MINOR managers throughout Ireland believe that players would benefit from championship games returning to their former slot before the senior match, says Armagh assistant-manager Stefan Forker.
The Maghery clubman was an Ulster minor winner with Armagh back when up-and-coming youngsters had the chance to showcase their skills in the curtainraiser before the senior stars took centre stage.
Since the 2019 All-Ireland final between Cork and Galway, minor games have been lower-profile affairs played in front of small crowds. As Armagh prepare to face surprise Leinster champions Longford at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage in Cavan’s Kingspan Breffni on Saturday (3pm), Forker believes that’s to the detriment of today’s emerging talent.
“Wouldn’t it have been great to have played the Ulster minor final (Derry v Armagh) before the Derry-Armagh game last Sunday?” he asked.
“The minor championship needs to be given more status because attendances haven’t been great. It’s not that I’m interested in attendances at the matches but I think of my own minor journey with Armagh and that I got to experience the crowds and being on before the senior games…
“I remember back in 2005. We played Down in the Ulster final and it was played at Croke Park before Armagh and Tyrone in the senior final. By the end of the match, I’d say there was 60,000 in Croke Park. We got to play in that atmosphere and we beat Down and they ended up winning the All-Ireland.
“But that’s what we got, we got the big-day stuff. Even the earlier rounds, they were all on before the senior games and I think we need to go back to that. We need to get double-headers and get in before senior games.
“Even if Armagh are playing Derry in the minors and we’re on before a Donegal-Derry senior game, I would rather have that because at least you’re on a big day, there’s a big support there and the boys are getting to experience that and getting the rewards for all their work.”
With family budgets under constant strain, many supporters have to choose their games carefully these days.
Forker, assistant to Aidan O’Rourke in Armagh with James Daly also part of the management team, says the current scheduling system means that only immediate family and a few select others are getting the chance to see talented youngsters coming through.
“At the minute you’re only getting the real diehards and the mummys and the daddys and families,” he explained.
“We have played a lot of friendlies with counties down south this year and everybody is in the same boat, everybody thinks it should go back to how it used to be.
“I would say the U20 attendances weren’t great this year either. I remember playing U21 games on Wednesday nights and there were brilliant crowds at them. Attendances are a talking point across the board, but if you have a fella from your club playing before a senior game you’re going to go in and watch the game and learn the names on the programme and look out for the players breaking onto the senior team.
“We need to get back to that as much as we can because supporters would go and watch it and the players would love it even more.”
ELECTRIC IRELAND ALL-IRELAND MFC
SATURDAY
Tier 1 quarter-finals
Derry v Dublin (Kingspan Breffni, 1pm)
Longford v Armagh (Kingspan Breffni, 3pm)
Mayo v Cork (Cusack Park, 4.30pm)
Kerry v Roscommon (Cusack Park, 6.30pm)
Tier 2 semi-finals (St Tiernach’s Park)
Tyrone v Cavan (1pm)
Donegal v Kildare (3pm)
Tier 3 final
Down v Westmeath (Kingspan Breffni, 5pm)
