Clubs are on the search for their manager Messiah

Eglish captain and TG4 presenter Conall Martin, casts his eye over the club managerial merry-go-round.“SUMMER comes around each year, we go there and they come here, some jet off to Frijiliana but I always go to Lisdoonvarna” There is something in the lines of that Christy Moore song that reminds me of the magical merry-go-round that is the managerial circus now taking grip of club committees and players the length and breadth of the country.

Every club currently on the trawl for fresh fish is probably using the same set of criteria by which to find their new ‘managerial messiah’.

 

He must be;

(A) Experienced – ideally at a level above which the current club is operating, either with a club (just ok) or school (which means he is a teacher. Some of the committee never liked the school master because he made them sit in the bottom corner and read Fuzz Buzz, although he has his advantages, he has more time available than other professions, he may on the other hand treat the fellas’ like schoolboys and that would never do, but on the plus side he would have his own balls and cones!).

Should a club give a new fresh faced manager a go at it, well then, they run the risk of being called a progressive committee willing to try something new!

 

(B) Successful – He must have had some level of success in his past managerial career. Any form of success is a bonus in this category.

 

(C) Enthusiasm – Every club dreams of a man who can become their very own ‘Director of Football’. The committee might even plug for a man who can write progressive training policies for youth teams, who might put in place training programmes for youth managers.

It would be great if the ‘new man’ could be there every night half an hour in advance of the players.

 

(D) Economical –  Ideally the new man must not require remuneration for his post but if he asks for a cash payment or indeed expenses, well then, it leaves the committee in the advantageous position of getting rid of him should be in fact turn out the be, well, let’s not beat about the bush, CRAP!

 

(E) Be like Ryanair – ideally he should come with no baggage but if he does he will pay for it! Don’t worry Dear Mr New Manager, you might not pay for it up front but like Michael O’Leary you will be got in the long grass.

 

My own club is currently on the trawl for a ‘new’ manager and will have no doubt put in place a set of criteria for the candidate.

Getting a new manager appointed is almost as difficult as trying to become a ‘Made Man’.

The successful candidate not only has to fulfill the criteria outlined above but he also had to satisfy the different brotherhoods of the family – the players (limited say – they are only foot soldiers), committee (captains, think of Jackie Aprillia in the Sopranos) and last but not least the real committee (in most GAA clubs a Mafioso committee exists who wield almighty power and are the real decision makers).

When Fat Tony has rubber stamped the ‘Made Man’ he will be brought to the boiler room, given a picture of Peter the Great (which will be burnt in his hand) and have his finger pricked with the pin of a commemorative Ulster 125 badge!

 

 

The real fact of the matter is that within most counties and provinces there exists a small crew of managers who go round and round on the merry go round.

To me a real manager would develop structures in the club, develop coaching policies, and put in place training programmes to help develop underage coaches as well as coaching and managing the senior team.

How many of us can honestly say that the people who have been brought in and often paid to manage clubs have actually done this?

If we as GAA people are happy to pay ‘professionals’ to act as managers then why do we not insist that they sign ‘contracts of employment’, just like anybody taking up any other form of employment.

At least then, everybody would know where they stood. If a man is getting paid £200 plus a week for taking a club, well then make him work 40 plus hours a week.

People will say that this is breaking all the rules on amateurism, but it’s not really if you consider the fact that all county boards and provincial councils pay coaches. They call them ‘Gaelic Games development coaches’, they work full time hours and they are professional.

Any club employing a manager should, by way of an employment contract, get their ‘Games Development Manager’ to be at the club from 2pm to 10pm daily. 

This will allow him ample time to perform the duties that should be carried out by a real senior manager.

One of my favourite management crises came from Coalisland Fianna who last year could not find an appropriate person within the club to take on the job of club manger. Having in the past made external ‘appointments’ a decision had been taken not to employ any outside person to look after the fortunes of the club.

No-one wanted the job, they were stuck and with that they turned to one of their injured senior players to take over the management of the team.

At the time I believed that ex Tyrone player and good friend Richard Thornton was to say the least ‘clean mad in the head’. 

As it turned out, it was an extraordinary act of courage on his part to take on managing a set of players that he had played in a County Final with only two years previously.

It was a bold decision by the club to stand by their decision not to take someone in from outside the club and maybe it should demonstrate to the rest of us that instead of looking to the Golden circle of men that sit on the managerial merry go round, clubs should be willing to take a punt on young, new and enthusiastic managers, people who have played the game at a time when it has developed more significantly than any time in living history.

As the saying goes ‘Is doiligh an óige a shárú!’ (it’s hard to beat the youth)!

By the way this article should be in no terms misconstrued as a plea for a job!