Linda Call’s Time on Inter County Career

There can be no disputing that if a history of Ladies Football in Waterford was to be compiled it would stretch many chapters, with different era’s and different players getting a chapter to themselves.

One such player that could well be afforded a chapter to them self is Linda Wall, who recently announced her retirement form the Inter County Game.

She is one of three lots of three sisters that helped Waterford win the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship in 2015, a year when Linda took over the captaincy of the team from a fellow Ballymacarbry player Michelle McGrath. For the record the other two lots of three sisters on that Waterford panel were the Ryan’s from Ballymacarbry and the Murray’s from Comeragh Rangers who in fact are triplets.

Linda’s time in the white and blue of Waterford and indeed the blue and white for a short while is an interesting one.

She came into the Waterford set up at a time when the great team of the 1990’s that achieved so much including winning five All-Ireland Finals between 1991 and 1998 was coming to an end.

There followed a few lean years for Waterford, but Linda and others like Elaine Power who announced her inter county retirement shortly after Waterford’s All-Ireland win in 2015 and Michelle Ryan who is still involved all came into the panel around the same time and stuck by the game they loved when others could have given up when success was not coming their way.

Along the way other players came into the panel as more and more of the familiar games left the inter county scene they helped younger players settle into the set up.

Getting relegated a  grade is often seen as a disaster by some but it often allows for sides to regroup and get experience playing against sides of their own standard, and not suffer heavy defeats to stronger sides.

In the intermediate grade Waterford had seven good years, winning seven Munster Finals in a row, with Linda one of a number of players to play a part in all seven victories.

In this time Waterford reached All-Ireland Final’s in 2010 and 2012 against Donegal and Armagh but defeat was Waterford’s lot on both occasions, again with Linda involved.

Waterford however, with Linda as Captain made up for these defeats by beating a fancied Clare side in 2015 at Croke Park.

Waterford also reached National League Finals along the way. Defeat was Waterford’s lot in the 2010, 2014 and 2015 Division Three League Finals, before Waterford came out on top in 2016 when they defeated Tipperary after a replay in Thurles. (Waterford must have something about not liking playing Ulster teams in finals, losing to Donegal in the Championship and Cavan in the league in 2010, Armagh in the Championship in 2012 and the same county in the 2014 league final). 

Oh yes, since making her Championship Debut for Waterford against Cork back in 2001, Linda has also played an important part with her club Ballymacarbry.

I am sure that we have not seen the end of her yet in the Blue and White of Ballymacarbry, where she has already won 19 yes 19 County Senior Ladies Football Finals in a row. She has helped her club win Four Munster Senior Club Championships, a 7’s All-Ireland Final and an All-Ireland Club Senior Final.

Have another quick look at some of what Linda Wall has won in an illustrious career. A National League Division three medal, an All-Ireland Intermediate Football medal, nominated for an All-Star, Captain of an All-Ireland winning team, and so far with her club, 19 Senior County Finals, Munster Senior A and B Club Championships, an All-Ireland 7’s competition, Munster Senior Inter County Medals. How much more can she win in her career.

And when she decides to hang up her playing boots for the last time, she could have a career as a coach to look forward to. Last year she was on the line for Ballymacarbry against the Tipperary Champions Brian Borus encouraging her side and helping her side to keep its shape.

We have heard a lot about Wall’s in the recent past coming out of America.

Waterford had its Wall’s before Donald Trump was even mentioned as a possible candidate for the position of President of the United States of America.

President Trump’s walls may be about to keep people from other counties from entering his, while Waterford’s Wall’s has managed to keep many sides from winning numerous games.

Whether President Trump’s Wall’s ever come to fruition or not remains to be seen. Waterford’s Wall’s no doubt be around for an while to come, as Mairead and Aileen, Linda’s younger sisters will be doing to their best to keep sides out.

But for now, Linda Wall’s inter county career is over, but I have no doubt we have not seen the end of her.