FORMER ROSCOMMON BOSS John Evans has claimed there was ‘an active canvas’ within the Connacht county to remove him as senior football manager.
Evans stepped down last week from his post after three years at the helm.
Speaking last night to RTÉ’s Game On programme on 2FM, Evans revealed the circumstances behind his departure.
“I’ve had three great years with (Roscommon). In league games we lost four games out of 23 games and in the rest we notched up point after point and got promoted from Division 3 to Division 2 to Division 1.
“I don’t know how it started or where it started but there were a lot of rumblings going on that we could be doing a lot better.
“There was an active canvass then to remove John Evans and that’s the way it went. I know that two or three of the people involved had sons that I didn’t bring onto the team or bring onto the panel.
“I would have to praise the current county board, I put a lot of big questions to them and expense to move training and get the right people involved.”
Evans also outlined the difficulties caused by GAA politics.
“To any manager out there, you must know one thing, that you need to have your chairman, or the chairman coming in.
“He must be your right-hand man whether it’s club or county, he is the man who has to back you.
“Sean Kelly told me one time, ‘John, I’m in politics now but GAA politics is the toughest, the roughest you’d ever get in your life’.”
Referring to himself in the third party…. Should rule him out of most jobs
6 points up with 10min left against Fermanagh and to lose was shocking, ranks as one of the poorest results in Roscommon history.
People who’s son didn’t make the panel actively trying to get him out, if there is any truth in it then the old values of the gaa are very much alive!
If he was chocolate he would eat himself
Wow this guy is painful, you’d swear he actually won something proper. Don’t see too many mourning his departure in Roscommon.
as soon as roscommon were beaten by fermanagh the mood swung completely against Evans. the truth be told the knives were being sharpened throughout the county after the loss to sligo. the high stool brigade felt that they could beat mayo in castlebar to win connacht and who knew from there. that was the expectation level Evans and his players were up against. league 1 status pales in significance against such notions of grandeur. unfortunately the players didn’t handle that level of pressure very well against sligo and Evans found out that his bench wasn’t as strong as he thought against fermanagh. the new management are going to be up against it from the start given the ludicrous expectation in the county. I can’t see mc stay going anywhere near it tbh.
I’ll take him to Kildare
Thank you john for getting us to div 1 football for next season, but classifying the FBD league as one of your achievements over your tenure is a bit much. Roscommon did not improve in the championship over your 3 years and that’s what managers are judged on. Roscommon need a modern manager , someone who trusts in the players abilities , and someone that can get that extra 10% out of players ! The future is good in Roscommon , we need to consolidate our div 1 status next year and really push for provincial honours or at least a all Ireland quarter final appearance ! Hopefully the county board will move heaven and earth to bring in Kevin mc stay Liam mc hale and fergie o Donnell as the dream team.
Sorry Justin but I can see the rossies going straight back down
Well Justin?!! If you want McStay it will cost some cash!!!
given Roscommon’s record prior to his arrival I find this attitude towards him repugnant. We hear all about the minor team of 06 and a few good under 21 teams but underage success is and has never been a guarantee to senior success, your hurling neighbours in Galway are testament to that. I’ll be shocked if they stay in D1 next year and get any further in the championship.
Well Johnny , Mayo should of splashed the cash on him to save the eventual tears to come in September !!
Ha I should have know you would come with that Boston!!
Well john are you ready for groundhog September , or did ye get rid of the last of those old boys yet?
what a knob
Justin, you’re no relation but i hereby banish you from the Naughton clan for that last comment on Mayo!
Why did he not put himself forward in his native Kerry?, or why did nobody nominate him for any managerial job in Kerry ?. A bit like Liam Kerins I would say. Talk a good game all the time.