This article is from page 63 of the 2011-11-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 63 JPG
RAISING the standard of Clare football lies with the implementation of a new Bord na nÓg blueprint for the game and clubs embracing coaching initiatives being pioneered by the Clare County Board – not with the employment of extra full-time coaches.
That was the message sounded out by board officials to clubs around the county as the debate over the state of Clare football that has raged over the course of the last three county board meetings was aired once more at the West County Hotel last Tuesday.
“There is some myth that the Clare County Baord is suddenly going to find a lot of money and hire ten coaches,” said board secretary Pat Fitzgerald in pouring cold water on a proposal that more football coaches will be hired.
He was responding to Doonbeg delegate, Michael Neenan, who said that there were “only one and a half coaches for football”.
“It is important to deal with this one and a half coaches,” said Fitzgerald. “Galway was mentioned the other night. Who is paying for these coaches (in Galway). It’s the clubs. If clubs (of Clare) want to do that – they can do that,” he added.
“Forget your one and a half coaches,” said board chairman, Michael O’Neill. “Forget about it. You have coaches in every club in this county capable of coaching. Get them involved. Move on Michael (Neenan). Move on. There are coaches in place,” he added.
Last month it was revealed that the only full-time coaches employed by the Clare County Board who were involved in football coaching were John Enright and Ronan Keane, who divides his time between hurling and football in the Ennis area.
Continuing, Mr Fitzgerald said “the money isn’t there” to employ extra coaches. “The only way we will move from where we are is in a critical mass situation. What I mean by that is that clubs will go into schools and appoint a liaison officer who will to talk with schools and put coaches in there.
“In the development squads alone this year Clare county Board spent € 34,000. We have € 330,000 put into underage games this year. Bernard (Keane) will give you the financial situation and I can tell you, it’s backwards and downwards we are going.
“As far as I am concerned clubs will have to come on board. If clubs want coaches I’m sure Eamon (Fennessy) and Sean (Chaplin) will organise the coaching courses.
It is going to have come that way. If you were to get ten coaches at € 35,000 ahead, that’s € 350,000,” he added.
“The clubs have to take on more coaching courses,” said coaching officer, Eamonn Fennessy. “There is outstanding work being done by Sean Chaplin. Time and money is being spent on football at underage,” he added.
“There is a massive amount being done in coaching and games. It comes from everyone in this room, it comes from every club as to what they are doing in their clubs,” said Michael O’Neill.
“I know times are tough and there are a lot of constraints on people – but we just have to get more and more people involved in our clubs and for some of those people to get into the schools and coach, because the coaching is not being done in the schools now. It might have been done five, ten and 15 years ago, but it’s not being done because there are far more constraints on teachers now,” he added.