Our RICE and fall could’ve been avoided!

ERNE BOSS SAYS RELEGATION WAS ALL WRONG WITH COVID CARNAGE

FERMANAGH boss Ryan Mcmenamin insists the GAA should have scrapped relegation in the League this year given the unique circumstances.

It’s the same approach taken by some counties with their club Championships due to the challenges posed by Covid-19 and McMenamin feels county teams should have been given a break.

Fermanagh were ravaged by a coronavirus outbreak in their panel ahead of the League restart and were without a number of players for their games against Cl are and Laois, both of which they lost to condemn them to Division Three. Indeed, Mcmenamin will still be without at least one player for Sunday’s Ulster quarter-final against Down due to the virus.

Their relegation also means that they are in danger of being consigned to the Tailteann Cup, if it goes ahead next year, rather than the qualifiers.

The wisdom of splitting the Championship in two sections of 16 has been further called into question after Cavan, relegated along with Fermanagh, beat Division One Monaghan last weekend.

Mcmenamin said: “I personally think there should have been no relegation in the Leagues.

“There should have just been promotion for the top two teams. You could have played the League with promotion and maybe had 20 teams in Tier One. I do think the GAA are obsessed with f our groups and straight lines, everything to be 16.

“Look at the NFL, the way their play-offs work. They could have six in the play-offs, I think the GAA is obsessed, because there is 32 or whatever, with two 16s.

“Whether tier one or tier two goes ahead just I don’t know, but I do think there is a better way of working at it. I do think with the year that it is, it could have been worked far better.

“It definitely would have taken the pressure off us if we had known there was no relegation. It would have eased minds, but the GAA had different thoughts.

“Once the hierarchy get a thing into their heads and they want to

It would have taken pressure off us if we had known that the relegations were cancelled

move with it, they carry on, and move with it. We can have no complaints, it is the cards we were dealt so we have to move on with it.

“We will cross that bridge next year when we come to it.”

With the playing season certain to be disrupted again in

2021, Mcmenamin says the GAA should take the opportunity to “make ‘Ricey’ Mcmenamin, front, has watched in dismay as Erne were relegated the Championships even more streamlined”. I do think the GAA have a great chance this year if they really want to go and really want to be serious about it they can look at the calendar and say can we fit these seven League games into nine condensed weeks and then Championship, to get everything wrapped up by the end of

July. That would be great, but here’s hoping.”

The former Tyrone defender makes his Championship bow as a manager this weekend opposing fellow countyman Paddy Tally, who was part of the Red Hand backroom team when they won their first All-ireland in 2003.

“I expect that any of Paddy’s teams will be well drilled. Even from his time with St Mary’s is testament to that. Even from his time with Tyrone I always thought he was very, very good.

“He was always switched on to the game or ahead of the game. It will be no different next Sunday against him.”