McBrearty warns Donegal club and county standoff must be resolved

Donegal footballer Paddy McBrearty has warned that the ongoing standoff between club and county cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.

All club championship fixtures had already been put back until after their interest in the All-Ireland championship ends this year before a round of league fixtures fell victim to the demands of Jim McGuinness and the senior county side on Good Friday.

Donegal had spent a week training in Portugal and, with the panel only returning the day before, a request was made for the games to proceed without the county representatives or to be deferred. The clubs opted for the latter course of action.

The issue has prompted considerable debate with former players Brendan Devenney and John Haran and GAA Director General Praic Duffy all critical of the failure to cater for clubs in recent months.

McBrearty, whose Kilcar team-mates lost to Four Masters on Monday without him having seen their Friday game against St Michael’s postponed, accepted yesterday that it was hardly a viable long-term approach.

“It’s obviously difficult,” he agreed ahead of Sunday’s Allianz FL Division 2 final against Monaghan. “You do feel for the club players in a way. When you are in a mindset to play two games and you might get off work or something on Good Friday it dents your plans.

“For us county players it is kind of a mixed opinion on it. The senior management don’t want the players to be injured, but the club still needs to play games.”

He denied the controversy has upped the ante on the county team to succeed, but saw for himself how the issue is affecting those at club level when Kilcare lost out two days ago at Tírchonaill Park.

“You would hear odd remarks. At club games on Sunday there were boys giving out, club players talking about going to America for the summer and stuff, so it is a hard one. I don’t think there is a win-win situation for the county board.”

The problems in Donegal are merely the most obvious example of the growing gulf between a county game that is increasingly professional in all but name and a club sector which is suffering the consequences.

Donegal have taken themselves off to Carton House and Johnstown House in Meath in the past to fine-tune their preparations and went further afield on this occasion, to the Iberian Peninsula, to dot their I’s and cross their T’s.

McBrearty spoke about “living like a professional” yesterday and availing of the chance to bond as a squad, particularly with the half-dozen or so new faces drafted into the panel during the winter by McGuinness.

Their success in claiming back-to-back Ulster titles and an All-Ireland in 2012 saw Donegal held up as the side to emulate and McBrearty admits it is easier now that mantle has been assumed by Dublin.

“Definitely. As All-Ireland champions there is a massive expectation on you. The majority of your games are televised. Every team is out to beat you. We’re coming in under the radar a little bit. There’s no TV at our games. It might work to our advantage a wee bit.”

Donegal will hope that continues next month when they meet a Derry side that meets Dublin in the Division 1 final this Sunday after they themselves have gone about their business in the second tier’s decider against Monaghan.

“We have a long way to go yet to get up to the levels we were at [in 2012].”