McCambridge's surreal, perfect year in Clann Éireann and Armagh colours
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Imagine this. Barry McCambridge started out the championship on a team that were ranked sixth in the All-Ireland race. His club had won three county championships in their history.
He is now an All-Ireland winner, a county champion, an All-Star and a Footballer of the Year nominee.
“It is a bit surreal at the minute. If I set out my perfect year, it would be like this,” he says, days after Clann Éireann downed Clan na Gael to claim the Armagh SFC title to clinch their fourth crown.
“I haven’t sat down and looked back on it really. After the All-Ireland, I started working in a new school and then the club championship started, one thing went into another. I haven’t had time to think about it. It is more how others react I suppose.
“I went out after the Clann game, some of the older lads, my family and my dad were telling me how proud they were and what it means. It is just unbelievable.”
His summer was extraordinary.
McCambridge was in the team for a spell during the league until he injured his ankle. He missed the league final and played a grand total of 25 minutes in the Ulster championship. An injury to Paddy Burns before the Westmeath group stages tie provided him with an opportunity. He seized it.
What followed was awesome goals against Roscommon and Kerry. He bested matchups against Diarmuid Murtagh, David Clifford and Shane Walsh. What changed?
“Mentally, not that I didn’t care, but I stopped caring what people thought,” he explains.
“I used to overthink things and worry about different stuff. I just stopped worrying about big games, it didn’t phase me anymore.
“It just developed over the year. I remember reading something from Malachy O’Rourke when he was with Glen, he told them there are over a billion people in China who don’t care at all about Gaelic. This is football, there are bigger things in life. I was thinking about it, why bother worrying what others think or making a mistake.”
Armagh’s performance coach is Hugh Campbell. He was also part of Joe Kernan’s backroom team in 2002. His theme with that group was Muhammad Ali, with players presented with letters from Ali on the morning of that final.
McCambridge leaned on Campbell to sort his off-field life. That stood to him on the pitch. He found a profession he loved and recently started a new job at St John the Baptist School, Portadown.
“It is the individual stuff. He has conversations and builds relationships with players. He is always there to talk to you. Sometimes it is just a general chat. You go over to talk, not this big physical session with him.
He can help with your life. Personally, he was a huge help for my career. A few years ago, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and we talked it through. He really cares about that individual and that stands to the team.
“He would do anything to help with your life. Geezer is the same. That is why we’re so close. They know about personal issues people are going through; they are there to help. If any of us needed something, any member of the squad would put their hand up to help them.
"We’ve had so many players with any sort of issues, big things happen that are unbelievable, the stuff behind the scenes that no one understands is what makes it special.”
During the stretch of successive heartbreaking defeats, only the group understood what it felt like. Only the group knew how to respond to it. He points to the Ulster final when they were beaten on penalties for the fourth time in three years.
“(Conor) Turbo and I would be good friends, we grew up together. I remember sitting and chatting after the Donegal game, asking why can’t we get over the line once? Surely, we’d have won one by now. But then we went back training and Conleth did a session about coming together, setting goals. We knew wanted to win something. Why not reset and win the big one?”
They did it together. That is why the idea of individual honours is difficult.
“It is always ‘we before me. Put the team first. Make the man beside you look like an All-Star.’
“This year, there were men who won’t win awards, boys that weren’t nominated, that I think were our best players. Joe McElroy and Soupy (Campbell), I thought they were Armagh’s best players.
“They epitomised team players. How many times did they get us over the line and sacrifice themselves for the group? Joe did his work, look at Soupy’s impact off the bench. That’s why it is unbelievable for me to even be nominated for this Player of the Year, I don’t genuinely believe I was our best player this year but if I have the opportunity, I would be accepting it for them. On behalf of everyone, for Armagh.”