Seán Counihan: 'Getting rid of the divisional teams is a populist stance'

Counihan has dismissed the push against divisional teams from the competition as “a populist stance” that won’t serve Kerry football well.

DIVISIONAL TEAMS IMPORTANCE: The likes of Paudie Clifford is the perfect example. He was, I wouldn’t say missed, but it was his county championship form that got him noticed and he kept on knocking on the door.

Former East Kerry manager Seán Counihan has hit back at former GAA president Seán Kelly’s suggestion to remove divisional teams from the senior football county championship.

Counihan, who guided East Kerry to three consecutive Kerry SFC titles from 1997 to '99 and was a selector to Páidí Ó Sé when The Kingdom claimed the Sam Maguire Cup in 2000, has strongly defended the presence of divisional outfits in the competition.