BOSS JOHN IS EVANS SENT IN TIPP FOOTBALL
NO-ONE expected Ardfinnan to be playing in Semple Stadium tomorrow, but they’ll be there contesting the Tipperary football club final. And it’s largely due to John Evans.
Evans, the former Tipp, Roscommon and Wicklow manager had no inclination to get involved at club level in the wake of a tough year with the Garden County.
But then Petey Savage got in touch, and one of Tipperary’s great football characters wasn’t about to take a no from Evans.
When Evans came on board in June, the club were staring the prospect of a relegation play-off in the face, having lost by 24 points to Clonmel Commercials.
The Kerry man only promised to give his input for a few weeks, but him being there lit a spark in the players – and himself.
“To say that someone has had an influence like that on a parish is just unbelievable,” said Brendan Cummins, the legendary Tipp keeper who lined out for the club’s footballers last year. “It’s mad stuff what he’s after doing with us. It’s been fantastic.
“Now we’re in a county final after beating Loughmore by a point in a dogfight in Holycross, and with as good a chance as any to beat Moyle Rovers, who pipped Commercials in the last minute. It’s big, big stuff for us.”
Cummins (inset) believes the GAA “missed a trick” by denying Evans the chance to become Tipp’s director of football on a fulltime basis.
“Galway have seen it with Lukasz (Kirszenstein), he’’s setting up their strength and conditioning academy for all the world so everyone gets through it,” Cummins said.
“If we’re talking about future-proofing our game, everyone needs to invest in people like him to just solely look at this from a professional point of view – get everything streamlined.
“Really he’s been the driving force and the players have responded. It’s beyond anyone’s wildest dreams what he’s doing.”