DCU commented on by Donegal Manager at Allianz's announcement Mon 30 Jan 2012
Jim McGuinness suggests that the Sigerson Cup be brought back to a November conclusion, that third-level teams should no longer be invited into pre-season provincial competitions like the McKenna and O'Byrne Cups.
"I think the whole thing needs to be looked at from the point of view of the players. There was a task force on burnout."
"It's (third-level conflict) the elephant in the room, it's not being dealt with and the players are stuck in the middle of it. There's an undercurrent as well that, if we help you through admissions and we put you up into digs and we pay your tuition fees, that there's an ownership situation."
"We had a meeting on January 2. Michael Murphy had the flu, Martin McElhinney had a sore foot and Michael Boyle, who wasn't at the meeting I don't think, had the vomiting bug.
"DCU were training the following day, the boys were home for Christmas but DCU told them they had to be up in Dublin for that session."
He also spoke at length about the ongoing row with DCU over the availability of Donegal player Martin McElhinney the weekend before last and said that he favoured the Sigerson Cup being concluded before the end of November and the third-level institutions not being allowed compete in the pre-season provincial tournaments.
McGuinness also said that even within the current system counties should have access to players at weekends while the colleges had them during the week and reiterated his threat to reconsider Donegal’s entry into next year’s McKenna Cup.
The Ulster council allows players make the choice between county or college in the competition. But speaking at the opening of the Allianz National Football League, McGuinness bemoaned the state of affairs where a division one county is forced to plan around third level institutions.
“We’d be better off forfeiting that there and letting people save their hard-earned money and just training ourselves, collectively, when we can get everyone together and build towards the national league that way and bring it forward as a group rather than what’s going on at the moment.”
Considering that there is no plan to change the rules for the McKenna Cup will Donegal be in that cup next year. ?
| Power NI Dr McKenna Cup 2012 Section C | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Points |
| 1 | Derry | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 35 | 6 |
| 2 | Cavan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 41 | 4 |
| 3 | University of Ulster Jordanstown | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 44 | 2 |
| 4 | Donegal | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 39 | 0 |
Cloudsurfman
Donegal weighed down by elephant in the room
ReplyDeleteAs the Donegal manager Jim McGuinness was being interviewed by TG4 anchorman Micheal O Domhnaill just minutes after their second successive league defeat of the 2012 campaign against Laois, Kevin Cassidy stood just a few feet away with his head bowed, staring at his shoelaces and clutching one of the station's microphones which he had been using in his role as an analyst for the previous two hours.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/donegal-weighed-down-by-elephant-in-the-room-3018224.html
McGuinness threatens to withdraw Donegal from McKenna Cup
ReplyDeleteJIM MCGUINNESS HAS continued his spat with third level football and says he would prefer forfeit the Dr. McKenna Cup campaign if college teams are involved.
McGuinness had a hig-profile falling out with DCU boss, Niall Moyna, earlier this month over the availability of Martin McElhinney and this further swipe at the involvement of colleges is thought to be another veiled swipe at that situation
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/mcguinness-threatens-to-withdraw-donegal-from-mckenna-cup-342004-Jan2012/