Tipperary Hurling Tipperary GAA Premierview

B) THE BEFORE (75-88):

1) Pat Fox (1977-88)

The fact that Pat Fox is a modern-day legend in Tipperary and even National Hurling circles would have been laughed at in 1983 and 1984, as he was out with a serious long term knee injury. His list of medals and honours speaks for itself, having won All-Ireland medals in 4 decades and 2 centuries! He was born on 8th July 1961 and despite playing 3 years with the Tipp Minor hurlers he had no success. However he was part of the all-conquering Tipp U21 teams of 1979, '80 and '81, and starred in a variety of positions. He won his 1979 medal at midfield; the following year he was corner-back with Cormac Bonner at the edge of the square; and in 1981 he was again corner-back with Nicky English at wing-forward when they beat Kilkenny in Waterford 2-16 to 1-10, with both men outstanding. Fox was still underage for 1982 Tipp were surprisingly beaten by Limerick in the Munster Semi-final.
His first few Senior years were bad for Tipp, but good for Fox personally. Tipp were still without a championship win since 1973, when Fox made his debut in 1980 at midfield; (he moved back to corner back during the game), as Tipp lost to Cork 2-17 to 1-12. 1981 brought first round defeat to Limerick. Tipp blew a massive half time lead (2-10 to 0-3) to draw the game (3-13 to 4-10). Tip lost the replay 3-17 to 2-12. Pat lined out at corner forward, his brother Kevin was also a member of the Tipp team that day as well. (This was also the year that Mossy Carroll played with Tipp and his brother Brian played with Limerick). The heartbreak of this defeat was somewhat replaced when Fox was picked as a replacement All-Star and in a newspaper interview in 1992 he said that he played some of the best hurling of his career during those dark days for Tipperary hurling.
1982 promised to be a bright year for Tipp seniors, as the U21’s had been undefeated for the 3 previous years. Despite the Under 21 selectors taking over the senior team, and a lot of these players lining out against Cork in Pairc Ui Chaiomh in the Munster semi-final, the score-line (1-19 to 2-8) made depressing reading for Tipp supporters. Nicky English made his championship debut this day as well. However, a serious knee injury for Pat Fox during the summer of 1982, seemed to leave his hurling career in tatters.
He did not hurl with Tipp in 1983 and had to watch Tipp nearly win the Centenary Munster title in 1984 from the stand, and played on the Tipp Junior hurling team that lost Munster Final to Cork. 1985 saw him back in the Tipp Senior line-out at corner back. However, despite a replay win over Clare, Tipp lost the Munster final to Cork (4-17 to 4-11). Pat Fox says that the roasting he got off Thomas Mulcahy that day was his worst in Championship hurling. In 1986 both he and Nicky were in the stand injured in Ennis as Clare put an end to Tipp’s Championship dreams once again (2-10 to 1-11).
When Babs took over Tipp in the autumn of 1986 he was looking for players with the five S words ; speed, stamina, style, skill, leading to scores. Fox had all five of these qualities in abundance and his performances in the 1987 campaign proved this. The wheels nearly came unstuck in Killarney in May but with Fox in sparkling form; 1-10, Tipp won, (1-21 to 2-6). At the start of June Tipp were steeped to draw against Clare; 1-13 a piece with Fox again the top scorer with 0-7. He scored the same in the replay as Tipp cruised into the Munster Final 4-17 to 0-8.
60,000 fans crammed into Thurles on 12th of July to see Tipp face Cork in the Munster Final. Tipp started in whirlwind fashion and midway through the second half lead 1-14 to 0-10 and seemed to be home and hosed, however Cork scored 1-6 without reply and Kevin Kingston’s goal and John Fenton’s point left Tipp trailing by 2 points approaching injury time. With Tipp looking for inspiration it was “the little Big Man” who stepped up and like a man with ice in his veins put 2 high pressure frees over the bar to leave it 1-18 a piece, (Fox scored 0-9). While Nicky claimed all the media attention with his silky skills, in the end it was Fox who saved Tipp with his calm thinking and superb free-taking.
The replay was back to Killarney and over 45,000 people showed up for another Cork-Tipp classic. It started off badly for Tipp, and after a lethargic first half they trailed Cork by 5 points. Tipp slowly came back into it when Fox scored “the goal that never was” after a pass from Nicky when he blasted the ball to the net, but the shot it hit the back stanchion and the ball came back into play. Tipp levelled for the first time in the 23rd minute through Fox, however it needed a hand-passed Nicky point to put the game into extra time. Extra-time saw Michael Doyle score 2 goals and Donie O’Connell 1, set up by Fox, which led a mass pitch invasion, and Richard Stakelum’s speech that contained the famous original line “the famine is over”. It was a day that any Tipp person who experienced will never forget and brought the Munster Cup to Tipp for the first time since 1971. Fox was again Tipp’s top scorer with 11 points as Tipp triumphed 4-22 to 1-22.
Tipp peaked for the Cork game and were a raw team outside of Munster, facing a Galway team in determined mood to make up for losing the previous 2 All-Ireland Finals. In a superbly fast game of hurling Tipp took the lead through Nicky after only 9 seconds, but played catch up for the rest of the game. Fox again was very influential scoring a goal from a penalty just before the break to leave Tipp trailing by 4. Another Fox goal in the second half seemed to put Tipp on their way but goals from Eanna Ryan and Noel Lane left Tipp trailing after a pulsating game 3-20 to 2-17, with Fox scoring 2-3. The year finished on a high note for Fox when he collected a richly deserved All-Star at corner forward after being the leading scorer in the championship with 3-47.

Tipp collected their first League title since 1979 with a 3-15 to 2-9 win over Offaly in Croke Park in April 1988. Fox contributed 6-40 in the League campaign.
Tipp got the Munster Championship off with a very unimpressive victory, (0-15 to 0-8) in Cork as Tipp without Nicky struggled; Fox scored 0-7 points - as Culbaire put it in the Tipp Star - “sweet but not intoxicating". Tipp had to play a Cork team up for revenge in the Munster Final in the Gaelic Grounds. Tipp cruised through the first half and lead 1-13 to 0-5 points at the break. However, Cork stormed back through a goal by Tom Cashman and some superb points. The Tipp selectors then moved Nicky out the field, and brought on Cormac Bonnar who scored a vital goal for Tipp. Fox relinquished his free-taking duties and was held scoreless. Tipp won 2-19 to 1-13.

Tipp beat Antrim in the All-Ireland semi-final by 3-15 to 2-10. Fox got proceedings underway with a goal from a penalty and he also got the crucial goal at the end to kill the game off. A highlight of the game was the understanding between Fox and English who seemed to know exactly where the other was. Fox ended up with 2-1.
So Tipp advanced to their first All-Ireland Final since 1971. The pressure and atmosphere was very tense and it was a relief to the players to eventually take the

field on the 4th of September. Fox never got the better of his marker Ollie Kilkenny, and Conor Hayes had Nicky in trouble for most of the day as well. However, Tipp went in trailing by only 4 at the break and with the wind at their backs seemed to be well placed to launch an attack. Declan Ryan was having a great game and ended up with 4 points from play. However Tipp’s luck was summed up when a Donie O’ Connell goal was called back for a free-in, and superb saves were made by John Commins from Leahy and Fox. Noel Lane's goal was the difference between the teams. Tipp had a chance at the death but a point by Nicky left it 1-15 to 0-14. Fox was again held scoreless, and was the subject of some criticism from the manager Babs Keating. Again another season with no All-Ireland Senior Medal but progress was being made and it would pay off in 1989.