Interview: Seán Moran talks to Séamus Flynn about the county's glory days and a return to the big time.

Sunday will bring back memories for Séamus Flynn. Longford return to Division One of the National Football League with a signature fixture against Kerry in Pearse Park. The county will struggle at the top, but their opening match is redolent of Longford's best years.

In 1968, Flynn was on the only team from the county to win a Leinster title. And it nearly didn't stop there.

Trailing Kerry by seven points at half-time, 0-6 to 2-7, in the All-Ireland semi-final, Longford rallied to lead by one with 10 minutes left. Kerry recovered to edge it 2-13 to 2-11.

It did, however, stop. Flynn, who at corner back marked Mick O'Dwyer that day, wistfully remembers those stardust years in the mid-1960s that included winning the league in 1966. And the sense of what might have been flares.

"The players were mostly from Clonguish and Granard, who were very good at the time. I don't think the quality of players we had back then was availed of fully. It was 1965 before anything was done; up to then there'd been a very lukewarm approach to preparation.

"Well, before we played Westmeath in 1964 we had only two training sessions for the match. After that we kicked up a bit, let our voices be heard, and eventually Mick Higgins came from Cavan to take us over for 1965 and we reached the Leinster final. But we lost to Dublin - missed a penalty and let in a soft goal."

Higgins, a triple All-Ireland medallist with Cavan, was the keystone. "He had a great way with him," says Flynn, "without being a sergeant major and he was great to analyse a game."

As coach he led Longford to their successes. The league victory in 1966 included a bizarre interlude at the quarter-final stage when Higgins, juggling commitments with his own county, stood aside after Longford had been drawn against Cavan but resumed duties after his adopted team had won.

"We beat Cavan by a point in Carrick-on-Shannon," recalls Flynn. "Mick Higgins was over Cavan that day and there was a bit of controversy with the line ball that led to our winning point and I can tell you he wasn't at all happy about it."

The league home final win over a Galway side that were on course for an All-Ireland three-in-row was a tribute to the defence that held the champions scoreless for the final quarter. This stunning success had a prosaic championship sequel. "Louth beat us a fortnight later on a wet day in Navan," says Flynn.

Flick through three decades of unfulfilled expectation and Séamus Flynn is still there. Liaison officer between the current team and the county board - "keeping them happy at training sessions with expenses and that," he summarises - he is also a delegate to Leinster Council and a member of the county executive. Did he ever think that the cupboard would get so bare that the shelves would be used for firewood?

"I thought the fact that we had won a National League and Leinster title would mean the county would stay at the top and hold its place there. But we have such a small population, 28,000 or 29,000. Longford's a big town with 12,000 but just one team, the Slashers. It makes it hard."

Even optimising the small base isn't as easy as it once was. Smaller family sizes and the gallery of leisure options available to young people make the environment for football more hostile than it was 40 and 50 years ago.

"Apart from work nearly all I did was play football," says Flynn. "Even on the farm the football was always out. We had a three-acre field that never grew a blade of grass. It was the only pastime - we'd no money to go to the cinema. Nowadays there's an enormous amount of work and the demands on players' time is outrageous."

Impressed by the drive for promotion last year that saw Longford shut out Derry on the last day, Flynn is looking forward to seeing how the team get on back in the top division for the first time in around 30 years. He sees the success of the 2002 minors as important in strengthening the panel.

"They're too young for the team just yet, but it's great to have them pushing the first team players in training, pressurising them a bit. I think we're not producing enough good, big men. We've a lot of good footballers, but when a good big one goes up against a good small one there's only one winner."

So the big time looms for Longford. A good campaign that leaves the county with its new status intact will send the team into the championship with morale sky-high. Even apprehension at the step-up in class can't hide the need for the county to match itself against the best.

"The lads are working hard and are very committed. They're looking forward to playing the likes of Kerry and Tyrone. I would say it's every player's goal to play at that level. We're going to learn - or at least should learn. I know there's a dread or a fear that you'll get some bad beatings, but you have to play those teams to test yourself."

Testing times ahead.