The secret? Hard work.. and money
SIX weeks before Mick O’dwyer was appointed as Kildare manager for the second time, the Lilywhites lost an O’byrne Cup game to Kilkenny.
O’dwyer brought that team to an All-ireland final less than a year later.
“Kilkenny beat them, would you believe it?”, laughed O’dwyer, recalling the events of 20 years ago now. “So how low can you go?
“Then I started training them and we brought in a lot of distance stuff during the winter and then they got into the speed work in the spring and then plenty of football in the spring and on into the summer, and we produced a good team.
“With a bit of luck we would have won an All-ireland title. We were very close. So it can be done.”
O’dwyer brings up the story to help illustrate his thoughts on last week’s proposal by GAA president John Horan, which he says is unaminously backed by Central Council, for a two-tier football Championship.
“I wouldn’t agree at all,” said Micko, who has his own solution to the inequality in the modern game. “Put in more coaches or more money into the weaker counties. Take a little bit of money that’s going to the top counties now and put it into the weaker counties.
“It can be done, you can improve the game. I think I proved that in Laois and
Kildare and Wicklow.
“You can improve the game provided you put the work in. And money. Have it at primary school level as well. Very important.
“There is, too much divide (financially). Most of the top teams now are healthy now so bring on the weaker counties.”
On the idea of county managers taking a full-time wage, Micko said: “I don’t know if there is any need for change. Pay them proper expenses, they seem to be quite happy with that. And if the day comes you have to pay them, I wouldn’t see anything wrong with it.”