Crossmaglen Rangers became All-Ireland Senior Club Football Champions for the first time in 1997. Since that triumph 20 years ago, the Armagh side have gone on to win five further titles.
To celebrate the historic win, Off the Ball travelled north to south Armagh, to talk about home important the team the team are to Gaelic Games.
Former All-Ireland winner Joe Brolly was on hand to talk about the team, claiming a training session he watched in St. Oliver Plunkett Park changed his views on football for the better.
"At that stage, Jim McGuinness had come to Donegal. Football and myxomatosis had swept the country. Everyone was dropping back into defence... The first time I came to Cross - it was either Tony or John [McEntee] that invited me, to see them training. I couldn't believe it. They never hand-passed the ball".
"To my mind, the greatest club team that I ever saw was the 2010 to 2012 team. I'd never seen football like that or since".
#OTB live from @crossrangers #GAA ðŸ pic.twitter.com/UsbI1ttf38
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) March 31, 2017
Brolly added the cult of individual of responsibility never left Crossmaglen. "As I like to describe it, the Independent People's Republic of Crossmaglen".
"It should be a separate country, like Monaco. Or Andorra. They're not English. They're definitely not Free Staters. Fair play to ye lads!"
"They revolutionised my outlook on Gaelic Games... Ambition brings rewards. The only country team that are playing ambitious football are the Dubs."
Such is Brolly's admiration of the club, he called Crossmaglen Rangers "a footballing university". He also revealed the club gave him the bravery to try and play the way the Armagh side do with his own club St. Brigid's.
