Keith Ricken rails against U20 calls

FIRST things first, Keith Ricken wants to make it abundantly clear that it is a privilege to be still involved with the Cork U20 footballers.

There is not a single negative, he repeatedly stresses, in being afforded the opportunity to continue heading up a county team and to work with a group of driven young men.

But there are challenges. So many challenges. Self-made challenges too, which make them all the more galling.

Why GAA decision-makers have gone out of their way to create headache after headache for the young exponents of their game is both head-scratching and lamentable, sighs Ricken.

The U20 team he led to All-Ireland glory last August began their provincial campaign by welcoming Waterford to Clonakilty on a balmy Friday in mid-July.

This year’s class start their Munster journey in West Clare of a Wednesday evening in late February. From West Cork to Miltown-Malbay is quite the spin.

That Leaving Cert students must take time off school to fulfil this fixture is plain wrong.

But instead of rethinking the moving of the U20 championship from high summer to early spring, Croke Park’s response is to bring a motion to Congress which, if passed, will cement in rule the scheduling of the U20 championship in February/March.

Ricken heaps praise on his players for never once complaining about a schedule which forces them to balance inter-county commitments with pre-Leaving Cert/college exams and schools/third-level football.

Far from them conforming to the snowflake generation label that is forever being thrown at the youth of today, it is the actions of those much higher up the GAA food chain that leaves a lot to be desired.

“It is an impossible task to have a fixtures calendar that would suit everybody. And I have no doubt that bringing forward the U20 championship was a bona fide attempt to seek when is the best time to play this,” Ricken begins.

“But it doesn’t look like bringing it forward is going to be a great idea. And instead of saying, we’ll look at it again, to try and cement something in stone, that is an ideology.

“If you have an ideology, you are closed off to other thinking. We should never do that as an association. We should always have an open mind as to how best we play these competitions.

“We have already cut across the schools and colleges. For 60 years, the GAA worked very hard to make sure we were the strongest sporting organisation in these two institutions. All of a sudden now, we are a bit wishy washy with regard to both. I’d be a bit suspect.”

It is regrettable, the Cork manager adds, that this year’s crop of U20 players — in every county — will have a far less enjoyable experience by comparison with last year’s cohort.

“You must always do the right thing, and the right thing in this instance is providing a positive experience for players. U20 is the second most important competition in terms of adult inter-county. So I don’t think we should be trying to microwave it or fit it into something.

“Yes, [finding where U20 best fits in the calendar] is going to be a headache. But as an association, we shouldn’t be walking away from headaches.

“Fixtures are good headaches. It means there are people there to play the games. But young lads need to be playing football at a time of year where it is suitable for their full development.

“Is it a case that [Croke Park] wants things ticked, and done and dusted? Or is it a case that we have a challenge here so let’s face it. We constantly tell our young people that if you have a challenge in life, you must face that challenge. We often talk about this young generation being the snowflake generation. I don’t experience that, and I’m dealing with young people every day.

“What I find a bit snowflakey are some of the decisions made up along the line. They are a bit wishy washy. I don’t understand that if you are talking about player centredness, player experience, and promotion of our games, that you’d do what they have done to the U20 championship and then say we are going to cement this in stone.”

Of course, Ricken is not a lone voice in criticising the moving of the U20 championship. Dublin manager Tom Gray and Kerry’s John Sugrue haven’t exactly been complimentary of the scheduling changes.

“I do have an issue of how it is being played at the moment; in the mud, in the water, and in the cold,” the Cork manager continues.

“I used to always like the end of training sessions at summertime when the lads would sit on the grass, they’d stretch and chat away. You certainly wouldn’t be doing that at this time of year. Players could have exams on match-days. I often wonder if anyone thinks about this.

“We are restricted in what we can do as you are not allowed to play practice matches, among other things. I often wonder if it should be called the you-can’t tournament.

“All the managers genuinely care about their players and the development of Gaelic football. That is something that needs to be discussed — where is Gaelic football going, what do we want out of it, and what do we want for these lads.”

CLARE (Munster semi-final v Cork): T O’Brien (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield); M Doherty (Eire Óg), M Murray (St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay), C McMahon (Ennistymon); D Walsh (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), C Rouine (Ennistymon), S Conway (Doonbeg); O Looney (St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay), E Rouine (Ennistymon); J Murphy (Ennistymon), E McMahon (Kildysart), T Clancy (O’Curry’s); D O’Donnell (Kildysart), S Meehan (Banner), M McInerney (Eire Óg).

CORK (Munster U20 semi-final v Kerry): J O’Keeffe (Newmarket); C O’Shea (Kilshannig), D O’Mahony (Knocknagree), D Phelan (Aghada); D Buckley (Newcestown), B Foley (Bantry Blues), B Lynch (Douglas); J Lawton (Argideen Rangers), D O’Connell (Kanturk); J Murphy (Éire Óg), A Ó Luasa (Naomh Abán), B Hayes (St Finbarr’s); M Cronin (Nemo Rangers), F Herlihy (Doheny’s), B Murphy (St Vincent’s).

Subs: C O’Leary (Douglas), B Curtin (Kilshannig), S Desmond (Clondrohid), E Lehane (Canovee), D Cashman (Millstreet), E O’Hanlon (Kilshannig), C Corbett (Clyda Rovers), C Russell (Douglas), G O Sullivan (Boherbue).

LIMERICK (Munster semi-final v Kerry): R McElligott (Mungret St Paul’s); C Woulfe (St Senan’s), C Carew (Claughan), D O’Keeffe (Fedamore); B Coleman (Rathkeale), A Shanagher (Rathkeale), L Kennedy (St Kieran’s); R O’Brien (Fr Casey’s), J Cummins (Galbally); J Molyneaux (Dromcollogher Broadford), B Foley (Newcastlewest), J Hayes (St Kieran’s); J Garvey (Mungret St Paul’s), E O’Mahony (Galbally), C Ryan Feenagh/Kilmeedy).

Subs: J Alfred (Adare), C McCarthy (Monaleen), T Lyons (Croom), S O’Donoghue (Ballylanders), S Barry (Mungret St Paul’s), J Pomeroy (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), DJ Stack (Fr Caseys), C Galvin (Mungret/St Paul’s), E McNamara (Galtee Gaels).

KERRY (Munster U20 semi-final v Limerick): M Kelliher (Glenflesk); O Fitzgerald (Gneeveguilla), J McCarthy (Kenmare Shamrocks), D McCarthy (Kenmare Shamrocks); L Brosnan (Castleisland Desmonds), D Casey (Austin Stacks), S O’Brien (Beaufort); D Lyne (Legion), M O’Gara (Austin Stacks); P Walsh (Brosna), P Darcy (Glenflesk), K Falvey (Annascaul); R Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht), S Keane (Listowel Emmets), P O’Shea (Kilcummin).

Subs: D Uosis (Dingle), A Dineen (Rathmore), S O’Connell (Cordal), C Moriarty (Annascaul), T Ó Siochrú (Tuosist), D Geaney (Dingle), S Quilter (Austin Stacks), E Horan (Scartaglen), J O’Connor (Beaufort).