This article is from page 60 of the 2011-10-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 60 JPG
HEATED exchanges erupted at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the county’s Gaels with chairman Michael O’Neill accused by one delegate of getting “personal” when issuing a trenchant challenge to anyone who questioned his commitment to confronting the football crisis within the county.
The fires of controversy were stoked by Doonbeg delegate Michael Neenan, who called on Michael O’Neill – who admitted that Clare football was “at rock bottom” – to lead the way by giving a commitment to institute a Director of Football post within Clare.
“You have to front it Mr Chairman,” said Neenan. “What has happened over the last ten years is not working. I think we should be putting in place a Director of Football and starting at the ground level up and doing proper coaching,” blasted the outspoken delegate. “We should take lead from the Tipperarys in football and the Dublins in hurling and look at it from that point. We have to take it seriously. A Director of Football should be immediately set up to look at the standard of football. We have too look at it more deeply. “We need proper coaching at ground level up and full backing from the county board. We have to over the next four to five years put a plan in place and working with a plan and everybody working together and people who are genuine about bringing Clare football to the top again. “Chairman, are you going to look into and put in place a Director of Football, putting proper structures in place at ground level, proper coaching done. It’s going to cost money and the clubs will have to raise money for that.
“Unless we do that we are fooling ourselves. We will be here next year talking about the same thing. If this is not addressed we are going to go further down the ladder. I am proposing that,” added Neenan.
“I honestly believe because of the financial implications it’s not a proposal we can take,” the county chairman responded.
“If you’re not serious about if Mr Chairman, we are not going to get off the ground,” responded Neenan. “Will you put a Director of Football in place? he added.
“No. I will work towards it. I’m not giving a commitment here tonight that I would put a Director of Football in place,” said O’Neill.
“Will you outline to the meeting here tonight how you’re going to go about it?” said Neenan hitting back.
“No. I won’t outline it,” responded O’Neill before saying “I want to tease it out to see what we can do”.
“But Mr Chairman we’re at rock bottom,” said Neenan.
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” said O’Neill, “but have I all the answers tonight? I don’t think so”.
“What are you afraid of about putting a Director of Football in place,” said Neenan.
“I’m not one bit afraid of anything, until we have the groundwork done and to make sure it’s the way to go and that we have the funding in place to pay that person. You can’t come in here blandly and say that we put a Director of Football in place. End of story. Michael O’Neill as chairman cannot do that.”
“This is where it can be put in place,” retorted Neenan.
“It can be discussed here tonight and can work towards it over the next couple of months. If we can come up with the finance and if it’s the right thing to do, it is part of the way forward,” admitted O’Neill.
“There is a better structure in place for the hurling,” said Neenan , “and it annoys me and it sickens me to think, why are we afraid to go down that road for the football. You have to take it seriously,” he added.
“I take exception to you saying I’m not taking it seriously,” said a visibly angry O’Neill. “If I’m not taking it seriously get me to hell out of here at the December meeting and come up to this table yourself, but you’ll have a job to get up here. I can assure you that.”
“There’s no need to get personal about it,” said Neenan, before the chairman claimed that the work is being done with football in the county. “We have worked very hard,” he said. “A lot of work has gone on on the ground. It won’t reap rewards for some years to come. There is an awful lot of good working going on in the county with football.
“Maybe a Director of Football is the way to go. I don’t disagree with you on that, but I’m not going to say blandly here that we are going down that route until we tease it our properly. What ever will be changed will be changed here by the clubs. It won’t be changed by me,” the chairman concluded.