John Cleary: preseason competitions would have helped bed in new rules 

The Cork boss has lamented the suspension of the January games.

Cork manager John Cleary arrives. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Cork manager John Cleary says it’s a pity that county football teams won’t have next year's preseason competitions to acquaint themselves with the new playing rules.

The 2025 January provincial competitions have been suspended for a year following a decision by Central Council last weekend.

Cleary, who has overseen McGrath Cup successes the past two seasons, would have liked the chance for his group to familiarise themselves in full-blown fixtures against neighbouring counties organised by the Munster Council.

“A bit disappointed because it would have been an opportunity to trial the new rules,” said the Castlehaven man. “I know we can play challenge matches but an organised game with the full suite of referee, umpires and linesmen would have been the better way to do it.

“We’re a bit in the dark because we don’t know what rules are going to come in and it will all come very quickly and we won’t have an awful lot of time. This year coming more than any other the pre-season competitions would have beneficial to everyone, I would think.” 

Cleary was among those inter-county managers who were briefed by Gavin and the FRC in a remote meeting last Thursday. He liked plenty of what he heard but is reserving judgement on some proposals.

“A lot of them seem to be positive. Whether they can be implemented is another matter. The solo and go is one that will definitely quicken up the game and help things. I think keeping three (players) within the opponents’ 65-metre line will probably do the same but how hard that will be to implement remains to be seen.

“The solo and go even from a sideline ball would help quicken up the game. The jury might be out on the four points for a goal and the two-point arc. The rules around the kick-out, we might just have to see how those work before making a comment on it.” 

A four-time All-Ireland winning manager with Cork’s minor ladies footballers, Cleary’s experiences of the clock/hooter are good ones and he embraces the idea of it being extended to the men’s game.

“It’s a question of does the game end on the hooter or when the ball next goes dead after the hooter. I think it would be fairer to the ball to go dead and not ending a game when the ball is in the air and might be about to go over the bar or whatever. At least give the team who might be chasing the game one last play.” 

On the All-Ireland SFC format proposed by the Central Competitions Control Committee with the idea of it being operational in 2026, Cleary argues it’s a better system than the current structure.

With eight fewer games in both the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups, the intensity of the championship in May and June would be lessened as a qualifier system replaces the round-robin phase.

Cleary feels it is expecting too much of All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finalists to win through to semi-finals. Only Galway this year and Monaghan in 2023 made the last four from the final 12 stage when Cork won their preliminary quarter-final but then lost to Derry.

“I think the new system would definitely be better. From the start, you know exactly what you have to do. What they’re proposing is the winners go to one pot and the losers have a second chance in the second pot and that is definitely an improvement. Teams will have more time to prepare and more rest between matches.

“As it stands, teams in the preliminary quarter-finals have to play three weeks in a row and that is very difficult. Expecting them to go and perform in quarter-final after two games is asking a lot.”