Down had assured their promotion with one round still to go in NFL Division 2. James McCartan and his entire team will be extremely pleased with this and their unbeaten run in the league campaign will have instilled a great confidence and self-belief in what is a fairly young team.

As with many of the management teams throughout the country this would have been their goal at the outset. Failure to do so would be no great disaster providing they had performed fairly well throughout and had improved as the games were played. At this stage the county supporters (and perhaps even some squad members) can convince themselves that "….ah well, the league doesn't really matter anyway." Sitting safely above the relegation zone this may seem true and the fact that League title holders don't always have a good championship can bring further merit to the argument.

I have often overheard the remark that "Sure, Mickey Harte doesn't really care about the League." The truth of course is that the League certainly does matter. Mickey Harte is very concerned about league victories and performances. Ask Malachy O'Rourke (Fermanagh), Glen Ryan (Longford), Fergal O'Donnell (Roscommon) or Brendan Hackett (Westmeath) if the league matters and I bet you will get a very sharp reply.

By focusing on teams that have had a very poor league campaign we can see the true importance of putting together a sequence of decent results. If we had some way of measuring team unity and moral among county teams at present then we would see an amazing contrast in measurements between, for example, the Down and Fermanagh camps.

James McCartan can prepare for his championship battle in Ballybofey with a good degree of confidence because it will be felt in the camp that, at the very least, their team strategies appear to be sound and team moral is high. Contrast that with Malachy O'Rourke's camp where there is an air of doubt and lack of confidence possibly creeping in as they approach the derby with neighbours Cavan - the team that beat them last year in the first round. I'm sure Malachy would prefer if they didn't have to play them after Easter in what is now a meaningless league match.

The most frustrating thing about the performances of these relegation zone teams- from a manager's point of view - is the fact that the preparation and effort applied by Malachy O'Rourke, Glen Ryan, Damien Cassidy, etc…, is just as meticulous as that of Conor Counihan, John O'Mahony or Liam Bradley.

Lack of form, new personnel, new management, missing quality players (especially with teams that have a smaller pool to choose from), are all contributory factors to poor results. But, does the league matter? It sure does.

Manager's money
Why is it that the mention of money in any GAA matters is always sure to generate great debate? The latest financial conundrum to burden an Cumann Luthchleas Gael is the monetary rewards/payment/expenses/bonuses (take your pick) of team managers and coaches. Let me firstly say that the commitment, dedication, expertise and enthusiasm displayed by the majority of managers/coaches is admirable and worthy of reward. The subsequent anxiety, stress and sometimes abuse suffered by some cannot be quantified.

Home club managers are not usually caught up in this debate. Their commitment to their own club and the awareness of club dedication among other members should quell the desire for any payment. Equally, they should not be out-of-pocket for their commitment but should have certain expenses reimbursed.

It is the recruitment of the outside manager at club level that puts a new emphasis on the word 'expenses'. The fact that an outside manager is brought in to impart his years of experience and knowledge to a group of players with whom he has no native loyalty automatically suggests that he would deserve some reward. Of course this, by choice, would be of a monetary nature. The expenses paid out at club level, allegedly, can reach five figure sums!

In these recessionary times any extra fundraising that a man can secure for his family cannot be easily refused but the 'expenses' must be relevant to the output and subsequent club return.

Paraic Duffy's investigation into the payment of managers at county level is a very complicated issue and one that will surely provoke heated debate. This is good. What the outcome will be is impossible to guess. County management is a full time role. A role that brings with it great responsibility. A role that merits reward. County boards can make legal mileage and expenses payments and these can be monitored. The financial assistance donated by supporter clubs and 'friends' of the county can not.

Probably the biggest winner to emerge from these debates and investigations will be the local clubs when they realise the importance of nurturing their own coaches and managers from within and eventually securing more self-sufficiency in terms of management.

Whilst I hope to be kept busy in management with my own club this year I will look forward to the break in July and the opportunity to coach in the picturesque setting of Ojen in Spain. During an action-packed week I will be joined by coaches from the Costa Gaels GAC as well as Enda Kilpatrick (former Tyrone captain), Sean Og dePaor (former Galway All-Ireland winner and All Star) and Benny Tierney (Armagh schoolteacher).

The camp will run this year from Monday 13th to Friday 17th July inclusive. To book a place on the camp or to arrange accommodation contact Shirley on 0034665054858 or email [email protected]. Tweet

Most Read Stories