. It won’t be the end of the world for Seamus and it won’t be the end of the world for Fermanagh.
Let’s just all relax and see what happens.