Fermanagh players "misguided and wrong" - McGrath

July 18, 2017

Pete McGrath as Fermanagh manager.
©INPHO/Ken Sutton.

Pete McGrath has questioned the behaviour of the Fermanagh players whose actions led to him vacating the Erne County managerial post.

McGrath says that the three GPA representatives in the Fermanagh team requested a meeting with the management team, county chairman and secretary and player liaison officer. He walked out of this meeting and decided not to continue as manager once the players began to challenge the chairman as to "what criteria was used to reappoint a manager, why weren't they consulted and it was then said that a lot of players would not play under the current management team that was reappointed."

The Rostrevor man feels these players were ill-advised:

"When players veer into the arena where they feel they have some kind of entitlement or some kind of right to influence an appointment of a team manager, where does that ultimately lead to?

"Does that lead to a situation where every team manager knows that he, ultimately, is at the mercy of players? And somehow he has to pander to players to keep them sweet?

"I know this is happening in other counties and I think it is extremely regrettable, I think it is a pernicious thing," the Down legend points out in The Belfast Telegraph.

"I think the players have made a mistake. I think what they did was misguided. We all make mistakes in our lives. I think what they did was misguided and wrong.

"But having said that, I will move on. I am in Rostrevor this morning and it is a beautiful, sunny morning and I am not going to be burdened by the events of this past week. I did all I could for Fermanagh for four years and I have no regrets, no animosity, and I am holding no grudges with anyone.

"Fermanagh football will move on. Fermanagh football existed an awful long time before I arrived and it will exist a long time after I have left. So I have no problem, no grudges. It's just disappointing how it did end. It shouldn't have ended at this stage."


Most Read Stories