Tubridy keen to escape Division 4

David Tubridy would love if he never again has to talk about playing Division 4 football. The Doonbeg, Clare and Munster footballer has spent his entire inter-county career in the bottom division. He wants out and is hoping that come this time in 2014, Clare will be preoccupied with preparing for the start of the Division 3 League.
“I’ve been playing six years for Clare at this stage and we’ve been in Division 4 every year. We really want to get out of Division 4.
“We came close in two of the last three years. We just missed out by a kick of a ball and a finger-tip save last year, from a Wicklow defender.
“Everything could have been different but we just have to get ready again. That’ s our main goal this year – to get of Division 4,” Tubridy reiterated.
Clare required just a point from their last two league games in 2010 or a draw away to Wicklow in their final league game of 2012 to secure promotion. They’ve been close but haven’t closed it out. Perhaps Mick O’Dwyer might inspire their longed-for escape from the basement league?
“He’s a down-to-earth guy and gets on with the lads. He has been around a long time and knows his stuff. He’s proven that with the teams he has been with over the last 40 years.
“Hopefully, he can give us the little boost that we need to get out of Division 4. We’ve come close in the last couple of years and hopefully he’s the man who can edge us over the line,” the Clare free taker said.
Clare have been training collectively since the beginning of December under the new management team, which also includes Ger Keane, Michael Neylon and Micheál Cahill, who is in his second year as strength and conditioning coach.
“We’ve got stuck into training and we’ve had a few games in the last couple of weeks. Those games have brought us on a lot, especially Limerick in the McGrath Cup.
“It’s been good so far and preparations have been top-notch. We’re not starting from the beginning, like we did last year.
“Micheál [Cahill] knows what programmes we should be on. For the players on the panel last year, he has given us a tune-up programme and for the new players, he has given them a start-up programme.
“The selectors coming in have been around a long time and they know what it takes,” Tubridy reflected, noting that Waterford are also under new management.
“Waterford are always tough and a new manager always brings a new lease of life, probably the same as ourselves. It’s important to get off to a good start in the league, like we did last year against Waterford.
“We had a good win against them. We need a win on Sunday to kick-start the league because if we lose the first game, we’re on the back foot straight away,” he maintained. 
Tubridy is joined on the Clare panel by Doonbeg clubmate Shane Ryan, whom he feels has earned his chance.
“We had Joe Blake there at the start of the year but he broke a bone in his hand and he’s out for a few weeks. Shane Ryan has proven with Doonbeg that he can play county-level football. Hopefully, he can get a go this year and nail down a place. He has been playing well with the last couple of years,” Tubridy noted.
He also welcomes the fact that several young players have been brought into the panel this year.
“Stephen Collins and Chris Dixon played very well against LIT. Chris Dunning has been around a while but he’s very fit and is well able to kick points. Podge McMahon got 2-1 the last day against Limerick.
“He has a little niggling injury but hopefully he’ll be fit to go for the Waterford game. He’s a top forward,” Tubridy said of the Clondegad corner forward.
At stages in 2012 Tubridy played with a groin injury, which has never fully cleared up. He is confident that he will manage it throughout 2013, before possibly having it operated upon.
“It’s still niggling. It’s the same thing that I’ve had for the last couple of years. It seems to only come in the winter months but hopefully I can get things right.
“Seán O’Meara [physiotherapist] is working hard to get me back fully right. Hopefully, I can sort things out. There’s talk about an operation but I won’t be going for it until next November or December. I’ll try and get through the year first,” Tubridy said, hoping that come the end of 2013, he’ll be a Division 3 footballer.