A forthcoming TV3 documentary called 'The Toughest Trade', commissioned by AIB, will see Kilkenny and James Stephens hurler Jackie Tyrrell and Crossmaglen footballer Aaron Kernan swap their clubs for the professional sports of baseball and soccer respectively. The boys were really impressed with how he dealt with a typical pre-season training session on the third pitch last night. I think he came through it well Aaron Kernan on David Bentley Tyrrell will head to Florida in the coming weeks to train with the Miami Marlins, who are currently preparing for the Major League Baseball season which starts in April. Heading to James Stephens in Kilkenny city will be former New York Mets catcher Brian Schneider, who retired in 2013. As part of the 'trade', Schneider will also take up Tyrrell's role as a Sales Development Manager in Glanbia. The other swap sees former Armagh footballer Aaron Kernan head to Premier League club Sunderland, with former Arsenal, Tottenham and England midfielder David Bentley, now retired, having already joined up with Crossmaglen. Bentley will be playing and training with the club, as well as taking up Kernan's professional role with Kernan Property Services. Bentley has already begun training with Crossmaglen and is expected to play in a challenge match tonight against Silverbridge. "I hope to go over and give a good reflection of us," said Kernan of his upcoming spell on Wearside. "But I don't feel the pressure of it, I'm excited by it because I know the condition that everyone else is in and I know what I've put in this last 10 years." Kernan, who retired from inter-county football at the end of last season, played underage soccer with Dundalk FC and he is clearly excited at the prospect of being involved, albeit for a short period of time, with a professional club. "Sunderland are going to want to show that they're a professional club and it's not easy to be a professional. There's no frills or anything with it," he said. "I fully expect that they'll be trying to push me to the limits. That's a challenge but it's an exciting one because it's an opportunity that might never come across my path again." He says he will do a medical and a fitness test on arrival, and then will train at the club for the next few days. He doesn't expect to be involved with the first-team squad, but he is eager to prove his level of fitness in a professional context. "It's well documented how much we train and I'd always have liked to have seen how I'd test up against a professional player. I feel we've an extremely high standard of fitness and conditioning so this will tell. I could get my comeuppance this weekend!" Kernan says Bentley was made to "feel welcome" at Crossmaglen. "The bit of slagging started straight away, we have a few Arsenal supporters and just one token Tottenham supporter," he said. "Everybody tried to look after him and help him out but there was nothing staged about it, it was exactly what we are doing at the minute, particularly running, with a bit of ball-work to try help him out. He never backed away from anything. "The boys were really impressed with how he dealt with a typical pre-season training session on the third pitch last night. I think he came through it well and certainly enjoyed the camaraderie with all the boys, it's caused great excitement around the town. "You can be guaranteed that the lad who is marking him from Silverbridge tonight is not there for a pantomime, he doesn't want this man to come out and score 1-4 off him!" *** The documentary will air on TV3 on Monday, March 9.
please log in to view this image Re: David Bentley (ex England international) to join Crossmaglen Rangers Bentley scored 3 points for Cross in a challenge match against Silverbridge tonight, 2 of them from play.
The Silverbridge manager said "three points too many". Front page of the papers.... Well, a small box on the front page.
Bentley has a huge engine and alot of drive. Tyrell must have been happy to go Baseball training...I mean who doesn't enjoy eating pizza and donuts before smashing some balls.
It was on during the week. Disappointing show tbh. Bentley was a decent lad. He seemed to fit in really well and parked himself in that Crossmaglen team like he belonged. Tyrell was chatting to a guy with a $120m baseball contract about hurling.... As though the guy should know what the **** he's talking about. Tyrell's conclusion...... Hurling is better.
Lol love the Bentley puns No matter how much better hurling is I'd side with the $120milly contract...just! Yep I knew it was on but forgot to view or record it but fear not as it is tv3 I'm sure it will be replayed once or a hundred times between now and June!
The best thing about the whole show was the look on that baseball players face when Brendan Cummins hit the sloithar into oblivion with the baseball bat, im not sure what age they play baseball up to but that guy looked at least 45.
The best thing about the whole show was the look on that baseball players face when Brendan Cummins hit the sloithar into oblivion with the baseball bat, im not sure what age they play baseball up to but that guy looked at least 45.