It was amusing, however, hearing all these old warriors from old battles, go about scolding Ciaran McManus in the same game for shouting into the ear of his Wexford opponent who had just hacked one of the game's last chances well wide.

informed, straight-faced, that this business of shouting nasty stuff into the ear of an opponent on the ground was a new and unnecessary and quite insidious development in Gaelic football. But if I was Ciaran McManus, I would not be amused.

The Offaly midfielder could pick up any old tape of the Meath team from two decades ago, for starters, and point to non-stop talking and yapping, and laughing and sneering, and all sorts of comical and reprehensible gamesmanship. And he could pick up any tape or DVD of any other great football team from the 1980s and 90s and he would see the exact same range of antics.

Ciaran McManus can, legitimately, tell the born-again gentlemen on The Sunday Game to get off the stage.

Matty Forde, however, has no room for complaint. He will have to take his medicine, and lots of it, when the powers that be sit down in judgement over his mindless and dangerous stamp on the head of Offaly full-back Shane Sullivan.

Matty's family and friends, and everyone else who knows him and admires him, should not be jumping up and down in his defence. Their job is to stand by him as he takes his medicine, and stand there supportively, but silently.

He has no appropriate or acceptable defence.

Nearly every single one of us who has played this beautiful game has been guilty of at least one despicable act at one time or another. I have my shameful memory. A championship match for Skryne against Walterstown with friends and family watching me . . . God only knows what came into to my head but I do know, for sure, that I could have killed or seriously injured a man.

I remember, also, acts visited upon me which were designed to leave me maimed or, worse still, vegetated. Gaelic football was then, and remains, a game which is not for the faint-hearted and, with the curtain almost down on a thieving and wretchedly low-life World Cup, we should all say 'Thanks Be To God' and 'Amen' to the fact that our game is so physically honest and manly, almost all the time.

Matty Forde, unfortunately for him and his loved ones, but fortunately for the good health of our game, was caught on camera and also on the biggest TV screen in the country last Sunday. Matty should get nailed for 12 months, minimum.

And those of us who saw what happened with our own eyes should not be told, by anyone, that Matty Forde is being nailed to any cross.

End of story.

Meanwhile, the beginning of the run-in of the 2006 All Ireland championship begins this afternoon.

Kerry facing their first real test of the summer is, as always, the starter's flag for themselves and for those remaining in the running.

Armagh might also be there. Kerry folk will not take their eyes off Armagh for one second, and as soon as they have finished with Cork this afternoon they will be especially eager to see how Joe Kernan's stronghearted men have coped with a younger and tougher Donegal team.

This, no doubt about it, is a day which has do-or-die written all over it for Armagh. Kernan and some of his mature (shall we say) players are taking grave exception at being called old. Why they are challenging this so vociferously remains a mystery. They are, definitely, not young and like many a great, aged prize-fighter before them, this great and proud and still exceptionally skilful Armagh side appear mentally conditioned to just do enough each Sunday . . . and save themselves for the very next Sunday.

There is an exciting dash about this Donegal team, and they certainly will play this afternoon with their gloves off.

Armagh know this in advance. There'll be no surprises out there for them today. They know they've got to win, and win well. Someday soon this summer, for their own good, Armagh have got to win a game with some style and with some ease. If they manage that this afternoon, and I'm seriously suggesting here that they might just do that, then Kerry will know that there is no room for error, and no time for young men to grow up, in the second half of the 2006 All Ireland championship.