Football

Enda Gormley queries Sigerson prominence in GAA calendar

Enda Gormley in his heyday with Derry, shooting over despite an attempted block by Armagh's Martin Toye Picture by Ann McManus
Enda Gormley in his heyday with Derry, shooting over despite an attempted block by Armagh's Martin Toye Picture by Ann McManus Enda Gormley in his heyday with Derry, shooting over despite an attempted block by Armagh's Martin Toye Picture by Ann McManus

FORMER Derry star and current Glen club manager Enda Gormley has accused the GAA hierarchy of failing to practice what they preach in terms of putting clubs first.

The Maghera man also questioned why Sigerson Cup football still gets such a prestigious place in the GAA calendar despite the pressure being put on other competitions, notably the U21 grade at both club and county level.

Gormley is aware of most aspects of playing Gaelic football, having won minor and intermediate championships and a league title with his club; MacRory Cups, Sigerson Cups; and, of course, the National Football League and All-Ireland SFC with Derry. He even won a Derry Junior Championship with Glen thirds in 2005.

Yet almost 30 years after he top-scored in the 1986 final that brought the Sigerson Cup to Jordanstown for the first time, he wonders why the third level scene continues to enjoy such prominence in the calendar:

"Personally, as someone who has played Sigerson football and loves Sigerson football, I don't understand why a few elite people who go to university preside over clubs, where everybody gets an opportunity to play club football," Gormley said.

"It's a very small percentage of the population that gets to play university football. How that can take precedence - and I say that as someone who loved university and had a successful [playing] career at university. I think somebody needs to take a look. I keep hearing a lot from the [GAA] president about 'the club this' and 'the club that', but I don't see much evidence of them backing that up and saying 'Right, club comes first and we work everything else around it'. That's what they preach -  but they're not practising it."

Gormley happily acknowledges club comes first in Derry, but even though he is also in charge of the Watty Graham's U21 side, he is content to work out compromises with managers of the various county sides, including senior boss Damian Barton.

Glen continue the defence of their Ulster Club U21 FC title on St Valentine's Day against Magheracloone Mitchel's of Monaghan, who won their quarter-final against a weakened Kilcar side. There was controversy as the Donegal U21 champions were without Ryan and Eoin McHugh and Stephen McBrearty due to their involvement in a Donegal senior challenge game the same day.

Gormley seemed somewhat surprised by that, saying: "In my experience of knowing people from other counties, Derry seems to be club-focused only.

"We're very happy - we don't ask our county men to train with us and Damian Barton has no problem releasing them for these matches, so that's a happy medium. We'd like to think that they'll go and play for Derry and come back better players. But most people will agree with us in that they'll never forget about their club; it never was an issue with us.

"What Donegal do is their thing… but thank God, we don't have that issue. We'll try to work with the county, try to keep a good relationship because that'll be a win-win situation."

As for the suggestion from central council that U21 be done away with and replaced by a new U20 grade, Gormley was sceptical, hinting that compromise is the solution to concerns about over-training and player burnout in the 17-21 age range: "The big thing is, I think there is room for all these competitions…

"We have two or three boys on the St Pat's [Maghera] MacRory panel and they train away with St Pat's. Then, we come to a compromise a week before the [U21] games that they give us a bit of space. I think if people work with each other and show common sense - none of our boys are training any more than they would be if they were with just one team. If it's U20 or U21, would it really make a big difference?," he concluded.