Football's new phase after Armagh's tale of the unexpected

Last weekend saw the 50th anniversary of Dublin's All-Ireland triumph against Galway, when Heffo's Army arrived on the scene.

'You'll Never Walk Alone' was being sung on the Hill and on the Croke Park sod as Sean Doherty accepted the Sam Maguire Cup. That victory half a century ago ended an 11-year wait for a title but the time in between saw Dublin's stock fall quite dramatically.

Playing for the Dubs was something you didn't shout about. At the start of the '74 campaign, even with Kevin Heffernan now at the helm, the side were rank outsiders to even emerge from Leinster.

Much has been written and said about how Heffo brought Dublin from the land of nowhere to win an All-Ireland that kick-started a run of six final appearances, with three victories for the Boys in Blue. But that maiden success, even if the final against Galway was far from vintage, is nevertheless a sporting journey that will be replayed over and over again.

Fifty years on and again we had another tale of the unexpected, but one that Roald Dahl would not have written about.

Armagh, in winning a second All-Ireland title, weren't as far down the pecking order as the Dubs were in the year Abba won the Eurovision, but still would not have featured on too many of the prediction lists in early spring. While Dublin players in the early 70s exhibited a shrunk disposition when it came to playing for their county, Armagh, in recent seasons, carried the weight of 'nearly men'.

Never mind the heartache of all those penalty shootouts, Kieran McGeeney's men had their chance to avoid that lottery in games that mattered. And then they found a way: coming good after extra-time against Kerry and then hanging tough in those nerve-tingling final minutes against Galway.

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