Brian McGuigan Column – My moment of madness

David Coldrick sends Brian McGuigan off in Killarney

It must be the first time that someone has come on as a sub with 14 minutes of the game to go, yet in the newspapers got a “Not on long enough to be rated.” Another record broken, but not one which I would have chosen to have to my credit.

I watched it back, and for stupidity alone I deserved to be sent off. There was no malice intended. When you’re sitting watching from the sideline, you get frustrated, and then when you get on you’re so built up that you do something that is completely stupid.

But the one thing which is going to stick with me is the sight of Declan O’Sullivan smiling and sniggering when he got me sent off. I suppose it was a bit like when Cristiano Ronaldo gave the wink when he got Wayne Rooney sent off at the World Cup. That image will never leave me.

People might turn round and say that I got Gregory McCartan sent off in an Ulster final, but as I’ve said before, I never wanted to get him sent off that day. I regretted that he was. Declan O’Sullivan however I feel was more than happy to have got me the line.

Two boys I have found who always had an opinion about themselves were Declan O’Sullivan and Colm Cooper.

They always gave the impression that they looked down on you. When we were on trips away with the All-Stars, I got on like a house on fire with Tomas O Se for example. But not those two boys. That’s not sour grapes, because they’re both class players. But there’s a way to go about things.

I remember we scored a last-gasp goal to beat Kerry in the National League up at Omagh, Colm Cavanagh got the goal in the last minute. I went to shake hands with Declan O’Sullivan and he was just pure ignorant.

Fair enough it was hard on them the way they lost, but there’s still a way to conduct yourself in a dignified manner. It’s important to both win and lose in the right way.

I’m sure if you asked any Derrytresk people they wouldn’t have too many good things to say about Declan O’Sullivan either.

The full story is in the current issue of Gaelic Life, published on Thursday July 26. Buy your copy now in your local newsagent, or you can purchase the online version – for only 90p – by clicking here