I WAS disappointed with how the Down County Board handled the management situation this year.

Paddy Tally resigned as Down manager on July 8, but only last week the news came out that James McCartan was appointed to take over the reins.

In the weeks before, we experienced the whole rumour about Jim McGuinness. That storyline looked like that the county board jumped the gun. The story came out first, but then the next thing we know Jim wasn’t available and it seemed like he was distancing himself from Down. There was no apparent plan B, but then it looks like James McCartan became the plan B.

From the outside looking in it appeared that they didn’t have a plan. I can’t imagine that it would give players great hope the way the whole media circus panned out during that period.

It is good that they have a manager there now who has taken the county to an All-Ireland final. But the manner of it all doesn’t look good. It might show you that Down football isn’t being run the way that it could be.

In camogie, not having a manager in place happens all the time. Sometimes you are more surprised in camogie if they are actually organised and have a plan for next year.

But camogie is a bit different because players take more of an active role in finding a manager. In football I would say is a bit different.

While when I was playing we sometime had managers who weren’t right, it is different now because the profile is better in camogie. It is more attractive to take on an intercounty camogie team, or a big club team. With the success of Antrim and Down, and Sleacht Néill there is more media coverage.

Ten years ago we were more hoping to get a good manager rather than expecting one.

That shouldn’t be the case in football as there is more options for manager. There is more teams, and more coaches and more profile for teams.

I think the Down job should be attractive but I think perhaps bigger coaches need to see a certain approach. When you are approaching someone like Jim McGuinness you have to approach them in a certain way. He has been a professional coach and manager. You need to have fairly professional people coming to him with an offer and a proposal. It is more like a business, intercounty management. The costs of running a county team is phenomenal. You have to show a manager like Jim McGuinness you have that ambition.

I think you could also ask the question how did the story of Jim McGuinness get out? Did someone speak out of turn? If that’s the case then that isn’t a good thing.

Dublin are the benchmark. It is run like a business and has great investment and great coaching structures. I don’t think that you have that in Down.

What we do have is a man who loves Down football. It is more along the ethos of the GAA. But that ethos doesn’t exist at intercounty level.

James was never going to say no to his county. He has such a family connection as well. Which is great.

However while it is great he is there, the whole appointment process has not looked like it was well organised.

There was also sad news his week when we heard that Barney Carr has passed away. Barney was a great uncle of mine.

He managed Down to the All-Ireland in 1960 and 1961, he brought Sam Maguire across the border for the first time.

He was such a lovely man, a great man.

He had a child born with Down’s Syndrome and he did a lot of campaigning work for them to get equal opportunities. He was a great advocate for the charities supporting Down’s Syndrome.

Condolences to his brother Paddy, daughter Louise, son Hugh and wider family circle.

TOP MAN… Jim McGuinness was approached by Down, but he didn’t take the job, and Fionnuala Carr feels that that was a disappointing development