Best footballers since 1970

A formidable line-up in the half-backs and at midfield

LAST WEEK I picked my goalkeeper and full-back line for my top Wexford football team of the past 50 years.

I have placed a lot of emphasis in my selections on personal experience, having seen the players through their respective careers from under-age right through to adult level.

They all came through different gameplans and coaching systems, from club personnel having charge of teams to the more modern manager.

Such is football, which has evolved from a more direct catch and kick style, to a sophisticated passing game.

The game in the present era bears no resemblance to even 20 years back, and more particularly through my own playing days.

For a period we witnessed a more defensive style of play, with players dropping back behind the ball, but over the past two years we have seen more of a return to an attacking approach, which is beginning to recapture the imagination of the public.

We had Dublin erasing the Wexford and Kerry record of four-in-a-row with a magnificent five titles on the trot, playing some wonderful attacking football in the process.

There there is the re-emergence of Kerry, now a team ready to challenge the Dublin supremacy, while Galway are creeping back into possible contention. What a pity the championship is unable to continue in its present system since the westerners, on league form, looked capable of upsetting many a good side.

For Wexford, they will not know until later if they will have an opportunity to complete their league campaign, and push on for promotion from Division 4. No matter, it’s a long way back for this outfit, but they have youth and ability on their side, which hopefully can galvanise the game in the county once more.

Given the changing style of football of the past 50 years, it made for some difficult decisions when it came to a number of positions, particularly the half-back line and midfield where the county saw so many quality players over the years.

Ballyhogue’s Denis Asple was a really strong number six, with a hardy side, a good ball player with tremendous ability to read a game.

There were many other players juggling for a position in the half-back line. Rosslare’s David Murphy was an outstanding centre-back in Wexford’s surge to the top, while Colm Morris is another long-serving player, who displayed a real attacking instinct whether from the half-back line or corner-back.

One could draw on the quality of the likes of Tony Wright from the St. Fintan’s club, the strong and physical John Dunne from HWH-Bunclody, plus Gusserane trio John (R.I.P.) and Liam Cullen, and John Fitzharris,

Then there was Duffry Rovers’ record-breaking captain, John Casey, the stylish Leigh O’Brien (Horeswood), Barry Kirwan (Glynn-Barntown), Adrian Morrissey (Taghmon-Camross and later Kilmacud Crokes), Larry O’Shaughnessy (Castletown), and the strong-tackling John Wright (St. Fintan’s) who was outstanding going forward.

During my time I was lucky enough to see some outstanding midfielders, both for club and county.

The likes of Andy Merrigan (R.I.P.), Joe Foley and Phil Wislon enjoyed short spells during the opening years of the seventies, not long enough to impact on the past 50 years, while Louis Rafter of Duffry Rovers was an outstanding fielder and long kicker of the ball.

John Harrington (R.I.P.) was always consistent and an outstanding servant, with his huge workrate throughout the field setting him apart.

Martin Quigley and George O’Connor, were amazing footballers but hurling took them at the prime of their careers, while one can also recall players like David Fogarty, Thomas Howlin, who saw injury interrupt a promising career, and Daithí Waters, an ever-present during a lengthy career.

Let’s not forget, either, Willie Carley (Glynn-Barntown), a strong and powerful presence, the late Jackie Sheil (St. Joseph’s), Seamus Hughes (Kilanerin), Pat Neville (Bannow-Ballymitty and Starlights),

Jim McGovern, Padge Walsh, Billy Rowsome, Pat Barden and Tomás Codd.

DAVID MURPHY (St. Mary’s, Rosslare): David Murphy was a defender one could trust to do the necessary job. While he played most of his inter-county career in the centre-back role, he would still offer a considerable presence from any position across the half-back line, or even, should the occasion demand, a position in the last line of defence.

An ever-present in the side, he probably played his best football through the Jason Ryan management era. He was always Ryan’s go-to man, and anyone who played against him appreciated that.

He mixed it, and was not adverse to getting in the strong tackles, but if you wanted to go toe to toe and play football there was no better player than the St. Mary’s clubman.

He was so consistent and was always an automatic pick on any team. He is also an outstanding clubman, still togging out with St. Mary’s to the present day, last year helping them to a Junior hurling championship.

DENIS ASPLE (Ballyhogue): The level of influence he had on games was incredible. Perhaps he would be pigeon-holed as an old-fashioned centre-back, but that was the way the game was played back then, and he was still always a commanding figure in the centre of defence.

He was an outstanding player for his club, Ballyhogue, while he brought this through to inter-county level, emerging as one of Wexford’s finest defenders during his career which spanned from 1966 to 1975, making a total of 15 championship appearance for his county.

He was one of Wexford’s most important defenders, shining against the top sides in championship action. Incredibly strong, he was forceful on the ball, and an excellent reader of the game, while he was always capable of kicking important scores from ‘50s in any given condition. When you’re talking defenders, Asple would always be top of the list.

COLM MORRIS (Castletown): An incredible player over so many seasons, Colm Morris was equally effective at either end of the pitch, covering every blade of grass in every game.

He may have been small in stature but always had the ability to be in the right place.

Despite his lack of height, he still managed to compete with the best attackers.

In an attacking sense, he possessed an ability to evade his opposite number and drive forward, but he was still always there to stop him on any counter-attack.

He must have been incredibly frustrating to play against as he never stayed in the one position, an ability that saw him cover across the defence, but also have an influence when attacking.

The Castletown clubman was the full package player, no matter who the opposition. He was always there to do a job and do it immaculately. Someone like that doesn’t comes along too often.

LOUIS RAFTER (Duffry Rovers): Even if one tried to shuffle around a team, one would not dream of moving Louis Rafter from his midfield role. For his skills of fielding, kicking, free-taking, score-taking and an ability to link both defence and attack, he proved immaculate in those areas.

The way he brought himself through a lengthy career both at club and inter-county level, particularly with his record-breaking Duffry Rovers club, was always consistent as he repeatedly performed to the top level.

The 6’4” midfielder seemed to cruise through games but always made an impact with his many skills. He never seemed to be under pressure but always exerted influence when it was most needed.

During his career, particularly on the club scene, few were capable of challenging him in the man-toman tussles as he just seemed to exert his influence no matter how tight the tackling.

JOHN HARRINGTON R.I.P. (Sarsfields): Initially one might say that John Harrington would be an ideal centre-forward, but it was in midfield that he shone through an illustrious career. Virtually every game I went to, no matter whether for club or county, I would always be looking to the tall Sarsfields man to carry a huge influence – and he never disappointed.

He was another player with the full package who made such a wonderful contribution to football. In every game he went out in, he always provided a lasting influence.

The Sarsfields clubman always showed an ability to win the dirty ball, proving equally strong in possession and when carrying forward, and he exerted this influence despite opponents trying to take him out of games.

To me, he was one of those players a manager could trust at all times, because he was always immaculate despite the workload he carried in midfield.

The late John Harrington launching an attack against Longford in the Leinster championship of 1998. ‘Big Harry’ represented the county at Senior level 112 times from 1987 to 1999. The Wexford Senior football team prior to their 0-10 to 0-8 Leinster championship victory over Offaly in O’Connor Park, Tullamore, on June 12, 1994. Back (from left): Seamus Berry, Paul Harrington, Greg Waters, Jim Byrne, John Dunne, Ger Halligan, John Harrington (R.I.P.), John O’Gorman. Front (from left): Ciarán Roche, Pádraig O’Gorman, Scott Doran (R.I.P.), John Cooper, Michael D’Arcy, Billy Dodd, Nicky D’Arcy.