Players must take the lead in East recovery
While the appointment of James Sheehan is a step in the right direction ultimately the success or otherwise of East Kerry this summer rests with the players, writes
It would be incredibly naïve, however, to think that Sheehan can instantly wave a magic wand and make all the district's problems go away. But it certainly won't be for a lack of effort that East Kerry might fail this year if the former County...
Wednesday March 10 2010
AFTER a winter of harsh words and plenty of reflection, the news that East Kerry will definitely be entering a team in the County Senior Football Championship this year is a welcome development, especially so considering the quite embarrassing events during last year's competition.
Anyone who was in Ballymacelligott the day they were annihilated by St Kierans knew that there was something seriously wrong when, firstly, no team was printed in the programme and, secondly, only 18 players decided to show up with the more prominent players in the district nowhere to be seen.
Last year's events were the culmination of many years of underachievement and the fact that all the issues that hampered last year's 'preparations' came to the surface that day was quite horrifying for all to see. It was only natural that the East Kerry Board would ask the now five clubs (Gneeveguilla, Glenflesk, Firies, Fossa and Listry) was it worth continuing to enter a team in the County Championship if there was such a sense of disinterest.
Outside help was always going to be needed to solve this situation and into the breach has stepped a man who is quite capable of leading East Kerry back to better times – James Sheehan. The Laune Rangers man has a record of taking a team low on morale back to a healthier state as evidenced by his guiding Mid Kerry to at least the semi-final stages of the competition in his first three years in charge.
- Jason O'Connor
