Surreal post-match strop at Croker left McGuinness down
Like many revolutionaries and ultra-successful football managers, Jim McGuinness is an unreasonable man.
The progress he has made with Donegal is astonishing. In July 2010, he inherited a Division Two team that embarrassed themselves in that year’s Championship. Two years later, he has guided the same bunch of players to the All-Ireland football title.
It’s is the greatest managerial achievement in the modern era of Gaelic football. To reach the Hogan Stand in September, McGuinness moulded the game to suit the skills of his players. He also moulded his players so that they could execute his masterplan. In short, he adapted the game to himself.
The players coached by progress-makers like Jim McGuinness, Alex Ferguson and José Mourinho are the greatest beneficiaries. If the players follow the plan, then the glory and acclaim will follow.
But woe betide the journalist, the player, or anyone who is perceived to be undermining the progress of these men.
Before the start of this year’s, Premier League, a Daily Star journalist wrote a story stating that Rio Ferdinand would miss the start of the season because he was injured. The story has since been proved correct. But that’s didn’t stop Alex Ferguson banning the journalist from Manchester United press conferences.
Jose Mourinho is currently suing the Spanish newspaper Marca following an article which claimed he’s “the type of person who leaves after causing a car crash”. Mourinho wants a retraction and €15,000 in damages.
On Sunday, Jim McGuinness received the most rapturous reception ever given to an All-Ireland-winning manager. Once Michael Murphy mentioned his name, the cheering started and was sustained for more than a minute.
But on a day when he should have just wallowed in the joy of the occasion, McGuinness decided to pick at an old wound. After taking his seat for the post-match press conference, the man of the moment was greeted by a number of journalists who congratulated him and shook his hand. The conference with the winning manager is usually a light-hearted, enjoyable affair. But the mood quickly changed. Suddenly Jim’s head was bowed and he started fiddling with his stopwatch. Then, he stood up and left the room. A few minutes later, a Croke Park press officer approached Declan Bogue, author of ‘This Is Our Year’, the award-winning book which led to Kevin Cassidy being excluded from the Donegal county squad.
She informed Declan that Jim wouldn’t hold a press conference if he remained in his seat. Declan immediately volunteered to leave. During the stand-off, Jim was advised not to pursue this course of action. He was informed if he insisted on having Declan Bogue excluded from the press conference, then the dispute would dominate the next day’s headlines. McGuinness point blank refused to change his mind.
When Jim reentered the room, he was asked to explain why he had chosen that precise moment to publicise his grievances about the book.
“There were a lot of untruths,” he said. “There were a lot of things said about me. I’ve never broken court on it since the whole thing happened. I’ve held my dignity. I’ve let myself be castigated. And I did that because I gave someone my agreement that I wouldn’t break my court on it.
“There were a lot of things said in the book which were incorrect and untrue, some of it possibly lies about me personally and about some of my players.
“It was an all-out attack for a couple of months on my character. I know what I’ve done. I know what I’ve coached. I know what I am as a person. And that’s the situation.”
As someone who has read ‘This Is Our Year,’ I remain mystified at how it managed to cause McGuinness so much offence. While Kevin Cassidy may have revealed information McGuinness wanted to remain confidential, the Gweedore clubman never made a single negative comment about his manager.
In fact, he is portrayed in an overwhelmingly positive fashion. He comes across as intelligent, driven, a thoroughly modern coach. Anyone who is any doubt should read the book — as no doubt many more will. And if Jim wanted to hurt Declan Bogue he has chosen an odd way of doing it. Another reprint will probably be required following this latest chapter to the saga.
The tragedy in all of this is that McGuinness, Cassidy and Bogue are three extremely likeable individuals. Each one is first-class company. It is truly sad that circumstances have created this discord. When writing ‘This Is Our Year’, Bogue relied on the testimony of Cassidy. The book provides an account of Cassidy’s season. If Jim believes facts have been misconstrued, then surely he is venting his anger at the wrong person.
And yet, Cassidy revealed last week that McGuinness invited him to return to the Donegal panel at Easter. The former All Star declined the offer.
Cassidy’s decision not to return, and his absence from the presentation podium is the one sour note to Donegal’s victory that will linger.
Ultimately, Kevin Cassidy will have to live with his decision. He could have gone back if he so wished.
Apart from the flak he received for axing Cassidy, McGuinness was rightly universally feted during this year’s Championship.
Adored by his native people, he is widely admired by those who have watched his team rise from qualifier chaff to All-Ireland champions. Yet, on the day of his greatest managerial achievement, McGuinness insisted on the removal of a journalist from a press conference that should have been a celebration of his finest hour.
And that’s a huge pity. It was a surreal incident that will generate considerable debate during a week when the only topic should be Donegal’s great victory. Whether he likes it or not, his conduct on Sunday will raise more questions and discussion about his character than anything ever written in This Is Our Year.
