Sparrow ready to let fly for belated debut

SPARE a thought for Ger O’Loughlin who makes his debut as Clare hurling manager against WIT in Meelick tomorrow.

O’Loughlin is the man tasked with returning harmony to the Banner after a troublesome few months of standoffs between players and former boss Mike McNamara. As if that wasn’t difficult enough, the recent cold snap has meant that training sessions with his new charges have been rather hit-and-miss affairs.

“Everyone is in the same boat,” he pointed out. “You’d be hoping you’d be able to get in a bit of outdoor work, especially for hurling to get used to the underfoot conditions. It’s been tough, a fair education but from the player reaction point of view, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.