Managers must take some of responsibility for football’s woes – Kearns

TIPPERARY football boss Liam Kearns believes “managers have to take some responsibility” for the falling attendances at football matches across the country.

Figures for 2018 from the GAA recorded an 18pc drop on AllIreland football championship attendances, an alarming fall considering 12 ‘Super 8’ games replaced the previous format of four quarter-finals. Kearns (above) believes that negative, risk-averse football is a major reason why people are turning away.

“Managers have to take responsibility as well and play it in a more attractive way,” Kearns said, at a media event in Semple Stadium hosted by Tipperary GAA’s main sponsors Teneo.

“I’m not telling any manager how they should play but at the end of the day if we have (falling) attendances and we are changing rules there is something wrong.

“I’m not holding myself up as any example as how it should be played but we try to play it as positively as we can. There’s a lot to be said for good defensive coaching too.

“But at the end of the day people come to see a spectacle and we are not seeing enough spectacles in GAA games at the moment.”

Pressure

Kearns accepts that managers are under pressure to deliver results and are better served by opting for a safety-first system.

“Unfortunately, it’s a resultsbased business and two years of bad results and you are out.

“So when a manager comes in he has to get results first. If he has the players… I have good forwards, so if you have the players you can be more positive and if you haven’t you can be more defensive and that’s the culture that is there.

“But if a manager thought he had five years he could take maybe a more positive… I think it has to go back to the stage where managers are looking at the good of the game as opposed to (the good) of themselves or the county or results.”

Tipp have managed one point in their opening two Division 2 matches after drawing with Fermanagh last weekend.

They welcome unbeaten Donegal to Thurles on Sunday and will face an uphill task as they are without a host of regulars – Robbie Kiely (travelling), Michael Quinlivan, Evan Comerford, Bill Maher and Shane O’Connell (all injured).

“Look, we’re in a difficult situation. You can’t sustain those kinds of losses and not be affected by them. We’re doing our best. At the end of the day, it’s a chance for fellas that mightn’t get a chance if all those guys are available.”