FOR THOSE who have never heard of Davy Fitzgerald, here follows an introduction to his public persona.

Suffice to say, the former Clare goalkeeper, who began his intercounty managerial career in Waterford midway through last summer, is an emotional man.

If Fitzgerald ever steps away, hurling will miss him dearly. That said, he does have a habit of not only opening a can of worms but flinging them around the room so they get in some people’s hair.

Perhaps some background information is required.

Waterford gave those in the 61,962 crowd that lingered to the finish yesterday value for money.

They lost by five points, but regained a large portion of their pride, stripped in the wake of a jarring 70 minutes last September when Kilkenny pummelled them into submission.

We wound him up and off he went, before a GAA official, perhaps concerned by his unchecked and blunt honestly, decided to cut short the reaction (a new policy, seemingly, this summer at Croke Park).

The first question was about their regained pride.

“Yeah (long pause as Davy becomes teary-eyed), I thought we were going to win it before we came up. That was always in our heads. I feel f**king absolutely gutted inside. Absolutely gutted.”

He talks about little errors that cost a lot and being treated like “dogs” since the All-Ireland final last September, adding: “I was abused personally last year after it by certain sections (of the media) that had personal vendettas.

“That’s not f**king (slams hand on table) the GAA and it’s not right. It’s not fair. If they have a personal vendetta come to my house and have it out with me, so they can. If you want to write on this thing, write fairly and write balanced and we’ll accept whatever stick is going. No problem.

“But I think the Waterford team showed today that they have the courage, that they have the balls to come back from anything and they went at it. I’m very proud the way the lads played today. I think you will accept yourselves it was a game and a half to watch.”

The next flashpoint was in reply to a question about inevitable retirements within an ageing panel. Here is an extract that can be interpreted in many ways: “There are one or two players there, right, I’d be in discussion with all the time.

“Sometimes, they’d feel maybe they don’t want to start, ‘I’d prefer to come on with 25, half an hour to go’ and if that’s their mentality you have to respect that, so you do. I’m not going to name names or say anything, but, guys, there are stupid guys outside there who are saying different things and they don’t know what is happening in training or what the story is.

“In a panel of 32, I would say 99.9 per cent of them (are) unreal happy.”

Somehow he got on to the topic of refereeing and managed to produce widespread laughter while being seriously critical: “Now I have to say, I’m not going to criticise the ref, but I’m not happy with him (Barry Kelly then gets mentioned and criticised directly).

“I’ll probably get lacerated, but I don’t really give a shit. I feel strongly about it. Can I make a point to a referee, they’ll probably give me three months. Like, sometimes, you’d like to be able to ask them questions.

“Like, there was a free over on the far sideline today. It was a shoulder. You tell me we didn’t get absolutely pulverised in a few shoulders? No frees.

“And then, at a crucial time, just after getting a score, getting back into it. Free again. Over the bar again. Why, at the f**king crucial times does this happen to the big teams. Fact. Fact. So it ’tis.

“I’m not giving out to Kilkenny. Kilkenny are an awesome team. Deserve their respect. Worthy All-Ireland champions.

“We need a fellow to stand up with a bit of balls and f**king ref the thing, you know? That’s being honest.”

Okay, time to wrap it up . . .

“Ah, Jaysus.”