Martin McDermott still at the Roscommon helm The manager. Usually seen anxiously running along the sideline on big match days, gesticulating wildly to his players, barking out instructions as he attempts to goad his charges on to greater efforts. Other times he can be seen calling his players into a huddle, earnestly talking to them, giving advice. Later still, he is seen in the role of a P.R. man, talking to the media, explaining patiently to them what went right for his team or why it went wrong, WRITES JIMMY GEOGHEGAN. In Gaelic games he is a relatively new phenomenon, the "team manager" - usually young, tracksuited, able to perform a wide range of skills, thick-skinned, a good motivator, a good communicator, a multi-talented father figure - roles which Martin "Marty" McDermott has become very familiar with over the past few years. In his early forties, McDermott has already embarked on his fifth year as "Boss" of the Roscommon Senior football team. Before that, he had served his apprenticeship as manager of the Under 21 side, leading them to the Under 21 All-Ireland final in 1982, where they were beaten by Donegal in Carrick-on-Shannon on, what McDermott mournfully recalls as, "a wet and miserable October day." Despite the defeat, it was a bright and auspicious start for the young man in the managerial hotseat, an indication that he had what it takes to get the best out of his players, to maximise the resources available to him. Despite some successes by the Senior team, the early eighties were largely fruitless years for the Roscommon Underage sides, so it was a very praiseworthy achievement in itself to get to the final. But after an early exit from-om the Under 21 Championship in 1983, McDermott vacated the post and was soon offered the job of guiding the fortunes of his local club, St. Brigids. In one of his three years in chair throughout the mid eighties he led them to the county final, only to see their cherished aspirations of ultimate victory destroyed by the all-conquering Clan na Gael team led by Tony McManus. Yet again, though, the ultimate prize escaped McDermott's grasp when it appeared tantalisingly in sight. But he was determined to push on and when the County Board offered him the job of manager of the Senior side, the Athlone Bank Manager, did not hesitate to snap it up. Here was a real challenge, a chance to remain directly involved in the game he loves, at the heart of the matter controlling things, influencing events. At the time, Roscommon had long descended from the high plateau of success they had enjoyed in the late seventies and early eighties when winning an All-Ireland was a definite possibility. By 1987 the fortunes of the primrose and blue had plummeted to an alarming degree. Without the skills of past heroes, such as Dermot Early. Harry Keegan, John O'Connor and Pat Lindsey, the once undisputed champions of Connacht struggled in the lower regions of Division Two with the possibility of relegation to the lower divisions a real threat. In the first round of the '87 Connacht Championship, Roscommon were defeated by Sligo and it was not until early December of that year when they recorded their first win, of any kind, "challenge or otherwise". Morale, as McDermott recalls, was at rock bottom, confidence shattered, little interest in the county itself on how the team performed. Disorganisation and disinterest abounded, But what does a new manager do in such a situation ? Where does he begin to stem the tide of plunging fortunes ? "I had to start form the bottom, set reasonable obtainable goals and build gradually. You can t walk in and say lads we will win the All-lreland next year, the players are intelligent people who know exactly where they stand. You have to set realistic objectives. In the first year we wanted just to sort out the players and get a settled panel of 24 or 25 players, the next year to improve the team spirit and confidence and then win a Connacht final and get promotion. From the very beginning though, we had to have realistic aims." Just how realistic they were was shown in the fact that by the end of McDermott's third year in charge all these aims were achieved with the big breakthrough coming in the summer of 1990 when the primrose and blues finally defeated a Mayo side, burdened by the favourites tag following the fine performance in the previous year's All Ireland final against Cork. In 1988 and 1989 the same Mayo team had captured the Connacht title. In '88 they easily swept aside the feeble challenge from the Roscommon men. The following year however, the growing confidence of Roscommon was displayed for all to see by the fact that they took Mayo the Connacht final replay and were only defeated in extra time of the second match. This was the first in a series heart breaking defeats that McDermott was to endure manager of the Senior side. Following their victory in the Connacht final in 1990, Roscommon found themselves in Croke Park on All-Ireland day for the first time in almost decade, facing the might of Cork. Despite a solid performance from the Connachtmen, they were not able to match the experience of the Leesiders who pulled away the last twenty minutes. A few months earlier Roscommon had lost the League semi-final. They were morale crushing defeats but valuable, priceless experience was being gained. According to McDermott's own scale of progression, Roscommon were scheduled for an All-Ireland appearance in 1991, and they nearly made it. Their earning of a fortuitous draw in the first Connacht final against Mayo, when newcomer Derek Duggan sent over a last minute point seemed to indicate that the Gods were with them. They won the replay and marched into a five point lead over Meath in a pulsating All-lreland semi-final, which they appeared destined to win until Meath activated their attack and engineered a dramatic second half comeback. By the final whistle they were ahead by 0-15 to 1-11. McDermott's dream of leading Roscommon onto Croke Park on All-lreland final day was denied once again - this time by the smallest of margins. It was a very bitter pill for him to swallow. The previous April Roscommon had lost to Dublin in the League semi-final by 11 points. The same awful sequence of defeats had repeated themselves. Armed with hindsight - the enemy of defeated managers critics honed in all decisions made by the Roscommon management in the All-Ireland semi-final, such as moving Paul Earley to centre forward in a switch with Tony McManus and allowing Meath to come at them in the last quarter instead of keeping the pressure on. But the general consensus was that McDermot had worked a minor miracle during his term in charge, coming within a fraction of a inch from putting his team into an All-lreland final. Abuse from the masses runs lightly off the shoulders of McDermott who looks upon criticism as much a part of the job as any one of the other myriad tasks such as organising coaching, preparing for big games, listening to players problems. watching players with inter-county potential ... the list is endless. Generally, McDermott loves the job of managing. It gives him the chance to give back to the game what he has taken out of it in a long playing career. He regards it as a full time job, as it gobbles up the time he would, in more normal circumstances, devote to his young family. But the challenge is always there. The irresistible allure of ultimate success calling. "I wanted to remain involved after my own playing days were over. The game was pretty good to me. It is a drug that gets into your system and the challenge is always there and always you hope and dream that one day you will get the big breakthrough.'' During his own playing days, McDermott was part of the Roscommon squad that made the breakthrough in the late seventies and early eighties when the Connacht team, packed with some outstanding talent, threatened to crack the rigid monopoly of the great Kerry and Dublin teams. The nearest they came was in the 1980 final, when Roscommon contained The famed Kerry forward line bristling the skills of Ger Power, Johnny Egan and Owen Liston to only 1-9, and still lost. Yet, it was a great era for the Roscommon team that could boost some of the best players in the country - Dermot Earley, Tony McManus, Danny Murray, Harry Keegan, Tom Heneghan, John O'Connor along with others. It was unfortunate for them that they should shine just as the great Kerry team were at their peak, otherwise Sam would surely have beckoned. All the time Marty McDermott was involved, playing with Roscommon, from 1977 until 1980, when a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the scene. But he had helped his county touch the highest peaks, reaching an All-Ireland and winning the National League in 1979 when they beat Cork in the final by 0-15 to 1-3 - moments that remain firmly sculptured on his mind. Playing, usually as a midfielder, during those exciting limes in Roscommon football, McDermott sowed the crop of vital experience, he was later to harvest when he became team manager. The experience which thought him the essential ingredients of success - the bubbling team spirit, morale, hard work, confidence and, what he regards as the most important of all, the mental agility, the belief that it can be done, the mountain can be climbed. This mental attitude is what he believes, the dividing line between success and failure. Other members of his unique trade that Marty McDermott looks upon with particular admiration are Mick Dwyer and Kevin Heffernan, who he believes between them, helped to change the face of modern Gaelic football. They were also the first of the team managers in Gaelic football to capture as much, if not more, limelight and media attention, as some of their top players. The first of the present day "bosses". Then there is the latter day versions, the Sean Boylans. Peter McGraths and people like Leitrim's P.J. Carroll who. working from very limited resources, helped to bring reasonable success to their county side. Men who were tenacious, committed and determined to achieve something. People McDermott could identify with. Glancing into the future Marty McDermott sees a bright one for Roscommon football with young players like Derek Duggan, Tom Grehan, Vincent Glennon and Enon Gavin providing a solid foundation on which success can be built and dreams fulfilled - the dreams not only of the supporters and players, but also of the manager. Taken from Hogan Stand 27th September 1991 Tweet

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