A trip down memory lane - 2003

[Bord na Mona man]

O'Kelly given ultimatum by Offaly resign or be fired

By Diarmuid O'Flynn

UNDER-PRESSURE Offaly football manager Paul O'Kelly yesterday confirmed that he was given a resign-or-be-fired ultimatum by the Offaly County Board, who were meeting last night to debate the issue.

O'Kelly spoke yesterday of his shock and disappointment, not just at the possible end to his tenure, less than one year into a three-year stint, but that the plans which he had already put in train would now come to naught.

"My understanding, and the basis under which I accepted the job, was this was going to be a three-year programme, with a yearly review to take place after the end of our involvement in the senior championship. We would sit down, look at the plan we had, revise it based on what had gone on - team performance, management performance, the performance of the County Board. The players would form a key part of that consultation process, particularly the more experienced players "After that process, we would use whatever we found was the best standard in every area, see where we could achieve those new standards in terms of facilities, training, all the important areas, put a plan into operation to reflect all that.

"The secret is to have a very ambitious vision of what's possible but a very realistic plan to implement that on a day-to-day basis. That was what I understood by the review process, and I had absolutely no thought whatsoever that my position was at risk. A couple of days after we'd lost to Roscommon, I spoke to the chairman and the secretary of the County Board, said we'd get that process done, get started on next season. Their response was that it hadn't yet been considered, that they'd get back to me, which they eventually did, and a process that was designed by them was put in place."

As soon as he had been appointed to the Offaly job, last year, O'Kelly had begun to build and implement a long-term strategy for Offaly football, one with very ambitious aims. "In Offaly, we have the worst underage structure of any county that I'm aware of - it's a disaster. Some outstanding people involved but no investment, teams and coaches not given sufficient support, sufficient training, sufficient resources. We then come on to U-21 level and the County Board is delaying decisions every year, year after year, on the appointment of a management team. Everything is short-term.

"As an example, the minute we were beaten in the championship this year, the team secretary was instructed to go down and cancel all gym memberships. Apart from the obvious loss of fitness in the players generally, some were in the rehab process, recovering from injury, and needed the gym.

"What's most frightening about this was that the county secretary didn't know that following the involvement we had with the gym, the way the players behaved themselves, we were actually getting it for free. What we had to do was take a long-term view on this. My programme involved taking guys in as early as possible and putting them through a standard screening process across a whole range of fitness. So the young fellas and their team managers, were educated on what was required, what the standards are."

He added last night: "What has happened here, in my opinion, encapsulates the major problem in the GAA. There is the dynamic of the players, their mindset, their commitment to excellence, and around them the supporters who absolutely love the game, dig deep to go to the games, that's the real GAA. These people try to go forward, reach new heights, try to do things better, and they meet the GAA civil servant who knows nothing but rules and regulations, who knows only what they did last year and every year before, who is comfortable with that and wants to keep on doing that. When they come head-to-head, that's where the real problem occurs."

The latest from the camp last night was that the players, organised by team captain Cathal Daly, were preparing a letter of protest to the Board

[True Red]

Showing bias here, but in my opinion what happened POK at time was nothing short of a disaster.

Had a clear plan, had earned his shot having served his time under Tommy Lyons and should have been given a decent chance.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Thanks, BnMM fir digging that piece out. It is incredible that so little has changed in the intervening ten years.

I still don’t understand the Board’s rush to rid themselves of Paul O’Kelly who, as a business adviser by profession would be advising clients on business models, forward planning and the like.

O’Kelly’s comments regarding the (almost non-existent) underage structures are still as relevant today as they were ten years ago. And U21 managements were, then as now, delayed for as long as they could.

Interesting comments too regarding the “GAA civil servants”. All that has changed in the meantime is that about half a dozen football managers have come and gone, as have three County Chairmen, though the 2003 Chairman is now the Secretary. The mediocrity and the hopelessness remains.

God Save Offaly.

[manfromdelmonte]

Why doesn't the county board just secure an empty commercial or industrial unit in the town from a sympathetic local owner and kit it out with gym equipment for use by the squads or groups of players? Plenty of places empty. It doesn't need to be fancy, just in place and available for use. If players want to use a commercial gym to be 'seen' using a g then let them pay for it themselves.

Other counties have gone down that route and you still own the equipment even if you have to move on.
And it doesn't need a huge amount of cash.
Most of the stuff could be welded locally - racks, frames, sleds, power frames etc and free advertising given in lieu.
Main cost would be Olympic bars, plates, med balls etc

[Plain of the Herbs]

What is the situation with gym membership, does anyone know? Is gym membership paid for by the Board, or is it sponsored by one or more local hotels (as described in the Paul O'Kelly situation above), or is there any at all?

The first key to problem solving is to identify the problem and then to prescribe a remedy. Then you open The Irish Times yesterday and you see Mick Sheridan claim that the problem isn't fitness, rather it is because the footballers don't play catch and kick while the hurlers don't poke the ball on the ground any more. Sez Mick “I think a lot of our troubles go back to coaching. We have gone away from the Offaly hurling and football style and lost what we were good at. We are possibly trying to copy successful counties. We have to go back to basics and concentrate of football more than fitness." You see what those who are progressive are up against?
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic- ... 362?page=1

Remember last year Michael Duignan had to attend a board meeting to plead with stubborn delegates to introduce Go-games?

We cannot continue to send young footballers and hurlers out in tri-colour jerseys who are completely unable to cope with whatever the opposition throw at them, like a covering defender in football, or an overlap and a diagonal handpass in hurling.

That Offaly traditionally played ground hurling, always and everywhere, is misty-eyed bullshit. Pre-2000s it might have been okay to turn over possession because the opposition was generally going to reciprocate five seconds later. That doesn't happen any more. Offaly can no longer blindly drive the ball as far as it will go and hope for the best. Possession should be used wisely. Not because we should copy successful counties, as Mick Sheridan nostalgically puts it, but because successful and non-successful counties will use the possession turned over by Offaly to their best advantage - by scoring with it.

God Save Offaly.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

I automatically switch off when it comes to Mick Sheridan and his opinions.
It is, however, a great pity that they were given a platform in a national newspaper.
God help us is right.

[azoffaly]

I said at the time, and I still say it, that that decision in 2003 was an absolute farce, and an absolutely disastrous decision. I have a personal bias, as my father was involved as a selector, but I would have said the same no matter who was in there. Now I accept that the men and women involved in the decision making at the time (and indeed now) have genuinely got the best interests of the GAA in Offaly (not just the county teams) at heart, but I could not believe the approach they took back then. Paul O''Kelly had a plan, and was determined to build for the the future. Of course he put hostages to fortune out there, saying Offaly would be trying to win Sam in 5 years, but isn't that better than mealy mouthed bullshit that reinforces the negativity surrounding the teams all the time. I guarantee you this, if Micko or Paidi (RIP) had come into Offaly at the same time as Paul O'Kelly did, they'd have been telling the players the very same thing. But no one would laugh at them.

I thought the 2003 campaign was even reasonably positive. Robbed of a win in O'Moore Park against the team that would go on to win Leinster (thanks to a Mick Lawlor Rugby pass), and losing in a very entertaining qualifier up in Mullingar against a Frankie Dolan inspired Roscommon. There was hope there for the future, with youngsters playing, including the blooding of a young Niall McNamee.

The county board in their wisdom at the time decided to cut the legs from under him and I think we're still not recovered. If I remember that led to several years of frequent managerial change, and come to think of it, how many managers have we had since 2003?

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

I would say 9 mgrs AZ.
I agree, both Kelly and Gerry Fahy stepping aside were the start of a downward spiral. But there is a real issue at club level.

As for Mick Sheridan, grand club officer but forget about it, unreal that he gets a platform on a national paper!!