 It's time to talk American football on Highland radio once again. I'm delighted to say Paul O'Donnell, who is the chairperson and more importantly, the quarterback of the Lonegal Dairy Vipers, joining us on the programme. You're welcome to Highland, Paul. Hi, Arshen. Thank you for having me along. It's great to get a chance to speak. Yeah, this might be the first time I've spoken to you anyway, I think, Paul. You haven't had the privilege. Well, listen, you're the man on the nose who you are, according to Kehal Korn anyway. Listen, the Vipers, you have a big weekend ahead, but before we look at the final of the competition that you're playing, COVID obviously played its part. No all-army league fees this year, Paul. Nothing this year. It's been put on hold really for the last year and a half. And on the league itself, we had no choice, do you know what I mean? As much as everybody in the league and the board wanted to actually drive on and get some football going because it's important and you can ask anybody who plays the game in the whole of Ireland, it's very important. So we couldn't get anything done. Our hands were tied, unfortunately. We tried all we can. We even had an online tournament which went really, really well. That was probably the best we could do in the situation. So made the most of it, hopefully strengthening now and sort of ready to go again now next. I think it'll be March, hopefully, if things go as planned or as they hope it's going to come about. But no, it's all good. We do have a wee bit from a league perspective. We have the flag football starting out, the flag football league starting out in September. And we also have the youth footballers about seven or eight teams involved in that nationally. So that's going to start in October time. So wee bit of football, but the carrot is our bread and butter. That's what we hope to get back to, you know, in competition-wise next year. Well, in the meantime, you've got yourselves involved in an invitational cup, four sides from up this part of the island of Ireland. There's yourselves the Antrim Jets who you meet in the final. There's also the Northern Ireland Razorbacks. Is that right in the Cosway Giants? That's right. The two teams they're playing for the third place now at 11 o'clock on Sunday and ourselves the Vipers and the Adrin Jets are playing at half two, all it's per hand. Playing fields and dairy, like you know. So definitely come along if you get a chance. The games have been great. We've been playing for the last four to six weeks. We've had about three games and they've been really, really tight, really competitive and a great day out. Do you know what I mean? The weather was fantastic. Very loaded and hopefully fingers crossed, we get the same now for Sunday and dairy. You won your three matches, Paul. We what? You won your three matches. Well, we won two of them. One of the matches we're talking about COVID earlier, one of our second game against the Razorbacks. We had to sort of cancel the last month of duty COVID because a couple of guys on the Razorbacks team where they tested positive. So we had to cancel that. So by default, we won it. I like to think it was $30 as what it normally be saying. So I'm taking the credit for four touchdown passes, two to myself. Why not make the most of it? What was the first game like against the Antrim Jets and are you expecting something similar now? Come the final against them on Sunday? Do you know what? And it was the same two against the first game that actually kicked the whole series off, which was the Razorbacks versus the Giants, Cosway Giants. It was very rusty. We haven't played in about a year, year and a half. So I took a wee bit of time to sort of get the ball rolling. And then probably the worst start that this was my first game as a quarterback, but the worst start we could have as the very first series of plays for the Jets against ourselves, they ran on like, I think it was like a 70-yard touchdown or something like that. Great bit of work. And it was off the bad start. But look, we slowly got there. We started sort of the second half a lot better. We were down about, I think it was 13, 13-6. And then we sort of got a few drives to go in the second half and sort of 16 on answer points. So we ended up 1-22-13, which was great. Expect the same this time. I don't know. The Jets are a great team now. They've a really good side under Donald McCloskey. He's their head coach. So they've been going a few years, maybe a year or two less than ourselves, but they're at the tough time. And we've always played, you know, a good game against them. We actually, we played them here in Lederkenne a few years ago as well too, down in Kallis Daile. So expect a tough game. Expect a tough game. There's nothing sort of, take nothing for granted in this game. Like, you know, it's just, it's on the day. So we'll do your best. We'll do all we can and stick to what the coaches are telling us to do. So hopefully we'll be coming out the other end holding that cup on there. So I'm going to ask you a question. Tom Brady is the oldest quarterback in America. Would you agree you're the oldest quarterback in Ireland? I probably am, to be honest. I've seen. You haven't been the quarterback for long, have you? No, this, this is really, this will be my, technically my third game playing quarterback ever. So I don't mind taking the sort of cap or the title of the oldest quarterback. I don't know about the best quarterback in Ireland. There's a lot of great talent out there. Like, you know, and one of them is actually against, is playing against us now on Sunday. It's Scott McLean. Great, great player. Got a can of an arm on him and he knows the game. So it'll be tough. It'll be good to see. It'll be good to see. Yeah. And what about the vipers? How you fix squad wise? I know that we have used guys on every year and is there always making the call out when trials come and training to get new people in? In this COVID 18 months that would have, how's it been? Have you, have you got many more additions on Paul? Has it been kind of the whole situation? Has it with players coming on? It's been okay. We've done all right. We've done as we normally would expect. You know, you'll get a lot of people who come on to the, the, the, the tryouts. And, you know, when there's a wee bit of contact involved, you sort of, you sort of, you whittle a few of them down. So we got about six or seven there this year, some of those good split to which I was happy to see between Donny Gaul and Derry. So we have a few guys coming through. We have one guy in particular, um, big JP. He is, he's American and he is an absolute beast. Do you know what I mean? So it's second nature has, but the other guys we have that likes a big Mike, uh, Coyon, we have, Leroy, uh, and a few other guys who are in, are in McAfley's come back on there too. So these are all guys that are, have got the talent, have got the skill, and they're just sort of finding their feet with it like, no, but they're doing a fantastic job. So yeah, we're, we're very happy with, with how the, the, the rookie's going this year. Um, from Donny Gaul perspective, we have obviously the man himself, Darren Donahy. He is, uh, he's the only man that, that, that is in front of me and he does a great job. He's the center. So he passes me the ball and I'm set about JP being a beast. Darren is not far behind him. He's about a banana to, uh, but on a control way, but on a control way. So it's all, it's all good. Still looking to promote again for next year, starting again now in October time. So they kick off the season, hopefully in 2022 on, uh, around March and already around St Patrick's Day time. You're looking for more beasts and animals then? Always, always looking for beasts and animals. Always looking for beasts and animals. Uh, you're of course a part of the board as well. Uh, the governing board, the AFI. What's America, where's American football at in Ireland at the moment? American football is in a good place. Um, COVID, as I say, sort of had every sport, not, not just American football, but there's a lot of good work that's gone behind the, the scenes that is maybe that you don't hear about. Um, no, last year I say we couldn't really play any, any sort of competition, any sports at all. So we, we, we developed, uh, an online tournament and one of our players actually won the, the, the PS4 version of it. Um, Bosti Kwan, uh, Darren Kwan. So we also have the, the champion in Ireland for the, the, uh, online sort of Madden series. Um, from a sport perspective and development, we and the AFI, we've, we've got a whole lot of new guys coming on the team. Uh, and we're really looking to push and develop and sort of get, get the, the, the sport more widely sort of played in all parts of Ireland. Like, you know, next year as well, we're involved with the, um, bringing, uh, a college team to Dublin. So there'll be a big game now, a college game now next August time. So there's a lot of good stuff, uh, happening and a lot of sort of exciting stuff coming up. The flag football is coming up. You know, we're, we're, we're talking about, you know, there's, there's IFAF, which is a, uh, international federation for American football. You know, we're looking at flag tournaments. We're looking at, uh, developing our national team, the Irish Wild Founds as well too. Hopefully we can get a game COVID dependent this year with them against sort of one of the European teams. So all good stuff, uh, coming up and a lot of work involved, but a lot of good work. It's sort of getting done. So it's, it's going well and at some rate. Good. Finally then, Paul, uh, one more shout just for the games that's happening on Sunday and pre-hem. Okay. So it's, uh, we have an 11 o'clock in the morning. We have the Cosby Giants playing the, the Ni Razorbacks for the third place, uh, game playoff on that. And then the final end is at two 30. And that's between Donny Galdare, Viper's versus the Anthem Jets. Come along. Listen, we have with cheerleaders there. We, we tighten cheer and either a local cheerleading team. We have the domestic game, which is the sort of the, the new and hot sort of podcast podcast in Ireland for American football. Um, and we just have all our wee bits and pieces happening on the day. So hopefully it'll be a good day. Uh, it'll be a good day out for the family and all the rest. Really looking forward to it. And hopefully we can, we can give, uh, the local dairy boys, uh, something to cheer about and Donny Galdare, of course, too. Like, you know, okay, we look forward to the best to look with, uh, the competition finale of the weekend. Paul, thanks for joining us. Thanks, Arshing. Thanks a lot.