Larry O’Gorman questions loyalty of managers chasing ‘their own glory’

Wexford’s 1996 hurling All-Ireland winner Larry O’Gorman has questioned the loyalty of managers moving from one county to another in swift succession, particularly within the same province, suggesting part of it has to do with them chasing “their own glory”.

Prompted by the increasing speculation Davy Fitzgerald is now the leading contender to take over as Galway senior hurling manager, just two months since stepping away as Wexford hurling manager after five seasons, O’Gorman also suggested the least a manager in that position should do is take a year out.

It also follows reports that Galway’s search for a replacement for Shane O’Neill, who stepped down after two seasons in charge, has been further narrowed as former manager Micheál Donoghue has decided against returning to the post he left in 2019, after guiding to Galway to the All-Ireland in 2017.

Fitzgerald has yet to comment on the position, although he did state his preference for taking a break after stepping away from Wexford, in part because he’s been in a manager’s position every year since 2008, beginning with Waterford, then with his native Clare, guiding them to All-Ireland success in 2013.

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For O’Gorman, also an All Star winner and 1996 hurler of the year after Wexford’s last All-Ireland triumph, the fact Galway have become such close rivals of Wexford in Leinster in recent years (including in the 2017 Leinster final, which Galway won) raises that question of loyalty, at least in the short term.

“It’s possible alright,” he says of Fitzgerald’s appointment, “but I feel it would be very strange to see Davy get the Galway job. After just leaving us, and going to the opposition straight away, it wouldn’t be called great loyalty, to be quite honest.

“Personally, I think Davy did a good job with Wexford over the years, over the last year or two it just ran its legs, and he tried to stretch it out as much as possible. Now that he’s gone, and I know he’s not in the (Galway) job at the moment, and said he wanted to take a year or two out, but who knows?

Loyalty

“But to say one week that Davy loves Wexford, and the following week to say he loves Galway, or loves Dublin, it’s very hard to take. When you’re fully committed to a county I think you should stick with that county, then take a break for a couple of years after that. It’s down to himself really, and your loyalty and love for the county only really sticks with you when you’re with that county.

“If you do want to move on I think you should give it a rest for a while. Maybe go for some other challenge, take over a football county somewhere maybe. Just to give himself a break for hurling.”

It has become an increasing trend, in hurling and football, a sort of merry-go-round where as soon as a manager finishes with one county he loves on to another, the latest example being Jack O’Connor’s hasty exit as Kildare football manager, after two seasons, and subsequent appointment back in his native Kerry for a third time.

Incidentally, Wexford have since gone outside the county to find a successor for Fitzgerald, appointing Tipperary native Darragh Egan. Still, speaking at the launch of the Beko-sponsored Leinster club campaign, O’Gorman believes loyalty should rest firstly with your native county: “I was talking before about the great managers of the past, Brian Cody, Jim Gavin, Sean Boylan, Mick O’Dwyer. I know Micko moved on to Laois and Wicklow after, but most managers are most successful in their own county, and don’t seem to jump ship into other counties to try to make them any better.

“How you could train a team for a number of years, and then jump ship to train another team to beat you, and you’ve been so loyal to them. So personally I think there should be someone in your own county, good enough, to take over, hurling or football.

“I can’t understand why so many fellas go further afield now, maybe it’s for their own glory really, that the opportunity is there to go out and train teams and keep their own profile up. But I can’t see it, to be honest. It’s not against Davy, the Galway boys themselves, if they have to bring in a new structure, and Galway are starting to age a bit now. I think Galway are good enough to look after themselves.”

Whether or not Fitzgerald is indeed in contention, Galway’s county’s hurling committee (with Paul Bellew in charge), are set to announce their preferred candidate next week.