Cooney: no change on outside managers
Speaking at the launch of the All-Ireland SFC at St Finbarr’s club in Togher, Cooney was asked about Daly guiding Dublin to victory on Sunday, their first piece of national senior hurling silverware since 1939.
Cooney’s personal view is that bringing in outside managers to counties “doesn’t and it hasn’t worked”.
In his Congress speech in Westmeath last month, he revealed he intended setting up a forum to discuss the matter of payments to managers and Director General Páraic Duffy’s discussion paper would be published.
However, when asked about Daly’s prominence in Dublin’s success, he responded: “I have addressed it and I have nothing more to say on it.
“I have outlined how we are going to deal with it, how we are going to discuss it and that will be happening over the next two months and I haven’t anything to add to it.
“I know Anthony Daly well, an outstanding coach, an outstanding player and he has done a very good job with Dublin.”
Cooney compared Dublin’s success to the return of Down to winning ways last year which, he said, “gave the football a massive lift”.
He was also pleased with the behaviour of spectators in Croke Park last week with no pitch invasion following Dublin’s victory.
According to Cooney, it is more than likely the 2.2m perspex barrier put in front of Hill 16 last August to deter patrons from entering the field will come down next year if there is an incident-free season in Croke Park this year.
“I think the education progress worked and in fairness to our patrons they have responded very positively. I think if you look at last Sunday and see the reception of the Dublin team when they went around the pitch with the cup.
“I think the days of pitch invasions being a concern in Croke Park is nearly gone. I would hope that in the next year or two — and I think Liam O’Neill would be positive about this — that we would be in a position to take down the barrier that exists on Hill 16. I also feel it’s very important for their players. What an occasion it was for the Dublin hurlers to be able to go around with the cup last Sunday and to do it in health, in a good safe environment and they all go off the field comfortably.”
Cooney revealed the same guidelines that have been so successful in Croke Park can now be followed at provincial level.
“We’ve asked provincial councils to examine it. We’ve asked them to work their way through it over the next two or three years and try and develop that. They are going to work at that and hopefully it will succeed.
“There’s the same danger for players and spectators as there is at an All-Ireland final. We want it to be a safe and welcoming environment for everybody and we’d hope there will be no pitch invasions at any of our county grounds.
“They’ve been asked to work on a development strategy over the next number of years to create a similar type of situation to Croke Park.”
Meanwhile, Cooney said there are no excuses for Division Two hurling counties not to follow the match-day protocols.
Limerick manager Donal O’Grady last week claimed regulations such as where substitutes sit and the use of electronic boards by the fourth official are not being adhered to.
“I am not aware of that and I didn’t see Donal’s comments but we would expect the same standard at all games,” stated Cooney.
“And the proper facilities would be there for players and team managers in terms of substitutes, electronic scoreboards etc should be at Division Two games.
“There are no excuses. They are there and they are available. We expect the same standards and they should have been there, no reason for it.”
Meanwhile Dublin’s league victory over Kilkenny achieved the highest audience ratings ever for TG4 with and audience peak of 430,000 viewers.
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