Will unsavoury row affect Fermanagh and Western administration?

Published 25 Jun 2009 09:00 0 Comments

Share this

The fallout following Gerard Connolly"s replacement of Neil Jardine as secretary of the Fermanagh and Western Football League continued unabated this week with Connolly calling Jardine 'downright bitter' in a lengthy response to Jardine"s claims last week that the new secretary should have been more magnanimous in victory.

In addition, Lisbellaw United Football Club, in a letter to editor of this newspaper (see letters page) have questioned some of Connolly"s statements and called on him to prove that he can carry out his duties in a fair and respectful manner.

The fallout does beg the question, how will it all affect the running of the league not only in the short term but in the longer term of a full season?

After all, Jardine is now Connolly"s assistant and secretary of the FA, so the two will have to work together but it is difficult to see any middle ground at the moment.

Gerard Connolly retorted this week: 'The recent comments attributed to my predecessor in the local press portray him as downcast or just downright bitter.' He was slightly more conciliatory when adding: 'I acknowledge that we do not share the same views but such differences should never constitute grounds for a personal feud. I may be his opponent but I am not his enemy.'

The new league secretary also refuted that the move to oust him was underhand, stating that the rules of the Fermanagh and Western do not say that a challenger has to be nominated in advance and that no offers of future favours were made to any potential voters.

He pointed out that the league was not completed as per rule citing the lack of a play-off for the second place in Reserve Division One, that he was not the secretary when Neil Jardine inherited the post of secretary 13 years ago and repeated his claim of a need for transparency saying 'I firmly believe that administrators must inform, consult and engage'.

On magnanimity, Connolly claimed that on no occasion had Jardine wished him well on his success and he had not offered any consolation for fear of being percevied as gloating.

Connolly also said that he feels Jardine should have relinquished his secretary"s job when he acceded to the post of IFA Treasurer.

'He is angry and disappointed but should put it all behind him. IFA and domestic responsibilities have been too much for him - he should have had the sense to step down when he was appointed IFA Treasurer. But he did not and we are left with an administration masquerading as the governance of local football.'

Connolly concluded: 'Reaction to my election has been predictably positive and negative in equal measure and I will most likely face a challenge next year. What will happen in the future is the future. In the meantime, however, I will be attempting to bring a level of professionalism to the task - something that has been sadly lacking in recent years. The work has already started and let history be the judge of that work!'

The crux of this matter is quite simple. This has developed into a public feud between two of the most prominent administrators in local football.

It cannot, however, be allowed to devalue, some will say it already has, the product that is the Fermanagh and Western Football League. To this end, there will be a need for strong leadership from League Chairman Sammy McFrederick and his management committee to ensure that the league functions as it should amid the obvious differences between Connolly and Jardine.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 25 Jun 09

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Sport archives.