McDonnell backs college sides in McKenna Cup

Armagh manager Peter McDonnell has heavily backed the participation of third-level colleges in January competitions like the Dr McKenna Cup.

McDonnell, who begins his second year as Orchard county boss with a home tie against Antrim on January 4, believes that county teams can only benefit from the involvement of colleges and universities in the pre-league competitions.

"We know what Charlie Vernon is like, we know what Paul Courtney is like, Gareth O'Neill and Stefan Forker," he said.

"Those lads will be getting regular football in the McKenna Cup with their respective colleges and it's great to have them playing that football at this time of the year.

"We have no bone of contention with them playing with their universities. At the end of the day, everything those boys do is to make themselves better footballers for Armagh and the association with their respective colleges is only fleeting."

McDonnell is the Ulster Gaelic football representative on the GAA's Team Managers Committee, which will meet in mid-January to discuss any matters concerning the men in the 'Bainisteoir' bibs.

One of the likely issues will relate to the new experimental disciplinary rules which will be two weeks into their trial run at that stage.

McDonnell believes it is an area which teams will take some getting used to.

"I think we'll just have to feel our way through it. All the videos is wonderful but you need to coach these things on the pitch and we haven't had the opportunity (to do so) as I'm sure the rest of the counties involved in the competition - with the exception of the colleges - have not had the opportunity to familiarise themselves on the field of play with the rules."

And the Armagh manager also believes that with a ban on inter-county training for the past two months, his panel will find it hard to adjust when they face Antrim, especially with some of his players not having played any football since August.

"Of course it (the closed season) has hampered us. I think not being allowed to prepare for the McKenna Cup with players being thrown into the deep end so soon in January – that's going to compromise the competition to an extent.

"We have lads who haven't played football from the end of August. People who are in the work force and whose clubs went out of the championship haven't had football and we have quite a number of them.

"Those fellas have been idle - distracted from football if you like – September, October, November and now December."