IT COULD BE A STAIRWAY TO SEVEN

Meath hero Flynn believes training fiasco could refocus Dub efforts to extend record

BERNARD FLYNN believes the fall-out from Dublin getting caught red-handed breaking the training ban will galvanise the Blues’ seven-in-a-row bid.

Flynn (left) claims incidences of county teams training are rife despite the restrictions – and was tempted himself as Meath’s under20 manager to organise sessions, before deciding not to.

“I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” he said. But the two-time All-ireland winner with the Royals admitted he knew 48 hours before Dublin’s clandestine training session was exposed that the reigning All-ireland champions were already at work.

“If it was me, if I push the boat out and do something and the story gets out, then I’m finished,” said Flynn.

“I’m on the backfoot because I’m only starting out. I won’t get a second chance. I’m climbing the hill and it’s hard.

“What shocked me was that I couldn’t see any upside for that unreal risk with the resources, reserves and the work Dublin have done. I got a call two days beforehand and all of my management knew. People could tell me in Tyrone 24 hours beforehand.

“It was known all over the country that Dublin were training, 48 hours before they went out training.

“That’s what shocked me more than anything. Normally they’re a lot tighter.

“I was just in disbelief when I saw it because of what they represent, the way they go about their business and if something happened it never got out of the Dublin camp, it just didn’t leak.

“It’s a lesson to us all. I just couldn’t see the reward and I still can’t for that risk/ reward. But if they never kicked a ball for the whole league, they would still win the knock-out (All-ireland) – unless Tyrone or Kerry do something there isn’t going to be a competitive game.”

Flynn says the Dublin county board was clever to immediately slap a 12-week ban on Dessie Farrell when the story broke, although the GAA scrapped that last week and imposed their own 12-week suspension five days ago.

“Dessie has been a bit different to Jim Gavin and pleasantly surprised the players with his level of detail and will to win,” Flynn remarked. “He made a few tough decisions on players and stuck with them.

“I can’t see him organising the training totally on his own. If he had the chance

again, he wouldn’t do it. I’d say Dessie is the one manager who will regret it. Personally I don’t have an issue with them doing something in small groups, but the rules are the rules.”

Flynn doesn’t believe the controversy will make any real difference and that Dublin remain hot favourites to lift the Sam Maguire again in August.

Certainly he doesn’t see what happened as a stain on the Dubs.

“No, it could galvanise them a little bit,” he argued. “The players probably pushed this to get back out on the field, limber up and get back quicker.

“They probably pushed it more than Dessie, but I don’t know. I don’t think it

will leave a stain on Dublin and they’ll more than likely win seven this year. Dessie has two in the bag then.

“I do think the All-ireland for Dessie was massive. I don’t think people realised the pressure that was on him was massive and once he won that was immense for him.

“If he lost last year and this happened then it’s a different scenario completely,

“Knowing him as the individual he is, he has tried to do most things right, he’s a good lad, he put his life into working at underage for Dublin and deserved his All-ireland.

“But this would be killing him, that he got caught like that.”

Flynn feels that if GAA bosses have threatened expulsion from a competition when the training ban was announced then there would have been more compliance.

“I would have no doubt there wouldn’t be anyone breaking the rule, because it’s that severe,” he said.

“But they left it open, it’s too easy.”

›› Meath legend Bernard Flynn is the subject of this week’s Laochra Gael on TG4 on Thursday night at 9.30pm