Fitzgerald reshuffles Banner backroom line-up for 2015

Clare senior hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has announced changes to his backroom team for next year as well as seeking to clarify the dual-player issue in the county.

Paul Kinnerk, who has been the coach at senior and U21 level, is to take a year out, while Mike Browne, already part of the set-up, is to become a selector. He swaps roles with Mike Deegan, while conditioning coach Joe O’Connor will also have a reduced role.

“When sitting down to talk about 2015, our management team faced a number of challenges, not least putting everything into place to get Clare hurling back to Croke Park and winning a senior All-Ireland over the next three years,” a statement from Fitzgerald read.

“On the management side, there will be some changes, but I would like to stress that these are not major changes. Mike Browne will be joining us as a selector and Mike Deegan will move into the role Mike Browne previously held, so Mike Deegan will still be involved.

“Joe O’Connor has been with me for five years in Waterford and Clare, while he is stepping back, he will still be involved as well.

“Paul Kinnerk has been with us for three years as well as combining that role with a key role with the U21s. He has said to us numerous times about his wish to take some time out to travel and take a break from the serious time commitments his roles involve. We not only support Paul in his intention to step back, but we are also delighted to announce that he will be with us again in 2016.”

In a separate statement, Fitzgerald set out his position with regard to Pádraic and Seán Collins, who are to play football only in 2015, having been on both panels this year.

“Podge Collins informed us a while back that in 2015 he will be playing football only,” the statement said. “We have no issue with that, except of course we’d love to have him with us. We tried to accommo-date the dual player in 2014 and it did not work for either part in our opinion, player or management. This was not the reason we did not win a Munster or All-Ireland championship, we are well aware of that. However, it was one of many factors. For the coming year, we want players on our panel fully committed to Clare hurling. We spoke to Podge and explained out position. We felt Clare hurling suffered last year as he attempted both codes.

“We did not have Podge with us as often as we would have liked and we felt his recovery between games was not what it could have been.

“There is no issue with Podge or Seán Collins, we wish them well with the Clare footballers in Division 3 and we hope that their progress under Colm Collins continues. Colm is their father, it can’t have been easy for them.

“We hope they rattle Munster next year, we know they’re capable of it. Of course the door will always be open for a return to the hurling squad. I would ask everyone, media in particular, to give Podge a break now. This was a difficult decision for us, I can only imagine how it must have been for him.”