McMahon gives update on club county clash in Tyrone

NEW Tyrone coach Joe McMahon isn’t at all concerned by the news that GAA’s Central Council is strongly considering the possibility of starting next year’s club season before the county one.

The Central Council have postponed the release of the 2021 calendar for games until next month as they are weighing up the consequences of further crowd restrictions on gate receipts in the event that Covid-limiting measures remain in place in the new year.

McMahon, who has been recruited to the backroom team by new Tyrone joint-managers Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan, says he’s happy to remain patient if the traditional way of things is flipped – particularly as the standard in the Tyrone Club Championship is so high across the board.

“Initially we were thinking that it could be county-first but that seems to have changed, but that’ll give us a chance to see how players are getting on with their clubs.

“It would also give lads who are injured the opportunity to get back to fitness, so I don’t see it as a huge problem, especially as they’ll be playing at a high standard anyway, with the quality of football so high in Tyrone.”

The opportunity to coach Tyrone’s senior inter-county team is one that excites McMahon, but he’s also keen to stress his respect and admiration for outgoing manager Mickey Harte, under whom he won two All-Ireland medals during a long and successful playing career.

McMahon, who has gained valuable coaching experience at Clogher and Fermanagh, says the new Tyrone management team are keen, collectively speaking, to maintain high standards in the halls of Garvaghey.

“Getting the opportunity to work alongside Brian, Feargal, Collie (Holmes) and Peter (Donnelly), among many others particularly the players, is definitely exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’d like to put on record my respect for all the work that Mickey Harte has done over the years for Tyrone.

“He’s got Tyrone to the position they are today, contending for All-Irelands on a yearly basis and lets hope we can continue that trend.”

On being asked to joint the new set-up, the Omagh, St Enda’s legend said that it wasn’t something he’d planned, but he feels his prior experience of coaching makes it a less daunting prospect.

“Personally it’s something I’d never really thought about, maybe the other lads had ideas about it.

“I only really finished up with county football in the last three years but in the meantime I’ve had experience coaching at club and county level. The opportunity arose, and we all want what’s best for Tyrone at the end of the day – that’s to be successful and that’ll be our aim for 2021 and beyond.”

McMahon ended his playing career with Tyrone back in May 2017, so he’s already well-acquainted with many of the current panellists, while he soldiered alongside Dooher, Holmes and Donnelly for years.

In that sense, he’s among friends, but he says it won’t be like an old boys club either.

“We’ve come through manys a battle on the pitch and we’ve soldiered through all the games and training sessions, and experienced the social element of it as well.

“We’re familiar with each other and that makes it a lot easier and we know each others’ personalities.

“We might end up having differences of opinions in terms of the team, but you don’t always have harmony with everyone singing the same note.

“I think that could important in a positive sense going forward, that we’re able to lend a hand as best we can.

“There may be times where we might want to step in if we observe something, the important thing is that we’re developing the players and getting them to the levels where we would like them to be.”

McMahon teamed up with Ryan McMenamin at Fermanagh this year, but it didn’t really go according to plan.

An outbreak of Covid in the camp overshadowed their final two league games as they were duly relegated, but he hopes the overall experience will stand to him down the line as he aims to make his mark, not for the first time, with his native Tyrone.

McMahon added: “It was a stop-start year but hopefully the experience of working alongside ‘Ricey’, Paul McIver and the other members of the backroom team has lent itself to getting the call from Brian and Feargal.

“Every coach had difficulties this year but in fairness it was especially tricky at Fermanagh due to injuries, men away working and the highly publicised Covid cases.

“Unfortunately they were hurdles we struggled to overcome, but they’re a young team showing a lot of promise for the future and they have the right men to take things forward.”

By Niall Gartland