Tomas O Se says Sigerson Cup scheduling is ‘slap in the face’
The rushed nature of the Sigerson Cup has been the subject of much debate in recent weeks, as the third-level tournament was played off in the space of just 18 days.
The short window left little time for teams to prepare, with access to inter-county players being reduced all the while.
A selector with UCC in recent years, former Kerry footballer Tomas O Se lamented the narrowing space for the competition to play.
“It’s not like the Railway Cup, it’s not like where players didn’t actually have interest,” said the former Kingdom star.
“These fellas love it, they love working with the likes of John Divilly in UCD, Billy Morgan in Cork and the GAA then suddenly come along and they move the National Leagues to January, they move the pre-National League competitions…McGrath Cups, O’Byrne Cups, they move the under-20s to February.
“It’s basically a slap in the face to, I think, one of the best competitions we have in the country.”
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The lack of access to the top players is clearly making third-level managers’ jobs more difficult.
“At the start of the year, you have to make a 35-man squad for Sigerson, you name a 35-man squad, seven times we trained in the month before Christmas and there was no more than three of that 35 out training with us. That’s what you’re dealing with it,” continued O Se.
“That day we lost to Carlow [IT]…there was a player, an inter-county player, trained the day before. I’m not going to say who it was and I’m not going to say what county, but an inter-county player trained on the Saturday for 45 minutes and was told that he wasn’t allowed to tog out with us.
“That’s inter-county managers now and I get it. Sigerson managers aren’t happy, inter-county managers aren’t happy but why is there weekends over January with 40 games being played?
“Sigerson managers aren’t looking for much but how you can’t organise to have players for two weeks? Two weeks! For example last week there was a Sigerson semi-final. Right, they have everybody available, then at the weekend there was a Kerry-Dublin match. Let them play with their county but let them play on the Monday night or loosen up on the Monday night with the college. Why do they have to go up to Killarney or go up to Cork? And I understand the pressure that inter-county management is under, but is there too much pressure? Is it gone too serious?
“The [colleges] football that’s being played is top notch and they want to play and if they give it a chance like, you have fellas from different counties being coached by the best. You have fellas from different counties learning off the best inter-county players. You have the likes of Seanie O’Shea standing up in the dressing room and fellas listening to him and asking about the commitment, they’re hanging around together, the social side of it.
“The days of coming down on the bus afterwards and having a few cans is still there. That professionalism that’s at county level hasn’t absolutely destroyed the Sigerson. The values of Sigerson are still there. And you talk to any players, why are they still going back for reunions 20/30 years later?”
So what is the solution? With the inter-county season pushed into January due to the April ‘club’ month, could the third-level competition be brought forward and played before Christmas?
“I’d say the colleges wouldn’t have an issue as long as it was prioritised,” he continued.
“They’re not even looking for a [whole] month.
“I’d nearly rather it go back to a weekend, instead of the way it’s being done. Prioritise it and give it a block. They say before November but sure club lads are still playing in championship.
“I would imagine the colleges don’t want to play it in November because there’s so much other club stuff going on.”
Ultimately, the Corca Dhuibhne native feels there needs to be more compromise between inter-county and third-level managers, in order for top players not to be caught in a tug-of-war.
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