McGeeney Retires, Could Be Manager

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Irish Voice Sport

McGeeney Retires, Could Be Manager

September 24, 2007

KIERAN McGeeney has announced his retirement from inter-county football with Armagh and has immediately been linked with the managerial vacancy with the Carlow footballers. The 2002 All-Ireland winning captain made the decision after he criticized the County Board’s appointment of Peter McDonnell as boss ahead of his former teammate Paul Grimley.

Ironically new Armagh boss McDonnell paid tribute to the All-Ireland winner and said, “It’s disappointing that Kieran is at this stage of his career. God would I not love it if Kieran was sitting there in his mid-20s ready to go with us again.

“But time moves on and life moves on and a few people will emerge over the next couple of years. Whether or not they become anything remotely close to Kieran McGeeney remains to be seen.

“But he has set a benchmark for attitude, application, dedication and pure ability that is there for all the rest of the players that are there now, and who will subsequently come in over the next couple of years, to measure up to and aspire to.

“And old principal of mine used to say, ‘Aim for the stars and you’re bound to hit the highest peak.’ If all the players who are left or who are yet to come into Armagh aim for the standards of Kieran McGeeney and don’t quite make it, they’ll still be great footballers.”

Ryan Stays Put

DECLAN Ryan has opted to stay in charge of the Tipperary minor team which won this year’s All-Ireland final despite being offered the chance to succeed Babs Keating as manager of the Premier County’s senior side.

“After speaking with the county board, I have decided the timing wouldn’t be right to put myself forward as a candidate for the senior hot seat,” said Ryan. “I’m friendly with some of the lads on the senior panel and that situation would create its own problems.

“I’ve completed only one year of my two year term as minor boss so I’ve decided to stay for another year. It’s good to have six players available again for next year, but the three-in-a-row is a tough target to achieve.

“Look at the failures of Kilkenny and Cork’s senior hurlers in recent years, Galway’s minors this year and the Cork’s senior camogie team last Sunday.”

Player Blinded

DONEGAL star Paddy McConigley faces an operation to save his football career after a paint-balling accident during a team bonding session left him blinded in one eye.

McConigley revealed, “It’s frightening. I might never get the sight in my eye back. As a footballer you worry about injuries that might ruin your career but never anything like this. You never think this will happen to you. It is a freak accident.

“I’ve seen a specialist in Belfast and I’ve to go for more scans next week. But it looks like they’ll have to operate.”

GAA Shorts

AIDAN Fogarty looks likely to succeed John McIntyre as manager of the Offaly hurlers. “People see him as the prime candidate. He’s involved at underage level and with clubs in Kilkenny too and that appeals to a lot of people here,” said Offaly spokesman Padraig Boland . . .

RTE have offered the GAA a staggering €20 million for the rights to the All-Ireland hurling and football championships for the next three years after their current deal expired on Sunday, but rival broadcasters Setanta are also keen to do a deal that will include TV3 . . .

FORMER selector Mike McNamara has emerged as the new favorite to succeed Tony Considine as coach to the Clare senior hurling team.

Harrington Exhausted

EXHAUSTION has forced British Open champion Padraig Harrington out of the Britain and Ireland team to play Europe in the Seve Trophy when it returns to Ireland at the Heritage course, designed by tournament host Seve Ballesteros, in two weeks.

“I’m afraid that I have been forced to withdraw from the Seve Trophy because of fatigue and injuries relating to this condition,” revealed Harrington. “In view of this, I have been advised by my trainer and physio to take a two-week break from tournament golf immediately.

“This is a decision I have not taken lightly, as I don’t want to let down the GB and Ireland team and, most importantly, the Irish golf fans. I wish the team the best of luck.”

In other golf news, Irish stars Rory McIlroy, Gary Cullen and Michael McDermott are all through to the second phase of the European Tour’s qualifying school.

Sunderland Wins

SUNDERLAND remembered 1973 FA Cup final goal scoring hero Ian Porterfield in style with a 2-1 win over Reading on Saturday, just days after the Scot was buried after finally losing a long battle with cancer.

The majority of the 1973 team attended the game in Porterfield’s honor and manager Roy Keane said, “It finished the day off nicely. It was a great tribute before the game and during the game. The players stayed focused and it was a nice way to finish the day off, I have to say.

“We have all done it on different occasions, paid our respects to different people over the years, and I thought today was brilliant, even during the game, and the Reading fans were brilliant as well with that. But the best way of paying our respects was to put on a good performance and win the match.”

Clarke’s Return

IRELAND defender Clive Clarke hopes to return to professional football despite his recent heart scare when he suffered two cardiac arrests at halftime in a Carling Cup match between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest last month.

The Wicklow native revealed, “I am just resting for the next four to six weeks, taking it easy and spending time with the family. Then I will sit down with the people who know what they’re talking about and then go from there.

“It has put a few doubts in my mind, but like anything you have to get over it. If they give me the all-clear to play I will be happy to go and play again hopefully.”

Soccer Shorts

MANCHESTER United will be without John O’Shea for two weeks after he suffered a knee injury in the first half of last week’s defeat for Ireland in the Czech Republic . . .

BOHEMIANS defender Thomas Heary is out for the rest of the season after he picked up a cruciate knee ligament injury . . .

FAI bosses have reportedly agreed a February 6 friendly against Brazil at Croke Park.

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