MICKEY NOUS

Linden living proof of the value of experience & he has wise words on state of the modern game

ENTRY into a Hall of Fame usually means one thing – that you’ve long since hung up the boots.

Not so Mickey Linden, the two-time All-ireland winner with Down who recently went viral when he kicked a superb point for Mayobridge against Burren in the county’s Premier Reserve Championship final at Pairc Eisler.

The 55-year-old certainly wasn’t expecting that – 27 years to the day since he helped Down to win the Sam Maguire Cup.

“The thing about it was, I only came on for about 15 minutes towards the end of that game,” he laughed. “It was effectively over. The fellas had all done the hard work. “I had sort of quit playing. “One of the managers approached me because they were short players two years ago and said, “Would you come back? We’re struggling, we’ve only 14 or 15 players for this championship match’.

“That got me roped back in. Then I got the feel of it, enjoyed it again, played on through that championship. Did the same since.

“That was the last game. We won the championship – a great one to finish with. “That will do me now.” In this era of mass defences, Linden is relieved he got to play for Down between 1982 and 2003. The modern game isn’t something he enjoys and he insists that changes must be made.

“I do honestly count my blessings that I played in the era I played in. We hadn’t got two or three defenders to beat.

“Most of th e time you had one-onones. You might’ve got teamed up but generally, you were getting the ball in more direct, you had more opportunities to go past your man.

“Now fellas are more in the habit of turning back because there are so many defenders – unless you have the big open spaces of Croke Park. It can be hard for a corner-forward now to express himself, show his skills the way we could back in the ’90s.”

Linden has noted the proposed rule changes that could be trialled in next year’s league.

“Possibly the offensive mark may work. I’d love to see the kick-outs going past the 45, but that practically can’t work for all levels of football.

“We need to bring in rules that work across the board.

“Something has to happen with the coaches more than the players. That’s where the biggest problem lies.”

WE GOT OUR KICKS Mickey Linden says he is glad that football was a more open and attacking game in his heydey