Dear Noel,

I have been playing corner-back with my club for the last few years. The position has become so difficult with teams bringing a player out the field, two-man full-forward lines, lads crossing over and back, half-forwards rambling in, and even half-backs coming up the field.

I don’t know where I am half the time. I’ve noticed my direct opponents have recently started to score a goal or two in most games. It’s not my fault, obviously, given the way things have changed, but I’m afraid the manager will drop me because that’s the easy thing for him to do

What I want to know is – is there any chance the practice of the corner-back taking the kick-outs might come back into vogue? I have seen it on the old TG4 games, and I think it could be just what I need to give my game a timely boost.

I have a mighty drive of a dead ball.   

    - Mick, North Clare

 Noel replies – With the help of God it will, Mick. No-one can tell me the goalkeeper taking the kick-outs has improved the game one bit. It’s ridiculous.

When I was playing, the height of a goalkeeper’s ambition was to save the occasional shot (they didn’t dive or anything back then) and to avoid getting stung to death by the nettles while retrieving the ball from beyond the mearing wall. That’s why they always wore long trouser, and, latterly, regrettably, tracksuit legs.

Now they’re taking kick-outs, coming off their line, ordering the backs around the place, and, unbelievably, serving as team captains. It’s all a fad, Mick. If I were you, I wouldn’t put away the bull-top boots just yet. 

 
Noel is here to serve the ordinary, decent club person. Email him on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you’re in a tight corner. Log onto www.knowledgeablenoel.com for stuff on all kinds of everything.

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