See ye on the Hill!

[Lone Shark]

I know by now ye don't have to be asked, but above all this is the kind of game where as a mass of support, we are needed. As mentioned elsewhere, we have a young gang of players who have not known too many good days against Kilkenny in their hurling careers. We may get off to a good start, in which case we can help put pressure on Kilkenny and drive our lads on further, or we may get off to a poor start, in which case our fellas will need to feel that there is unflinching support there to keep them plugging away and not to lapse into the kind of hammering that could easily occur.

I know ye'll all be there, but I'm asking ye to forego ye're seats and come join us on the Hill - I'm unable to confirm as yet what section we'll be on, but the tickets were got last night from O'Connor Park, so I'm sure if ye acquire tickets at home ye'll end up in the same one.

Follow the Shark - our day will come.

[Bord na Mona man]

I'll be up there with 2 hurls!!

[Ron]

2 Hurls...just incase you are called from the stands??
What was the verdict on the new hill the last day? I ended up in the middle of the Cusak for the Laois match, best seats in the house too, so I need a bit of a kick to back to the hill.

[Bord na Mona man]

The stand is for sitting with your family and being civilised.
The new Hill is a good improvment on the old one.
The elevation is much better - Notice how you can't see the old railway wall any more.

[Lone Shark]

Ron, you're one of us now. Get yourself on to the Hill and exhort your team on with all the gusto that you can. If you go to the game and sit in the stands, you'll have only given 50% of what you can to the cause. And then you won't be able to sleep at night.

Now repeat after me in a low repetitive fashion:

one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us,...........

[Bord na Mona man]

Sit in the stand and risk being in with the Kilkenny crowd...who'll be telling you "stay quiet", "sit down" anytime you raise a cheer.
You'll feel like a right caged animal then!

[Ron]

One of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, must follow The Shark one of us, one of us.....
Looks like I'll have to encorgage some of my match gong comrades back onto the hill then!
I hope they can be as easily convienced as I was!

[Kevin]

Will need to view this one from the local AOH and will keep an eye out for the Shark when the cameras pan the crowd. Here's hoping that there will be plenty to shout about!

COME ON OFFALY!!!!!!!

[Treasurer]

I'm almost afraid to say it, but the nearer this game gets, the more optimistic I'm getting.....

Anyway, all we have to do is score 2-16 - the magic number...

LAST TEN CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS

2002 - Kilkenny 2-20 Offaly 1-14 (Leinster semi-final)
2001 - Kilkenny 3-21 Offaly 0-18 (Leinster semi-final)
2000 - Kilkenny 5-15 Offaly 1-14 (All-Ireland final)
2000 - Kilkenny 2-21 Offaly 1-13 (Leinster final)
1999 - Kilkenny 5-14 Offaly 1-16 (Leinster final)
1998 - Offaly 2-16 Kilkenny 1-13 (All-Ireland final)
1998 - Kilkenny 3-10 Offaly 1-11 (Leinster final)
1995 - Offaly 2-16 Kilkenny 2-5 (Leinster final)
1994 - Offaly 2-16 Kilkenny 3-9 (Leinster final)
1993 - Kilkenny 2-10 Offaly 0-14 (Leinster quarter-final)