DIGNAM SLATES MAGEE
RATHNEW Chairman Bobby Dignam launched a scathing attack on Wicklow Senior football manager Johnny Magee at Monday night’s County Board meeting.
The heavy criticism comes in the aftermath of the troubling defeat suffered by the Wicklow footballers at the hands of Leitrim in Joule Park Aughrim on Sunday afternoon last.
Rathnew’s Dignam found fault with the warm ups ahead of the game, the team selection and poor run endured by the footballers since the former Dublin star took over the job from Harry Murphy.
“I really just can’t figure out what we are going to do with the present set up. I watched a warm up yesterday that the likes of Dublin would do. Twenty minutes non stop running backwards and forwards across a pitch and then come out and run 70 minutes on a heavy pitch. It’s not Dublin he’s training. It’s Wicklow,” said Dignam.
“Also, the team selection. I can’t understand what he’s doing. We had six Senior players on the subs yesterday, two from Blessington, two from Pat’s and two from Bray. These men have played Senior football in this county for the last 10 years and they’re not good enough to get on the county team.
“Honest to God, Chairman, it’s so embarrassing to go up there, I’ve been at all the O’Byrne Cup games bar one and, I mean, there is no progress. I don’t want to keep going on about this but it was an absolute disgrace the way we played yesterday. We were second best all over the place and we’re doing three or four nights a week for what.
Bobby Dignam also said that he had been opposed to Johnny Magee as Wicklow manager since the start and he wasn’t going to be changing.
“I’ve been opposed to him (Johnny Magee) for the length of term he’s there and I’ll oppose him until he’s gone,” he added.
Martin Coleman said that the clubs in Wicklow had accepted Johnny Magee as manager and that it was not an overnight process.
“We put a manager in place and the clubs accepted that manager and what he was trying to do,” said the County Chairman.
“It’s not an overnight process. There’s a lot of young players coming through and we have to be patient and give them time. We haven’t the quality of players that we had eight or 10 years ago,” he said.
When contacted by the Wicklow/Bray People in relation to the comments by Bobby Dignam, Johnny Magee declined to comment.
More inside. DAINA MOOREHOUSE of Enniskerry Boxing Club did her county and province proud on Sunday as she took gold in Sweden.
The 15-year-old was part of a team of eight female boxers representing Leinster in the Golden Girl tournament in Boran, Sweden.
The Leinster team was led by coaches Paul O’Toole and Eve Carr of Enniskerry and Linda Morgan of Arklow, with Amber Byrne representing the Arklow Boxing Club in the ring as well.
Daina took on the English champion Alicia Parkes in the final at 46kg. Daina dominated her taller opponent in the first final on Sunday morning, using her superior speed and footwork to dominate from the start.
As Parkes came forward, Moorehouse continually caught her with a combination of hooks on the spin.
The judges’ score cards reflected the Leinster boxers superior skill set with a 3-0 result much to the delight of the Irish support.
The tournament was streamed live so Daina’s family and club mates were able to watch her take gold.
The Golden Girl tournament attracts teams from all over the world each year.
All at Enniskerry BC are extremely proud of Daina on another remarkable achievement.