We talk to each club about their hopes for the new season which gets underway on Friday night.

DIVISION TWO


BELCOO O’RAHILLYS

Manager: Shane McCabe

What are the hopes for the season?
The main aspiration is to get a few of the younger Minors into the Senior outfit and give them a taste of Senior football and make the players better.
We want to try and get promotion out of Division Two and win the Intermediate championship, which is going to be far from easy as it is going to be very competitive.

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
Some teams will use it to get up to speed – we will be using it for fitness along with trying to win it because there is a reward at the end. 

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
In Division Two, Lisnaskea and Teemore will be fancied and Maguiresbridge will not be far off it.
The Intermediate championship is ultra-competitive, with Belleek and Devenish down, so they will be hot favourites along with Maguiresbridge trying to go one further than last year, but I will be disappointed if Belcoo aren’t playing for semi-finals and finals at the end of the year.


COA O’DWYERS

Manager: Gary Donnelly

What are the hopes for the season?
We hope to build on improvements made last year in the league and to gain momentum for the Junior Final to be played.

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
We’ll treat the subsidiary competition as a great opportunity to get competitive games.
We’ll see how we are after a couple of these, and if in a good position, to get to final and gain points to bring into the actual league.

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
Teemore were strong in Division Two, and I’m sure it’ll be no different this year.
Outside that, there is a group of teams well capable of having a good run in the league, so it will depend on the availability of county players as to how strong each are.
It is difficult to call championships at this stage, as it will depend on how draws for each pan out.

 

DERRYLIN O’CONNELLS

Manager: Aiden Gilroy

What are the hopes for the season?
Obviously of main concern is the 2020 Junior final. It looks like it will be midway through the league, so we have time to try and get to the pace required to compete with Coa.
For ourselves, the league will be to try and be competitive in, and if so that should set us up well.

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
It will be difficult, as we have a few in the county and some 2020 county Minors who have a massive game on the horizon.
We won’t have Ferghal McGovern either, due to injury, but it will be a chance for lads to try and stake their claim.

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
Division Two will likely be between Teemore, Belcoo and Maguiresbridge, but it is a very competitive division.
Like the four other teams currently in Junior, our aspiration is to end the season in the Intermediate championship.


LISNASKEA EMMETTS

Manager: Peter Clarke

What are the hopes for the season?
Overall we are not happy with where we are at. Too much inconsistency in the league  in recent times so the league will be getting a huge focus this year.
Too many Championship matches are left behind by a score so it’s time  to buck that trend 
We will be endeavouring to do the best we can this year to improve our standing in both league and championship and get the Emmetts moving forward again.
I am delighted with my squad and I am both excited and energised about the challenges that lie ahead .

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
The club competition offers teams opportunities in a number of ways. We will be trying to win as many games as we can.
If we get to a final there is a chance to win early silverware and also bring points forward into the league campaign. In the process we also get a really good look at our squad.
So good incentives and motivation  all round.

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
In the championship, it is normally Division One teams who have the edge, while in the league it is about early momentum and consistency.


MAGUIRESBRIDGE ST MARY’S

Manager: Keith Reilly

What are the hopes for the season?
This is a chance to use the league to try out new players and help bed them into the Senior team.
We have more of a transition period to go through, with a number of players having stepped down from last year.

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
Although I think it’s a good idea for club players getting games without their county lads, and we would like to be in the position to fulfill games, I can’t see how this can work for us, as Maguiresbridge supply Fermanagh GAA county hurling team with 12 players.
We hope the County Board would have some consideration of the impact of supplying players to county panels.

Who do you see as the main contenders in the league and championship?
In Division Two, Teemore always had a good show over the past few years at this level, while at Intermdiate, Belcoo will be aiming to put right their wrongs from last time, I’m sure.


BROOKEBOROUGH HEBER MCMAHONS

Manager: Stephen Donnelly

What are the hopes for the season?
Firstly, we want to reintegrate the lads back into football in an enjoyable set-up.
We would hope to get Brookeborough back to being really competitive again and winning games. 

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
The subsidiary competition gives myself and Kieran Rooney an opportunity to give numerous lads a run at this level. Some will flourish, while others may find it difficult.
It provides the squad with ideal preparation in advance of the league.

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
Main contenders for Division Two League would be Teemore and Lisnaskea, while Donagh will be hard to beat in Junior championship.


ST PATRICK’S DONAGH

Manager: Paul Hasson

What are the hopes for the season?
Our hopes are to gain league promotion and win championship.

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
In the subsidiary competition, we will aim to rack up as many points as possible and build momentum into league campaign.

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
We are not worried about who’re contenders for what – if we work hard enough over the summer months, we will cause any team problems.


AUGHADRUMSEE ST MACARTANS

Manager: Pat Cadden

What are the hopes for the season?
For the season ahead, we hope to be competitive in every game we play and push on from the good base of results we had last year and, hopefully, get into the promotion mix.

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition? 
We want to get a good start through the new mini league competition, which I think is a great idea. It can give clubs that extra bit of edge, starting the second round of fixtures if they get maximum points from the mini league.

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
I think Division Two will be very competitive. Teemore are the main team to beat, I think.
After that, it’s anyone that can get on a good run of games and pick up results at the right times.
In the championship, it will be hard to look by Belleek coming down from Senior, but again, I think it is more wide open than last year with the Gaels gone into Senior.


TEEMORE SHAMROCKS

Manager: Barry Owens

What are the hopes for the season?
Everyone wants to win every competition that you play in, so of course we want to win the subsidiary competition, which also adds points to the league. Promotion from Division Two is probably our main focus for the year ahead, and then to try to win the league along with that.
After last year’s semi-final defeat, we would be looking to improve on that and, hopefully, win the championship. 

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
The subsidiary competition can add points to the league, so of course you want to win it to get the maximum points on offer.
It also gives an opportunity to maybe try a few younger lads that are coming out of U-17s and get them integrated into the team.

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
It’s hard to judge, due to there being so little football in the past year, but I think the main contenders in the league would be Belcoo, Donagh and Aghadrumsee.
In the championship, there probably isn’t much between a lot of the teams, but it’s hard to look by Derrygonnelly and Ederney.


NEWTOWNBUTLER FIRST FERMANAGHS

Manager: Darren Chapman/Raymond Johnston/Clive Fitzpatrick

What are the hopes for the season?
Our aim is to win the Junior championship this year. 

What are your aims for the subsidiary competition?
We hope to bed in some new players during the subsidiary competition.

Who do you see as the likely contenders for the league and championship?
The Junior championship and Division Two are very open, but we are only focusing on ourselves.