Football Review Committee member hits out at decision to scrap pre-season competitions

"If I was an inter-county manager, I’d definitely be giving out."

Former Mayo manager and current member of the Football Review Committee James Horan has criticised his group's decision to get rid of pre-season competitions in Gaelic football.

Horan is one of 11 members of the Jim Gavin-led task force, who have been assembled to put forward changes to Gaelic football in a bid to speed up the game and make it more entertaining for viewers.

The two-time All Star winner is the first member of the much-criticised committee that has spoken out publicly against one of its rule changes.

Speaking at Thursday's Football Review Committee Media Briefing, the Ballintubber man said: "I’d be cursing who got rid of the pre-season competitions this year, that’s who I’d be cursing this year.

"So, he’s (pointing at Cork manager John Cleary) going to get a couple of sessions, I’d say, of all his team playing before the national league.

"So, that’s the awful tough thing for an inter-county manager. If I was an inter-county manager, I’d definitely be giving out to someone about something."

He continued: "It’s too short. I think the FBD [League] would be perfect for it this year, of all years. I think it would be great if there was something – whether you could play challenges earlier in December.

"I don’t know if you get the provincial competitions [back] in at this stage, but if there was something to allow an inter-county manager to get ready, particularly for this year, because you’re going to be relegated in the league.

"There’s going to be two teams relegated," Horan added. "When you haven’t had a long run-in, for different teams it’s different, with the size of panels and all that kind of stuff. It’s a tough one. It’ll be tough for an inter-county manager this year, for sure."

Last month, GAA delegates made the decision to scrap all pre-season competitions like the O’Byrne Cup, Walsh Cup and McKenna Cup on a one-season trial basis in 2025, after which they will carry out a review to see if their absence from the fixtures calendar should be made permanent.

Following the announcement of the decision, the Ulster Council expressed their ‘surprise’ and ‘disappointment’.

They highlighted the fact that the Dr McKenna Cup, which takes place each January, generates a lot of income from streaming and attendance. It also has a long-running sponsorship agreement with Bank of Ireland.

A spokesperson for Ulster GAA said: "We were surprised at the decision of Ard Comhairle, given that the results of a recent survey of counties, which was presented to Ard Comhairle members, indicated a preference for the retention of pre-season competitions. The decision will result in the curtailment of some of the programmes that Ulster GAA offers.

"However, the decision has been made and there is now a clear onus on the GPA to ensure that the return to train protocols and date are strictly adhered to by their members."