Bradley return to spur Saffrons
Manager: Liam Bradley (5th season, first stint 2009-12)
Captain: Niall McKeever (1st season)
Where they are: Relegated from Division 3 last spring.
What they want: A one-way ticket back to Division 3, thank you very much — will take or leave the silverware.
What they fear: The disquiet in the camp that saw Frank Dawson resign after just one season might not have fully healed.
On the rise: Niall Delargy, Phillip Maguire
On the mend: Sean McVeigh
Super stat: Antrim’s relegation to Division 4 last spring means they are the only Ulster team operating in the bottom tier in 2014.
Prospects: The return of Liam Bradley as manager and foot soldiers Niall McKeever, Michael McCann, Tony and Tomas Scullion augers well for the campaign ahead. Bradley and co will be keen to have promotion wrapped up prior to the visit of Clare on the last weekend of games.
Fixtures: Feb 2 – v Leitrim (a); Feb 9 – v Wicklow (h); Mar 2 – v Waterford (h); Mar 9 – v Carlow (a); Mar 16 – v Tipp (a); Mar 30 – v London (h); April 6 – v Clare (h).
Prediction: 1st
Manager: Anthony Rainbow (2nd season)
Captain: TBC
Where they are: Rooted in Division 4 since the turn of the millennium.
What they want: For someone other than Brendan Murphy to stand up and be counted when the going gets tough.
What they fear: It will be a case of same old, same old with Carlow languishing in the bottom half of the Division.
On the rise: Hugh Gahan
On the mend: No injuries reported
Super stat: Carlow won their opening two league games last year, a first since 1998/’99. Unfortunately, they lost their remaining five league fixtures and all championship outings thereafter.
Prospects: Sean O’Brien may now be part of the set-up but far more worrying is the departure of Sean Gannon and Brian Murphy for personal reasons. Difficult early assignments away to Leitrim and London will have them on the backfoot heading into the business end around mid-March.
Fixtures: Feb 2 – v Tipperary (h); Feb 9 – v London (a); Mar 2 – v Leitrim (a); Mar 9 – v Antrim (h); Mar 16 – v Wicklow (h); Mar 30 – v Clare (a); April 6 – v Waterford (a).
Prediction: 8th
Manager: Colm Collins (1st season)
Captain: TBC
What they want: A spread of scorers in each game. For too long has David Tubridy been the focal point of the Banner attack.
What they fear: The dual role adopted by brothers Podge and Sean Collins mightn’t work as smoothly as all would like.
On the rise: Cathal Duggan, Podge Collins
On the mend: Joe Hayes
Super stat: Clare have never won a league title at any grade.
Prospects: Cratloe’s run to the Munster club final, coupled with the decision of the Collins brothers to follow their father into the football set-up appears to have breathed new life into Clare football. Will almost certainly be in the shake-up for a promotion spot.
Fixtures: Feb 2 – v Waterford (a); Feb 9 – v Leitrim (h); Feb 23 – v London (a); Mar 2 – v Wicklow (h); Mar 9 – v Tipperary(a); Mar 30 – v Carlow (h); April 6 – v Antrim (a).
Prediction: 2nd
Manager: Seán Hagan (1st season)
Captain: Emlyn Mulligan (2nd season)
Where they are: Division 4 furniture since the inception of the fourth tier.
What they want: To finally build on yet another pleasing FBD league campaign.
What they fear: They might have already enjoyed the best of what 2014 has to offer and we haven’t even reached February.
On the rise: Aaron Hickey, Cian Reynolds
On the mend: Darren Sweeney.
Super stat: Leitrim finished 5th in three of their last four league campaigns (2010, ’12 and ’13). They were 6th in 2011. Consistency.
Prospects: The return of axed quartet Wayne McKeon, Shane Moran and brothers Tomas and Conor Beirne will have bolstered ambitions, but with Clare and Antrim up first, the road ahead could prove a long one. Yesterday’s FBD Connacht league victory will put a spring in their step however.
Fixtures: Feb 2 – v Antrim (h); Feb 9 – v Clare (a); Mar 2 — v Carlow (h); Mar 9 – v Wicklow (a); Mar 15 – v Waterford (a); Mar 30 – v Tipperary (h); April 6 – v London (a).
Prediction: 5th
Manager: Paul Coggins (4th season).
Captain: TBC
Where they are: Another long-standing member of the Division 4 family.
What they want: To build on the momentum gathered during last year’s championship and push for a promotion place.
What they fear: The loss of four key players from last season, including Tony Gaughan and Ciaran McCallion, will hinder their spring ambitions.
On the rise: Sean Hickey
On the mend: Seamus Hannon, Lorcan Mulvey, Cathal Greene, Paul Geraghty, Pat Begley, Dave McGreevy
Super stat: London, though competing in Division 4, managed to register two championship wins as opposed to just one in the league in 2013.
Prospects: The addition of Galway’s Adrian Flaherty and Tyrone’s Cathal McCarron, coupled with three home fixtures on the trot should see London finish outside the bottom two for a change.
Fixtures: Feb 2 – v Wicklow (a); Feb 9 – v Carlow (h); Feb 23 – v Clare (h); Mar 2 – v Tipperary (h); Mar 9 – v Waterford (a); Mar 30 – v Antrim (a); April 6 – v Leitrim (h).
Prediction: 6th
Manager: Peter Creedon (2nd season)
Captain: Paddy Codd (1st season)
Where they are: 2nd season in Division 4.
What they want: To blood the main protagonists from the county’s All-Ireland minor final win back in 2011.
What they fear: McGrath Cup withdrawal may come back to haunt them.
On the rise: Shane Leahy, Conor O’Sullivan, John O’Callaghan
On the mend: Ciarán McDonald
Super stat: Tipperary’s league tally of four wins in 2013 was equal to the county’s total number of championship victories since 2010.
Prospects: Cathal McCullagh’s transfer from Tyrone, coupled with four home games against the division’s big hitters should see Tipperary in contention for promotion.
Fixtures: Feb 2 – v Carlow (a); Feb – v 9 Waterford (h); Mar 2 – v London (a); Mar 9 – v Clare (h); Mar 16 – v Antrim (h); Mar 30 – v Leitrim (a); April 6 – v Wicklow (h).
Prediction: 3rd
Manager: Niall Carew (2nd season)
Captain: Shane Briggs (1st season)
Where they are: 3rd season in Division 3.
What they want: To match the tally of three league wins garnered in the previous two campaigns.
What they fear: The repercussions of Gary Hurney’s retirement
On the rise: Paul White
On the mend: No injuries to report
Super stat: 2011 was the last season where Watered recorded victories in both the league and championship.
Prospects: Wayne Hutchinson’s decision to throw his lot in with the footballers is a major fillip in the wake of Gary Hurney’s retirement, but the Déise are still somewhat behind their Munster counterparts – Tipperary and Clare – who provide the opposition in the opening rounds.
Fixtures: Feb 2 – v Clare (h); Feb 9 – v Tipperary (a); Mar 2 – v Antrim (a); Mar 9 – v London (h); Mar 15 – v Leitrim (h); Mar 30 – v Wicklow (a); April 6 – v Carlow (h).
Prediction: 7th
Manager: Harry Murphy (3rd season).
Captain: TBC
Where they are: Relegated to the bottom tier last year
What they want: A swift return to Division 3.
What they fear: Asking the same players to go to the well once more – the county’s underage production line has been staggeringly slow in churning out fresh talent in recent years.
On the rise: Conor McGraynor, Paul McLoughlin
On the mend: Leighton Glynn, John McGrath, Alan Byrne, Damien Power
Super stat: The Garden County were one of two teams not to secure a single league win in 2013.
Prospects: Home games against the league’s weaker outfits should put them in the mix, but their final standing will ultimately be decided on the road.
Fixtures: Feb 2 – v London (h); Feb 9 – v Antrim (a); Mar 2 – v Clare (a); Mar 9 – v Leitrim (h); Mar 16 – v Carlow (a); Mar 30 – v Waterford (h); April 6 – v Tipperary (a).
Prediction: 4th
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