I’d love to get talking to a bookmaker someday to attain a better understanding of how the form markets. Or, put another way, price up events. Decide what price participants are going to be for a given event.
For example, they can’t just pluck figures from the sky and decide, say, that Donegal are going to open as 1/10 favourites to beat Louth, can they? For those not initiated in gambling terminology, that means if you put €10 on Jim McGuinness’s side and the duly do the needful at the weekend, you’ll get €11 back. Whereas, if alternatively your half score goes on the Wee County and they were to win (currently 8/1) that would generate a €90 return – 10×8 plus your stake back.
Now, if you place a bet on the day of an event, at least you have the advantage of, in most cases, seeing said proceedings play out before you. However, if you put down an ante post punt – well in advance thereof – you are (a) taking the chance that the event will come to fruition at all and (b) you lose the ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ addendum which most if not all layers now offer.
Still, the obligatory punt on St Peter’s, Dunboyne to win the Keegan Cup (Meath SFC) every year is unavoidable. Thus, when the first installment thereof was lodged in early February, one couldn’t believe our own lads were available at an unbelievably generous 9/1. Circumstances in the interim, though, might go some way in explaining why Ger Robinson’s side were so far down the list in the meantime.
Owing to the assumption – unfortunately probably a correct one – that neither Jack Kinlough or Ronan Jones will play any part in the quest having both being struck by serious injuries while on county duty with Robbie Brennan’s resurgent Royal County. However, to see them still available at 13/2 after the past weekend firstly prompted a topping up of the investment and secondly a realisation that the odds makers obviously hadn’t come across the big breaking news in the parish.
The arrival of Dublin seven time All Ireland SFC winner Eric Lowndes to join his two brothers Craig and Stuart in playing his club football with the black and ambers. No doubt, unless you are from the locality, you’re wondering is this a repeat of the Shane Walsh-to-Kilmacud Crokes scenario.
Well no. It’s very much a case of Eric joining his brothers in going back to their roots. Like their father, John, Eric had gone to school in Dunboyne but, because the family home is in Mulhuddart, it was through St Peregrine’s and Dublin Eric found his route to inter county football. Ironically, he and his now clubmate Shane McEntee directly marked each other in the All Ireland MFC Final of 2012.
From there, Lowndes was one of a golden generation of youngsters – also comprising the likes of Evan Comerford, Jack McCaffrey, Emmet O’Connghaile, Ciaran Kilkenny, Conor McHugh and Cormac Costello – who were parachuted straight into what was then Jim Gavin’s senior panel at the time.
For as long as the Air Corps man was at the helm rewriting the GAA’s history books, Eric was part of it all and – like so many more of his ilk, amassed a medal collection in jig time that most wouldn’t in a lifetime.
Yet for reasons best known to himself, Dessie Farrell deemed Eric – and others like O’Conghaille and Conor McHugh and, most mysteriously, the prodigiously talented Ciaran Archer, surplus to requirements. Ditto goalkeepers David O’Hanlon andd Mick Savage.
Those are just a few curiosities which may get a proper airing when the Na Fianna man eventually hangs up the Bainisteoir bib.
In the meantime, though, while there’s no suggestion Robbie Brennan may be tempted to bring Eric into the Meath fold – Stuart did get a few goes with Meath after Dunboyne won the county championship in 2018 – it should certainly boost their chances of adding a fourth title and ending the seven year wait for one.
Leave a Reply