Sugrue is new Kerry Under-20 football manager

FORMER Kerry senior football team trainer John Sugrue has been appointed to succeed Jack O’Connor as manager of the county Under-20 football squad for 2020.

Sugrue, who managed the Laois senior footballers for two seasons before, somewhat surprisingly, stepping away from that post in July, was ratified by county committee delegates on Monday for a one-year term in charge.

Sugrue, a Renard native, had been tentatively linked with the Under-20 vacancy in recent weeks, but wasn’t considered the front-runner in in-formed circles.

A physiotherapist who lives and works in Laois, Sugrue was team trainer to the Kerry footballers in 2007 and 2008 when Pat O’Shea was manager. He won county senior championship medals with the South Kerry divisional team as a player and then as team manager. •

Meanwhile, Kerry have been drawn to play Cork in the semi-finals of the Munster SFC semi-final. The game will take place in Pairc Ui Chaoimh to fulfil the remaining home game owed to Cork after the redevelopment of the stadium.

The quarter-finals have pitted Waterford against Limerick, and Clare against Tipperary, with the winner of each meeting in the other semi-final. •

Meanwhile, the provisional National Football League fixtures for 2020 will see Kerry start their season with a trip to Croke Park to face All-Ireland champions Dublin, possibly under lights on Saturday, January 25, with Kerry then to play Galway (H), Tyrone (A), Meath (H), Mayo (A), Monaghan (A) and final home to Donegal.