No nominations from clubs for vacant Antrim post

THE process to appoint a new Antrim hurling manager has encountered a major stumbling block with the county board remarkably not receiving a single nomination for the position from the Saffron clubs.

Following the resignations of joint managers Dominic ‘Woody’ McKinley and Terence ‘Sambo’ McNaughton, who had served for three years, after the All-Ireland relegation play-off with Offaly in July, the Antrim clubs had up to last Friday to submit nominations for the vacant post.

However, county board secretary Quinn says he’s not surprised by the attitude of the clubs in Antrim towards the appointment process for a new county manager and the lack of nominations for the post.

“We were hoping to receive a few nominations, but to say we are shocked by the lack of a positive approach from the clubs would be a gross exaggeration,” he remarked.

“For some time now, a lot of the clubs in the county have displayed a very apathetic approach towards the various county teams.

“And their approach on this occasion is just another manifestation of the fact that they attach considerably more importance to the club scene than towards the inter-county set-up, and that they are opposed to capable people from their clubs making themselves available to the county.”

In the aftermath of a lack of response from the clubs, a four-man sub-committee, comprising Quinn and three fellow members of the board management committee, whom he did not wish to name, has been set up.

“We will approach whatever individuals we think might be suitable for, and interested in, the position,” he explained. “The other three members of the sub-committee all have considerable expertise in the area of recruitment.

“And when we have finished our work, a further sub-committee will interview the various candidates for the position.”

Despite the lack of progress so far, the Antrim secretary says he and his fellow members of the board’s management committee hope to have a new team boss in place by the end of October.

“If the appointment of the new man went beyond that date, it would make things more difficult with regard to selecting a panel of players, and making all the necessary arrangements ahead of the National League in February,” he explained.

Already, the Antrim senior hurling championship has been completed. But the new manager will be able to run the rule over players from the winning club, Dunloy, in the forthcoming Ulster Club Championship.

Quinn says the new man would not necessarily be from within the county: “At the moment, nothing is ruled in or out.”