What are the ingredients of success? What constitutes a winning formula? Ever since sport began, the greatest minds in the coaching, management and playing of sport have pondered this very conundrum. The small things that often lead to overall glory are said to be the primary focus of any winning team. The meal you eat before a game. The amount of water you drink. The words your manager utters to you as you leave the dressing room.
Even the way you wear your socks.
Daithi Regan is, it is fair to say, one of the most colourful characters in the GAA, known to a certain generation for remarks such as "They won't tog out 'cos they're gobshites" and "Ger Loughnane can crawl back up his arse". But long before being renowned for his outspoken nature, Regan was feared by opponents throughout the land as a hard-hitting, teak-tough All-Star and All-Ireland winning hurler with his beloved Offaly.
At last year's All-Ireland final, Regan was reminiscing about these glory days to Joe Molloy on Newstalk and the result was absolutely brilliant radio.
We won't ruin it for you, but needless to say the clip includes the link between former President of Ireland Mary Robinson and Daithi Regan's socks, what it's like to deck Ollie Baker and whether Regan regrets any of the less desirable behavior he exhibited on the field of play.
The lesson from all of this is: never tell an Offaly man to pull up his socks. Especially not on All-Ireland final day.
