Eamonn Fitzmaurice is confident that the Football Review Committee’s rule changes will put the enjoyment back into Gaelic football.

The former Kerry All-Ireland winning player and manager was speaking after all 49 motions were given a ringing endorsement by delegates at yesterday’s Special Congress. The new rules will be implemented across all levels of the game next year, with the notable exception of the Sigerson Cup.

“I'd be very excited in general, both for club and county next year,” said Fitzmaurice, who is a member of the FRC.

“We're going to have a new game, it's going to be faster, it's going to be more direct, it, it's going to allow our players, who've never been as skilful or as well conditioned, to express themselves in a manner that's going to be entertaining for the crowds that are going to be there."

He added: “I think that will transfer down to club level as well.

“Possibly as a player, talking to some of the lads, some of the enjoyment of just playing had gone out of it. I think where the enjoyment was, was in the competing, the trying to win.

“But the actual joy of just playing football, which certainly all of us would have had a lot of, I think that was gone and I think that will be back. I think that players are just going to enjoy the act of playing again, as well as competing on top of it.”

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