Player power link to Kevin McStay’s Roscommon exit

Player unrest in the Roscommon football panel is believed to have influenced Kevin McStay’s decision to step down as manager.

McStay received the full backing of the Roscommon County Board executive on August 5 to see out the remaining two years of his term.

However, his decision to resign from the post four-and-a-half weeks later follows recent speculation that not all of the panel had full confidence in him and that certain players would not be making themselves available for the 2019 season.

The Rossies were outscored 0-11 to 1-1 in the second-half of their failed Connacht title defence against Galway and while Armagh were subsequently overcome to secure their place in the inaugural Super 8s, they fell to Tyrone, Donegal and Dublin by margins of 18, seven, and 14 points, respectively.

The departing manager said the three years in charge of Roscommon had been “challenging” and “sometimes exhausting”, citing financial and facility issues, which took up a significant chunk of his time.

Ahead of the 2018 season, McStay admitted there had been difficulty around their team budget, which had to be approved by a Croke Park interim finance committee.

“They [the Roscommon county board] are living from week to week, month to month, trying to [survive]. I just don’t see where we, personally, can cut any more corners,” he told this paper last December. The county’s team expenses total for 2017, by comparison with the year previous, fell by 20% to €860,333.

McStay also said in his parting statement he would not be returning to inter-county management, thereby ruling himself out of the running for the vacant Mayo post, a job he was snubbed for in the autumn of 2014.

“In reviewing my time in charge, I have to acknowledge the inordinate amount of time I spent dealing with financial and facility issues, personnel issues, media issues and the various contentious and controversial events that kept arising over those seasons.

“Success is what we all crave, but we must understand our reality too. While Roscommon is a proud football county, it is a small county with a limited playing pool and deficits in resources and facilities. The budget required to finance success at the highest level demands year-round attention. Facilities, catering, kit and equipment, professional expertise and, especially, travel costs are major financial drainers and they are placing a massive burden on voluntary officers that is often overwhelming.”

McStay called on the GAA to ensure “smaller counties” are not disadvantaged on the playing field because of a lack of resources off it.

“If the GAA is committed to ensuring all counties are, at a minimum, competitive, then they must be supported financially in a way that reflects the demands and the need for fairness, equity and solidarity.”

He continued: “I feel I have brought the team as far as I can at this stage and a new voice and direction is now required. Winning the 2017 Connacht final will always remain the happiest day of my sporting life. We had our share of special days, mostly grand days and, of course, some very tough days. But overall, on reflection, these have been three of the greatest years of my life. Leaving the safety of the pundits chair for the passion and glory of the dressing room and football field is a decision I’ll never regret. However, today marks my retirement from senior inter-county football management.

“I look forward to a less stressful period now, concentrating more on work and family life and to supporting Roscommon and Mayo teams in 2019 and beyond.”

County board chairman Seamus Sweeney said: “Today, I reluctantly accepted Kevin’s resignation as Roscommon senior team manager. I’d like to thank Kevin for his dedication and commitment to Roscommon GAA over the last three years. Kevin’s professionalism and knowledge were there for everyone to see. He has left Roscommon football in a good place. I want to thank his selectors Ger Dowd and Liam McHale, and his backroom team, who all did their very best to ensure Roscommon were as competitive as possible.”