GAA chiefs warned on managers’ cull
He said yesterday that unless there is a change of attitude by all parties concerned players included a lot of good people won't be easily enticed to take on the responsibility.
Player power in Cork last year not only resulted in much-improved conditions on and off the field, but in some of the outgoing selectors stepping aside to facilitate the appointment of a totally new management.
It's known that player dissatisfaction was at the root of problems in Limerick and Tipperary which resulted in Dave Keane being relieved of his post and Michael Doyle opting out. And, it's even been suggested that Cyril Lyons didn't have the full backing of Clare team members before he, too, decided to call it a day.
The Clare chairman was speaking generally about management pressures and his comments were not related in any way to the current process of deciding on a replacement for Lyons.
Yet, with the belief that Anthony Daly is the favourite to take over even though he insisted on Sunday that he has not given a commitment either way nobody doubts for one minute that he would be under even more pressure than Lyons to deliver a title.
Fr McNamara feels that demands on management have increased since the introduction of the qualifier system. "From the earlier rounds, everyone wants to be involved in maybe the All-Ireland quarter-finals or the All-Ireland semi-finals.
"It means that expectations among the counties are becoming higher and higher. We're talking about the expectations of supporters and players everyone and I think this is putting a lot of pressure on managers," he said.
"Before, a manager got three years. The early years are learning years and you can't expect instant success. Now, it's almost as if we want instant success.
"It's a general expectation, a culture of expectation and I think it's something we have to look very carefully at. Otherwise it will make it very difficult to get people to be involved in management.
"You may get a two-year term, but just because people aren't satisfied with the team's performance, you can be out of office after a year. It doesn't make it encouraging or it doesn't make it enticing for somebody to get involved. It's something we have to look at seriously.
"The GAA is an amateur organisation, but has to be professional in its approach to things. Looking at professional sport, if somebody loses their job as manager of say, Liverpool or Chelsea or whoever, there is another job waiting down the road.
"But, that doesn't happen here. There are many people who will get involved in management in their own county and because of family and work commitments, they are not in a position to take up another job in their own county.
"I think that long term we may lose a lot of good people who have a major contribution to make if we don't have some kind of acceptance that a person gets two or three years in the job and that we don't rush in because results aren't coming in the first year and take them out."
He said that players would have to accept that a manager needs a couple of years to get accustomed to the position and all that it involves. "It's something I would be worried about at the moment, the way things are happening.
"We have seen Limerick and Tipperary replacing managers after one year and in Dublin the manager has gone. These are good people and good managers and they have proved themselves at underage. It's just not good for the game and the association to see that happening."
Fr McNamara agreed that Cyril Lyons had done very well after taking over from Ger Loughnane. "We would have felt that the main task for the next manager would be to ensure that Clare would maintain its position as a serious force in hurling.
Cyril Lyons said that the first night he came in that that was his ambition. He succeeded very well in that he managed to create the transition, because it was going to be impossible nearly to follow Ger Loughnane, who was a very charismatic figure and brought us away beyond only what we dreamed of.
"I would say that Cyril did a tremendous job and he has left us with a serious panel of players all the time.
"I think that if things break for the new management whoever that will be we will still be a major contender for honours next year."
Meanwhile, Birr supremo Padjoe Whelahan is all set to be endorsed as the new Limerick senior hurling team manager tonight.
A four-man sub-committee, comprised of officers of the county board executive, will present Whelahan's name for ratification at a full board meeting at Claughaun.
The three selectors are also likely to be named this evening, and in the frame is former Offaly hurler Pat Fleury, a schoolteacher in Limerick, and Joe McKenna, another ex-Offaly player and winner of an All-Ireland medal with the Shannonsiders in 1973.
Dave Mahedy, who served as team trainer in the Tom Ryan era, is tipped to return to that position.
Meanwhile, Mark Keane and Mike O'Brien, who fell out of favour with former manager Dave Keane, are to turn their attention to Gaelic football.
Both have been selected by Liam Kearns to go into training with his squad. Dual players Keane and O'Brien play football with South Liberties and Ballylanders, respectively.
In Cork, all eyes will be on tonight's meeting of the Cork County Board where the man who will guide the fortunes of the senior footballers for the coming season is expected to be named.
Leading candidates Billy Morgan and Conor Counihan are remaining tight-lipped ahead of tonight's meeting but several players have let it be known that Morgan is their preferred choice.
Other positions likely to be filled at tonight's meeting are U21 and minor football, U21 and minor hurling coaches and selectors.
Páidí Ó Sé also met with Westmeath football chairman Denis Hoyne in Dublin yesterday. The former Kerry boss is set to named as a successor to Luke Dempsey later this week.
Officials also confirmed that they are exploring the possibility of transport by helicopter to a landing pad outside Mullingar and an airstrip at nearby Abbeyshrule.
"We are hoping to do so. That is our intention. We are looking at all our options. We just want to make sure that it all runs as smoothly as possible," a source said.
If the board are to hire a helicopter, it would cost between €2,500 and €3,000 for each trip and would be costlier after dark, as the choppers would require specialised night-time flight capabilities. The flight time from Dingle to Mullingar would be one hour, compared to over four by road.
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