DIVISION Two club Brookeborough have appointed Tyrone and Aghaloo man Stephen Donnelly as their manager for the 2021 season.
The brother of new Ardboe manager Mickey Donnelly, Stephen featured for Tyrone’s All-Ireland U-21 Championship winning team in 2000.
Donnelly had been a stalwart of Aghaloo’s senior team for the last 25 years, initially as a forward but in more recent years as a goalkeeper. Brookeborough have made improvements in the last few years and he will be assisted by Kieran Rooney.
Elsewhere in Division Two, it’s no big surprise to see Coa and Derrylin staying with Gary Donnelly and Aiden Gilroy with both these teams waiting to face off in the much delayed 2020 Junior Championship Final. That match was scheduled to go ahead in early October, but it had to be postponed when the Republic of Ireland entered a stage-five lockdown. I remains to be seen when it will go ahead with all collective training on hold at the present time due to the upsurge in Covid cases.
Maguiresbridge will be disappointed to lose David Teague after he guided them to an IFC Final against Enniskillen in 2020. Work commitments means Teague must go back up to Belfast and for now the Maguiresbridge club have still not named a new manager.
Newtownbutler are still waiting on Vinny Wimsey to make a call on the 2021 season. The Cavan native has some very good minors coming through to Senior football ranks if he stays around.
St Patricks Donagh have opted for Ballinascreen native Paul Hasson who stepped down as Derry senior football ladies manager in 2020.
It’s a strong coup for the Donagh club as they look to get back up to Division One football and compete in a tough looking Intermediate Championship grade.
In the top flight, Tempo will have a new man at the helm for 2021 with the Division One side opting for Stephen Jackson to hopefully guide them to a first Senior Championship title since 2012.
Jackson performed in goals for the Tempo club down through the years and has been involved with the Fermanagh county management team and will bring a huge amount of knowledge and expertise to the Maguire’s.
Devenish, meanwhile, have appointed Sylvester Mulrone and former Fermanagh footballer Martin O’Brien to try and get them back to Senior Championship football after last season’s disappointing defeat to Aghadrumsee.
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