Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin says that losing Joe McMahon from his backroom team is a blow but he understands the Omagh man’s decision to join up with the new Tyrone management team.

McMahon will be part of Fergal Logan and Brian Dooher’s backroom team in his native Tyrone and McMenamin acknowledges that it was a tough one for him to turn down.

“It was tough for him and I know he thought long and hard about it but the opportunity mightn’t come along too often and with it being his own county he maybe found the lure too good,” said McMenamin.

“The players appreciated the work that he did here in Fermanagh and I think he will be missed.

“With the way the pandemic was he will admit himself that he probably didn’t get his teeth into it as he would have wished but he had a plan for the future for Fermanagh and he was looking forward to it as the first year you are only really getting to know the players and the players were getting to know him.

“It is a loss for Fermanagh and gain for Tyrone but I think the players understood too that the call of your own county is hard to turn down and we wish him all the best of luck with Tyrone,” he added.

In terms of a replacement, McMenamin states that he is happy with things but if the right person came along they would look at it then.

“We are happy at the minute with what we have but at the same time if the right person comes along who can add to the set up we will definitely look at that.

“But we are more than happy with what we have here and we know that the backroom will all do a good job,” he commented.

It had been speculated over the last week that the forthcoming season might see club football first followed by inter-county which is the other way around from the original proposal and McMenamin says that everybody would like that to be made clear as soon as possible.

“I think everybody would like to know early, I think the clubs, county board and CCCC would like to know early for fixtures and the counties would have already started planning for January so it would be good to know what way it is going to be.

“You would be aware that it is a fluid situation but if Ireland stays in Tier Three then it means that there is not going to be many club fixtures so I probably think that the inter county season will go first,” he said.

And he believes that we could see supporters returning to games.

“We have seen crowds back at Ulster rugby and in the Premier League they are getting supporters back and I think at county level, places like Brewster Park could social distance up to 1000 people at it. You would like to see some fans back in,” he stated.

Fermanagh will play in Division Three next year and it has been rumoured that will be split regionally with McMenamin admitting that it would leave Fermanagh in a tough section.

“It is going to be tough, you hear Division Three is to be split and if they go regionally you are talking being in with Derry, Longford and Cavan so it is going to be tough.

We are looking forward though to getting back going again and getting the players back going.

“I think the players, when I spoke to them last, were keen to get back at it again as they are annoyed about the way season ended,” said McMenamin.