Honor And The Home-Based Player

By Denis O'Brien

Sean Butler, who is nominated for an All Star this year, plays football at left wing back for the Armagh Notre Dame Club at Junior A level and he has never received an NE Division All Star up to now. Like this year he was nominated three years ago as well and was honored then as well. "It felt great [to be nominated] after training so hard during the season and even pre-season. To be nominated felt as if your hard work during the season paid off even though we didn't do that well in 2003."

Butler went on to talk about the realities of keeping a club going in Boston. "We're struggling every year to make numbers due to players not coming over. Not even players but people not coming out due to the immigration situation. We struggled that year even to field a team in Junior A, our senior team that year got to the semi final, the next year after that they got to the semi final and got beaten in the final in 2005 when beaten by McAnespies and it was a great achievement for the club.

"But I think it's great every year [to have] a Junior A team, it's an achievement in itself because we have such a lack of numbers; we are able to stay up, we're able to stay afloat.

"[It all] depends on the boys that are here, all year round and have been, you know... your depending on the die-hard members of the club to come out and field a team. I though it was great achievement to stay up and it felt great to be nominated that year for an All Star."

He added in relation to his club numbers problems. "It's not just our club that's feeling it, it's every club that's feeling it now."

Sean felt personal satisfaction for being nominated. "A lot of people sort of over-look them (All Stars) and say they are just a thing to have for players to sort of give them something back and that they don't really mean anything but they do mean something. You know an individual who receives an All Star; it's recognition from the [NE Division] Board and recognition from fellow club members and even other clubs that you were a good player that season.

"That's what I feel. Other people might feel differently but I feel it's something that should happen every year and should keep happening every year because it brings the clubs together as well on the one night."

The picking of players for the All Stars sees the mangers of teams at each grade who reached the championship semi finalists sit down and pick out who they think deserves nomination and ultimately star status at each position in each grade.

Manus McFadden who managed Armagh ND seniors to one of those semi finals and saw success as manager of Galway Intermediate footballers this year in the Boston championship before going on to a NACB championship win at the national playoffs, shares the view that it is an honor for a player to be selected for an All Star where the home-based player is central in everything. "Most years it's the home based players who win the championship for you because in my eyes the away based players usually cancel each other out.

"If you can get your home based guys fit enough and willing enough to give up the time and effort, championships are usually won with the home based players. So the All Stars are a great honor for these individuals at the end of the year."

Asked if he felt the effort put in by the lower grades matched that of senior level, McFadden sees even greater committement there. "Even more so sometimes because theses clubs are trying to get to the top level and at senior level is where every player wants to fulfill his dreams."

The Boston All Star Banquet awards will be held this Saturday night Dec. 2nd at Florian Hall Dorchester.