Football

The players made a mistake says Pete McGrath

Former Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath. Picture by Philip Walsh
Former Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath. Picture by Philip Walsh Former Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath. Picture by Philip Walsh

PETE McGrath believes the Fermanagh players “have made a mistake” in forcing him through the exit door but says he bears no grudges over his departure.

The double All-Ireland winning former Down manager revealed that he had been informed of the players’ concerns before he was officially reappointed for what would have been his fifth season, but felt that the issues could be ironed out.

In a phone call from an unnamed player two nights before he was ratified by the county executive, McGrath says he was informed that there were apparent issues over discipline within the ranks that players feared would continue to go unchecked.

“It was intimated to me by a player, when he called me, that a number of senior players wouldn’t be committing to the year ahead unless there was a change of manager or management,” he told The Irish News.

“The only reason he gave was that the senior players felt a number of players had got off with things last year, and that might replicate itself next year if the same management was in place.

“That baffled me, to be quite honest. No particular players came to my mind. I didn’t say too much to the player. He was speaking on their behalf.”

McGrath called a meeting with the rest of his management team for the following evening and they decided to proceed with their reappointment in the hope that the issues could be ironed out.

“We felt whatever issues we had, we could deal with them. We always had a root and branch review with the players, an honest, robust, formal review of what happened – things that players felt weren’t good enough, things players felt should change.

“We felt the same type of procedure could deal with whatever issues the players had.”

But a meeting with the players called under the terms of the GPA players’ charter last Thursday night, McGrath says he and his team were informed that “most of the panel” would opt out of duty next season if he remained in charge, leaving him with no choice but to resign.

“The team captain [Eoin Donnelly] said that there had been grievances brought to his attention over the year by players. I was baffled by that because at no stage over the season did the team captain come to me about any issues the players had.

“A few other issues were raised that, in my view, were non-issues. At that stage, the players were asking the county chairman about the criteria for a team manager to be reappointed, and they wanted a say in it.

“They went on to say that most of the panel would not be committing if the same management was in place. At that stage I left the meeting. There was no point, my decision was made and that ended that.”

His fourth and final season proved extremely testing, losing a number of key players to retirement, emigration and injury that left his hand so bare that he named two subs for his final game against Armagh that weren’t fit to play, “solely for cosmetic reasons” of filling out a 26-man squad.

Asked if things had felt stale within the camp throughout the year, McGrath pointed to the lack of bodies and says he still felt everyone was “pulling the one direction”.

“I didn’t see this coming. But in life and football, the unexpected happens sometimes. After today, it’s over. You have to move on.

“This group of players over the last four years have been brilliant. They committed energetically, enthusiastically and in a very honest way with management in what we were trying to do.

“I think over the last four years, we pushed Fermanagh football in the right direction.

“In Fermanagh, I felt nothing but warmth and affection from the Fermanagh supporters and public, they were brilliant.

“The players over the four years were exemplary but in this instance, they were wrong. I think they made a mistake. They went about things the wrong way and were misguided. It’s unfortunate that it ended this way.

“I’m leaving without any rancour, I have no animosity towards anyone. I can’t carry grudges or any ill-feeling towards anyone.”

After 40 years in coaching, McGrath says he will not retire but in terms of staying in the inter-county game, he didn’t know what the future would hold.

The most likely destination would be Louth, who have made great strides and whose boss Colin Kelly resigned recently.

McGrath turned down the Louth job in 2007 after resigning as manager of Cooley Kickham’s having lost that year’s county final.