Outsider becomes one of us
November 27, 2010It will also have its first 'outside' boss following the appointment of former Monaghan supremo Seamus McEnaney in the early days of winter this year. That's also a development which few could have predicted, given the county's record of sticking with home-grown people to fill the role.
There was strong opposition to the selection of McEnaney following the recommendation of the three-man interview committee consisting of County Committee chairman Barney Allen, GAA Hearings' Committee chairman Liam Keane from the Cortown club and 1988 All-Ireland-winning captain Joe Cassells that he get the job. It was, therefore, surprising that club delegates voted so overwhelmingly in his favour.
During the course of the meeting at which the vote was taken it became increasingly obvious that McEnaney was going to be the man to replace Eamonn O'Brien as Keane and Cassells, in particular, put forward very strong cases for the Corduff man. When the votes were counted 53 club delegates were in favour of his appointment, with only 19 against. It was a strong endorsement.
In another break with tradition, McEnaney was granted a three-year term which will be reviewed after two years. The assistant-manager will be former Meath star defender Liam Harnan who guided Skryne to the SFC title this year. Paul Grimley, who was part of the Armagh set-up for their historic All-Ireland triumph in 2002, will act as football coach/selector and former Cavan manager Martin McElkennon will be the strength and conditioning coach. Another 'home' selector was to be added later.
McEnaney, who had acted as Monaghan coach for six years, was thrilled following his appointment.
"I'm delighted and I'm especially delighted that the clubs gave me a mandate to become the next Meath manager," he said.
McEnaney revealed that he had no worries ahead of the vote.
"No, I wasn't worried," he added. "I had got the feeling that Meath were ready to make this move and appoint an outside manager for the first time. It's a huge step for me, a step in a different direction. I'm looking forward to the big challenge that's in front of me and I'm sure there will be many of those along the way."
With strong opposition from within the county to the appointment of an outside manager, did he ever consider pulling out of the race?
"No, I didn't consider doing that," McEnaney said. "I knew there was going to be a thorough process. I totally respect the opinions of people in Meath who didn't want to go outside for a team manager. Now that I am in place I would encourage the Meath people to get behind the team. From now on it will be all about the progress of Meath football and its future.
"Any inter-county job, management at this level, especially with teams of the calibre of Meath, you are always going to be closely scrutinised. There is always going to be high pressure to deliver, but you are not going to let your name go forward for these jobs unless you are prepared to deal with whatever comes in front of you."
McEnaney welcomed the decision to grant him a three-year contract.
"I think that's a very good move because it's going to take a bit of time to bed in a system of play that the players are happy with and that we (the team management) are happy with," he added. "It will take us time to get used to the 'ins and outs' of Meath football. We will have to try to be as successful as we possibly can be and as soon as is possible."
THE ARGUMENTS
FOR AND AGAINST
The interview panel had put forward a powerful case in favour of McEnaney's appointment and Joe Cassells made comparisons between him and Sean Boylan who acted as manager for 23 seasons, guiding the county to All-Ireland senior titles in 1987, 1988, 1996 and 1999.
"Seamus McEnaney stood out like a sore thumb for his enthusiasm," Cassells said. "He actually reminded me of Sean Boylan when Sean came in back in the winter of '82. Sean showed so much enthusiasm he embarrassed us as players.
"Seamus McEnaney has that same type of enthusiasm about where he wants to go. We had no problem picking him on the basis that he has six years of experience in top level management and we just said to ourselves that he is the man for it. We had no qualms about it.
"Seamus McEnaney is taking on the job to try to improve the team. We don't know whether the players are going to match his ambition. We don't know that, but you have to give them the opportunity, give them the best professional approach to take it one step further.
"Nobody can say we are going to win the All-Ireland next year, but you set your stall out and put in place the best possible team to achieve that. This is the best possible team that is out there for us at this present moment and I know that there are loads of people here saying is there not a Meath man that can do it. There are Meath men that can do it. We just don't have a team that is there at the minute as good as what is being offered. It's as simple as that, in my opinion."
Liam Keane also put forward a very strong case for McEnaney.
"Our brief was to get the best manager for the Meath senior football team and the best management team," he told delegates. "There was no restriction on where the manager might come from. Our proposal to management was that Seamus McEnaney be appointed as manager for a three-year term, with a review after two years.
"If it transpires at any stage that, as a county, we are not happy with the manager he can be removed. It's not an employer/employee situation and that is the simple reality. Everyone involved with the GAA knows that, but it is not envisaged that there will be a whole new nomination process this time next year. If people aren't happy at the end of the year, anyone can bring a motion to the County Committee seeking a change."
Keane said that the players had been kept "in the loop" throughout the entire process.
"They did make it very clear the type of structure they wanted, the type of approach they felt would bring them to the next level," he added. "Our view was, and I suppose the players have the same view, that they are at a certain level. This is not a team in transition or at the bottom. They are at a certain level and they are ambitious to get to the next level.
"They want and they feel that with the appropriate back-up and the appropriate management team in place they can get to the next level, the highest level. Who knows? Maybe they are right, maybe they are wrong. We will never know unless we give them the chance and what we are saying to delegates is please give them the chance to get to the highest level.
"We don't want to be simply a top eight team. Are we happy with that? That is where we are at. As far as I am concerned we should be capable of getting to the next level. If this team is fit to do it, let them at it. The best way to assure they get the best opportunity to get to that level is to put a management team of the type that Seamus McEnaney is bringing to get them to that level."
County Committee chairman Barney Allen, the third member of the interview panel, said he was "very conscious of the feelings that have been expressed about the protracted nature of the process" to find a new manager.
"It certainly was not the intention of the interview panel or the management committee that it should have taken so long. I would like to express my thanks to my two colleagues on the interview panel, Liam Keane and Joe Cassells. We believe that the candidate recommended for appointment fulfils the expectations of the Meath football public. This was a unanimous decision of the interview committee.
"On finance, I would like to assure delegates that the necessary expenditure will not be a burden on the clubs or the finances of Coiste na Mi. No levy will be imposed on the clubs. Seamus McEnaney will only be paid mileage and no under the counter payments will be made to anybody. Everything will be above board. For many people I realise that they are being asked to change the core value of green to go outside the county in our quest to secure the best manager and backroom team for Meath."
County Committee treasurer Pat Clerkin allayed any fears there may have been on the financial front and said the new management will cost a maximum of just under €11,000 per month. It was also revealed that it will cost €99,000, at most, for the year if Meath were to reach the All-Ireland final in 2011.
Understandably, there were those who had major reservations about appointing a manager from outside the county, among them Central Council delegate Brendan Cummins.
"I have been worried about this development for quite a while," he said. "I'm just worried about the example it gives to our clubs. We have been leading the way in giving good example to our clubs. We have got clubs in financial difficulties. This is not giving them the lead that we have been giving them in the past.
"They will take their example from the county board. They will be going hither and thither looking for coaches and they will be finding themselves, eventually, in deeper financial difficulties.
"The other worry I want to express is about the effect this will have on our coaching and games development strategy. We have invested a lot of money in it over the years and it hasn't produced anybody, apparently, deemed good enough to be put in the position of Meath manager, or even as selectors in some cases.
"We have only got one selector so far. I'm worried about the fact that, given the amount of time that we have had and that Seamus McEnaney has had, he hasn't come up with another selector either. They are genuine concerns that I have, particularly about the example to the clubs."
County Committee vice-chairman Eugene Comaskey was another who expressed major reservations.
"Probably everybody here knows my stance," he said. "I have been going through this for the last couple of weeks now and there are a couple of points I want to raise. One is that Seamus McEnaney is prepared to do fundraising. I never heard of any team manager in any county ever talking about fundraising. How would any man running a football team in a county have time to get involved in fundraising. That is a crazy situation in my belief."
But when the votes were tallied later McEnaney was the new manager and the hope now is that he will be a successful one. Tweet
