Waterford look to maintain Croke Park Form.

On October 7, when the Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football team run onto Croke Park to play Armagh in this years All-Ireland Final, the setting will be a much different place to what it was when Waterford first had a Ladies Football team in Croke Park.

The old Hogan and Cusack Stands are long gone. The Nally Stand is also gone as is the terrace at the Canal end of the ground. Hill 16, is still there, even if it is in name only, as the original Hill is long replaced by a structure that meets with modern health and safety requirements.

Waterford’s Ladies Football team first made a visit to Croke Park back in 1986. This was the first year that the finals were played in Croke Park. Waterford had a junior team that day and went down in history as the first Ladies Football team to win an All-Ireland Final at G.A.A. Head-quarters, where they beat Wexford.

On that day, one of Waterford’s all time greats of Ladies football (and there has been quite a few), Marie Crotty also wrote her name into the history books as she became the first Lady Footballer to score in an All-Ireland Final at Jones’ Road.

Waterford Ladies footballers have a very good record in Croke Park.

After accounting for Wexford in the 1986 Junior All-Ireland, Waterford had to wait a few years before making the big break through in the senior ranks. That came in 1991 when they beat Kerry in the Munster Final and then went on to beat Laois in Croke Park in the All-Ireland Final.

Twelve months later, the same two sides clashed in the All-Ireland final. The outcome this time around was the same, another win for Waterford.

In 1994 Waterford were back in Croke Park where a rivalry with Monaghan was stuck up. Waterford won a third All-Ireland final in four years, and in 1995 when the same sides clashed once more in the senior final, the outcome was the same, another win for Waterford.

Monaghan were to gain some revenge for the defeats in 1994 and 1995 in 1997 when they beat Monaghan, in what has to be described as one of if not the most controversial final in the Ladies Football Association history.

The reason the 1997 final was so controversial was that the referee somehow found twelve minutes to add to the game at the end of the second half and it was in this time that the Ulster champions were able to tag on the scores that won them their second final.

After the controversy of ’97 by the time the final in 1998 was played, the association had introduced the count down clock into the game. Waterford were back in Croke Park for this final where a new rivalry began, this time with Mayo.

The final ended in stalemate, therefore requiring the sides to clash for a second time where Waterford emerged as winners of the Brendan Martin Cup for the fifth time.

In 1999 and again in 2000, Waterford and Mayo again clashed in the final and unfortunately from a Waterford perspective, victory on both occasions went to the side from the West of Ireland.

Waterford did not have a Ladies Football team back in Croke Park until 2010. On that occasion, just like this year in was in the Intermediate grade. Donegal lead 1-7 to 0-8 at the break and after another 30 minutes it was the same difference between the sides, with Donegal winning out 2-12 to 0-16.

Waterford’s overall record in Croke Park is quite good, but no doubt in under two weeks time, the team will be hoping that their twelfth visit to G.A.A. Head quarters will be a winning one.