GAA are ‘considering’ Miller match proposal
THE Liam Miller memorial match looks likely to go ahead at Páirc Uí Chaoimh following round-table talks between the organisers and GAA chiefs in Dublin yesterday. GAA president John Horan, director general Tom Ryan and Cork County Board chairperson Tracey Kennedy and secretary Frank Murphy met Michael O’Flynn, the chairman of the organising committee for the game, as well as Graham Barrett and Ciarán Medlar, in Dublin yesterday for the talks. However, while the parties went their separate ways after detailed discussions insisting that nothing had been agreed nor any deal in principle reached, a joint statement described the meeting as ‘open and constructive’ and said the GAA will consider the proposal discussed — namely, that the benefit game be moved to the recently redeveloped Páirc, which can hold 45,000 people. The statement read: ‘A meeting took place today between the GAA and members of the Organising Committee of the Liam Miller Tribute Match. ‘This meeting involved the GAA’s Director General and Uachtarán and the Chairperson and Secretary of the Cork County
Miller never said two words when one would do
THE last thing Liam Miller ever wanted was to see his name splashed across acres of newsprint or cramming the airwaves. As a footballer, whose senior career spanned almost 20 years, Miller publicly maintained the profile of a limbo dancer.
He preferred, as the old saying goes, to let his boots to the talking. Trying to tie him down for a chat was akin to sprinkling salt on a bird’s tail.
His final interview in Ireland was carried in these pages in November 2015, just before the FAI Cup final.
In it, he spoke with pride of his Cork upbringing and how the greatest thrill he was getting out of his life was seeing his 10-yearold son, Kory, play football.
‘I enjoy watching all the kids play ball, the innocence of it all. They’re playing with a smile on their face, that’s how it should be,’ he told colleague David Sneyd.
I didn’t know Miller personally, but I suspect he’d be appalled at the amount of media traction his benefit game has stirred.
By now, a part of him would be pleading with his testimonial committee to give the game a red card and let everyone go back about their business.
In public, Miller was a private fella, who never said two words when one would do, and had an aversion to fame. With family and friends, of whom he had many, he would gab away.
Ireland international Darren O’Dea, who knew Miller at Celtic, described him ‘as the life and soul of the place’ and how he ‘worked hard, played hard.’
Most football-daft kids in Ireland have two clubs they dream of playing for, Celtic and Manchester United, and one international team, the Republic of Ireland. Miller played for all three, scoring his one international goal — a thunderbolt — in Steve Staunton’s first game as manager, against Sweden in 2006.
He won 21 caps and was indebted to Giovanni Trapattoni for keeping him involved in the summer of 2009 when he was without a club.
For those who followed football, Miller was a good player, if not the great one he seemed destined to be when exploding on the scene at Celtic under Martin O’Neill with goals in Champions League wins against Anderlecht and Lyon.
No less a character than Alex Ferguson felt Miller would be a valuable addition at United, and Celtic noses were out of joint when Fergie snapped up Miller on a pre-contract free transfer.
‘An opportunity like that doesn’t come around too often. Looking back, I thought it would be a good place to go and play football,’ said Miller later.
Fergie felt he could thrive as a wide midfielder but competition at Old Trafford was intense and Miller was moved on after 22 first team games. In fairness, he didn’t sit on his backside collecting his wages, for he was always keen to play. The motto, ‘have boots, will travel’, could have been invented for him. At Celtic, he once went on loan to Aarhus in Denmark with Jim Goodwin for first team experience.
After his time at United was up, Miller joined Leeds United on loan and then signed for Roy Keane at Sunderland.
He had a productive spell in the north-east of England, helping the Black Cats win promotion to the Premier League in 2007, but in his third season at The Stadium of Light he fell out with Keane, who didn’t hold back in his autobiography.
‘He was late (for training) too often. I was sick of the excuses and told him I’d had enough,’ said Keane bluntly.
Even so, Keane always held Miller in high regard and attended his removal and funeral last February, before lending his considerable presence to the benefit match for Miller’s family.
After Sunderland, Miller pitched up at QPR and Hibernian before he became the first Ireland international to play in Australia’s A League.
After spending 2015 at Cork City, he headed for Wilmington in the United States, a lowly amateur club. It was further evidence of his willingness to leave his comfort zone and was playing away until struck down by an aggressive form of cancer which ended his life just days before his 37th birthday.
While regarded by the GAA as ‘a soccer player’ Miller played under-age Gaelic football and hurling with Éire Óg, his local club in Ovens. He was a fine dual player too, a captain, and always had an affinity to Cork’s senior teams.
Prior to the 2006 All-Ireland hurling final, when a Manchester United player, Miller took part in a webchat for Eircom, then sponsors of the Irish football team.
He spoke of the buzz he got out of attending a hurling quarterfinal a few weeks earlier between Kilkenny and Galway.
When asked who his favourite hurler was, he replied in a jffy, ‘Joe Deane, he’s a savage hurler. Hopefully, he’ll do the business on Sunday. Up the Rebels!’