Denis Ring: 'There's more likely to be divisional loyalty when the manager has a tradition of divisional involvement'

The divisions take centre stage on Leeside this weekend. It is becoming harder and harder to get the divisions on stage. The concern is that if the number of divisional and college teams fielding continues to fall then the stage will someday be closed off to the small few still interested in gracing it.

There were supposed to be two finals down for decision this weekend. The final of the divisions/colleges hurling section, which goes ahead on Sunday evening at Páirc Uí Rinn (7pm) between Imokilly and Muskerry, and final of the divisions/colleges football section.

The latter took place in mid-July. Beara and Avondhu failing to field meant neither of the scheduled first-round games - Avondhu v Carbery and Beara v Duhallow - took place and so the whole competition had the fast-forward button pressed on it.

Of eight divisions and two colleges, only four put out a team in this year’s county football championship. The hurling numbers are slightly healthier, albeit the bar measuring such is all the time being lowered. There were six entrants this year. That’s one less than two years ago and two less than six years ago.

MTU Cork, county finalists in 2011, do not field any more, while UCC, although never found wanting for their involvement, are not the competitive force of even earlier this decade when they ended the four-in-a-row ambitions of Imokilly.

Imokilly remain the standard-bearers, not just for recent silverware collected, but of how to ensure across-the-board buy-in from all feeder clubs.

Denis Ring is the Imokilly manager. He oversaw their return to the summit of Cork hurling last October. He has his views on why other divisions are finding it more and more difficult to put out any 15, never mind their strongest 15. His views go beyond the scheduling gripes that are regularly articulated by divisions forced to withdraw at the 11th hour.

“If I was an outside coach coming in and commissioned with the responsibility of winning a championship with an intermediate or junior club, I'm going to want the players available to me 100% of the time,” Ring began.

“If I'm an outside coach coming in, I'm under a certain amount of pressure already, and so you'll want the players fully at your disposal and you'll do everything to ensure they’re not going to be overly concerned about the divisional team. I get that.

“There's more likely to be divisional loyalty when the manager has a tradition of divisional involvement. I know for everybody in Cloughduv when I was growing up, it was a badge of honour to play and represent Muskerry. My brother played against the great Blackrock team and scored a goal off the famous blonde John Horgan. He's still living off that goal.

“It's disappointing in a way that it becomes a topic of concern. Some people will tolerate divisions, and some people don't like divisions. I suppose it's like everything else, you're less likely to like them if they suddenly become a bit of a threat.”

If the county board executive can’t deliver a window that enables increased participation by divisions and colleges, it is very probable that at some point down the line questions will be asked of staging a competition for a number of teams that makes it very difficult to justify the staging of the competition in the first instance.

The hurling section is not in that territory, the football section is certainly moving in that direction.

“I do think they are required in the interest of Cork, in the sense that if I was the county manager and you were hearing about this fella at junior or lower intermediate, bringing him in for a trial won’t tell much, but if you see them playing in the heat of county senior championship and they look as though they can potentially make the step up, that's hugely important.

“If that divisions/colleges competition was to disappear, the consequences would be huge for small clubs. Because if you're a small club, your good players would be raided by one of the top senior teams.

“With the divisional opportunity, the loyalty to the club remains but they also get a crack at playing at the highest level. Divisions give that bit of security to the smaller clubs.”

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