Boden capture Under 21A football title in style

“VICTORI SPOLIA” (to the victor, the spoils), roared a pissed-up Donagh O’Farrell as he made his way home from Coppers, after spending the night celebrating with the Under 21 footballers, following their victory in the County Final. “Carpe Diem (seize the day), is what I said to lads, before they took to the field against Ballymun. What’s the point in having a classical education if you savages don’t understand me. There will be an initiative in the New Year to make Ballyboden a Bi-Lingual club. Irish is getting the gate. It will be English and Latin from 2024.”

“It was a Magnum Opus (great achievement) by the chaps to secure the Primis (first) Under 21 football title since 2014”, he screamed at me from the high moral ground. “From momento unum (first minute) the chaps set out their boutique and controlled the game. Like my Pincerna (Butler), they were efficient, professional and stuck to the task at hand.” After quaffing a handful of truffles and a coupe of Dom Pérignon, he went on to pontificate, “Defensively we were quite composed. Tranquillitas (calm) would be a good way to describe the back 6. They operated as efficiently as my team of housekeepers and ground staff. Euge (Bravo)”.

Three points from Sweeney and one each from McDonald and O’Dwyer saw Boden go to the break 5 points to 1-1 ahead after playing up the hill and into the wind. At halftime we caught up with mentor Liam O’Dwyer, who’s managerial career is beginning to look like the stuff of legend. “As a friend of mine always said, ‘do something you like and you’ll never work a day in your life’, he did Heroin”. He went on to say,  “The game is in the balance here; the opposition defence are as organised as a box of marbles, and we need to take advantage of it in the second half”. Following a rousing team talk by mentor Ronan Cleary, who back in his playing days had all the coordination of an electrocuted octopus, the lads took to the field with a renewed focus.

After multiple recycles and 14 phases, O’Reilly tapped over a point on 34 minutes and Boden didn’t look back after that. We caught up with elitist O’Farrell, who was perched high in his Ivory Tower, for his take on the overall performance. “Veni Vidi Vici. (I came, I saw, I conquered). It’s truly a joyous occasion. That Sweeney chap was et aspectus (a sight to behold). He popped over septem (seven) of the undecim (eleven) second-half points. Left foot, right foot, he is just shy of heading the ball over the bar. He will be the face of my “Fac Boden Bi Linguale” (Make Boden Bi-Lingual) campaign. First, we will root out the Gaeilgeoir’s, most of them are only boggers anyway. Then we will go after the publicly educated mob, who swan around the place with their unfounded sense of entitlement. And finally, anyone who doesn’t have a winter skiing holiday, as well as a summer retreat to a place where you have to geographically explain where the location is, they are also out on their asinus (arse)”. It’s going to be a challenging 2024.

So that’s it, (id est). The last official fixture of the year ends in victory for Boden football and more silverware for the cabinet. With only four weeks to go until the 2024 pre-season training, one could argue that it has been a long year. But what a way to finish it out. This group of 2002 & 2003 lads are special players and I hope they go on to represent the club at the highest level, because not only are they good footballers but they are absolute gentlemen and a pleasure to have been around. But all good things must come to an end. Fly high, fly far and thanks for the memories.

Slan or bona fortuna (Good luck) as we will all be saying when O’Farrell’s, Fac Boden Bi Linguale campaign takes hold.

Final Score: BBSE 0-16 Ballymun 1-1

Team:  Cillian Murray, David Gannon, Harry Donaghy, Oisin Byrne, Alex Gavin, Evan Nugent, Eoghan Gannon, Michael McDonald (0-1), Ciaran Duggan (0-1), Eoin Behan, Ryan O’Dwyer (0-1), Robbie O’Reilly (0-1), Daire Sweeney (0-10 (6xF)), Luke Byrne (0-1), Mark McGlynn, David Keogh, Harry Colcough, David Keane (0-1), Leon Kennedy, Jimmy Meaney, Barry McGuire, Luke Mulligan Lynch, Daragh Kenny, Daniel Lynch, Ryan Skelly, Eoin Donne

Thanks to Miriam Doyle for photos. Click here to see more.