I have long felt a close affinity with Shackleton. “The pair of you are soul brothers,” Nancy often says.

We share uncannily similar ideas on how to marshal the men in our care, though I would tend to me more personable with them, and the suggestion of a certain standoffishness in Shackleton’s personality did him little credit.

Dear Noel – Settle a bet. For that goal, did you dink it, or bend your back?

Noel replies – Nancy swears I hopped it on the knee twice on the run-in. Far be it from me to say.

Louis, club chairman – “Thanks Noel for your advice about how to handle the Teagasc Advisor managing our team. The lads are flying. Last week he hypnotised one of our corner-forwards and told him he’d wake up thinking he was Peter Canavan. Next day he scored 2-3 (0-1f) in a top-of-the-table clash. We now play The Ride of the Valkyries over the public address system before home matches.”

This week’s Kick up the Noel goes to Leitrim manager Dessie Dolan.

I’m sure you read Dessie’s outrageous comments about Nickey Brennan. He took Nickey to task in most unparliamentary language over the decision to deprive Division Four teams of a second shot in the front door.

Nigel from North Kerry wonders how he might “convey the impression of control, calmness, and calculation” on the sideline on the day of a match. He’s managing his club U10s this year and hopes it will be the big break he’s been looking for.

I could talk about sideline deportment all day long – and, indeed, sometimes Nancy and I do when we’re out for a nice drive back west – but this one link here tells Nigel all he needs to know.