Trust this cool Cat to bring calm to chaos

TODAY, Brian Cody formally steps into year number 19 as Kilkenny manager. Forgetting altogether the large trailer that he has filled with All-Ireland titles in his time, his tenure – because nobody doubts he will also steam into year number 20 – has been a remarkable achievement.

Nobody in the GAA at this time commands as much respect as Cody. He is now a man apart within the grand old association – and outside the GAA too he is held in a rarefied place by other sports people and the business community, as witnessed earlier this month when he spoke to 500 of this latter number about building a winning mentality.

But the greatest, and perhaps most inspiring, characteristic of the man is that if he was split down the middle we would find that Brian Cody (right) is exactly 50 per cent county manager and 50 per cent clubman. His love and duty to his own club, James Stephens equals his passion for his role as Kilkenny team boss.

Last week he was asked for his thoughts on the near impossible task of bringing clarity and fairness to the GAA fixtures calendar, and giving county and club players an equal share of that calendar.

Cody said that it was not his job to fix the biggest problem in our games. But he indicated quite clearly that he did not view it as insurmountable. Quite the opposite, in fact, as he explained how the Kilkenny County Board approach him every single year with their plans to divide county and club weekends.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever asked them to change it,’ he stated.

‘In fact, I haven’t. I’ve never asked them to change it. I say “that’s fine” and we work away.’

As the GAA becomes bigger, and bigger-spending every single year, and vested interests tighten their tentacles, it is a relief to be reminded that Brian Cody had walked a line for 18 years and never found any difficulty in keeping his club and his county almost perfectly happy. Even though he stresses it is not his business, the association’s leaders asking for Brian Cody’s help, in calming everyone down and accommodating everyone, would definitely be a very smart idea.