"It turns my stomach, the thought of it; I can't think of anything worse"

March 20, 2018

Armagh's Brendan Donaghy.
©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

Armagh's Brendan Donaghy says a second-tier senior football championship would be "an insult to all footballing counties".

Despite being in Division Three, Armagh powered through to an All-Ireland quarter-final last year. But new GAA president John Horan has expressed his desire to split the All-Ireland SFC into two competitions during his term in office and Orchard County defender Donaghy is disgusted by such a suggestion:

"It turns my stomach, the thought of it; I can't think of anything worse. It's an insult to all the footballing counties up and down the country," the Clonmore clubman told The Irish News.

"I'm sure if you asked any player, regardless of what division they're in or where they're at, if they wanted to play in a 'B' championship, I know from my own point of view and everybody in that changing room, they'd be disgusted.

"Nobody, when they start playing football, aspires to be playing in a 'B' championship. When I was growing up, I didn't sit and think to myself 'ah, winning Sam Maguire would be good but if I could win something lesser, that'd be a good job'.

"Nobody would ever think on those terms, everyone wants to be competing at the highest level. For someone to turn around and say that just because you're in Division Three, you're not allowed to enter this competition, I think it's an awful kick in the teeth to anybody that puts the effort in all year."


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