Players kept me in my job, says Cavan boss Carr

TOMMY CARR believes the support he received from his players in the face of an administrative heave-ho last summer was a line in the sand from a squad that is sick and tired of the county’s managerial merry-go-round.

A vote of no confidence was passed against Carr at a meeting of the Cavan County Board after last year’s All-Ireland qualifier loss to Wicklow but star forward Seanie Johnston was one of the players to subsequently speak up for the former Dublin captain.

Carr is now in his third year at the helm of a county which has won just one senior provincial title in 41 years – and was that back in 1997. They face Fermanagh in the last of the Ulster quarter-finals at Breffni Park on Saturday.

“I was very appreciative of the support of the players,” admitted Carr. “If that was not there I would not be standing here today (as manager). That goes without saying.

“I have not been in the position of being wanted gone by a group of players and stayed on. We have seen the stories over the last two or three years. It must be an incredibly difficult place to be for any manager, to be in a situation where he is not wanted by the players, let alone the supporters and the county board.

“They will always have their opinions but I think, as it was for me, it was a cry for Cavan football that they needed to stop the merry-go-round of managements, teams and officials and put a stake on the ground and say ‘we need to move on from here’. And it’s an indication that people accept it is not always the manager at fault. There are a lot of other things as well.”

The county enjoyed mixed fortunes in Division Three of the National League, winning four games and losing three and failing to gain promotion but preparations have not been hampered by events at boardroom level last year, according to Carr.

“No,” he insisted. “I am not one to hold grudges or get stuck in the past. No one cares at the end of the day. They are only going to be interested as to what happens on Saturday evening. Ultimately, results will decide the fate of many. In fairness to Tom Reilly, chairman of the county board, they have been 100% behind us. They have done everything and any request we have made has been acceded to.”