HIS EXTENSIVE MANAGERIAL travels have taken him around the country and Sunday will see John Maughan complete a unique set.
When he takes his Offaly side into action against Meath, it will mark his first foray into the Leinster championship as manager and see him become the first boss to take charge in all four provinces.
He famously guided Clare to Munster success back in 1992, steered Mayo to a quartet of triumphs in Connacht, while also managing Roscommon in the province, and was at the helm of Fermanagh for a spell in Ulster.
This marks his debut in Leinster yet despite his experience of the All-Ireland system, he does not feel it is currently serving the sport well.
“It’s crying out for a two-tier system. I’ve been involved in All-Ireland B championship wins with two counties, Clare and Fermanagh, and I recall Clare in particular the confidence and the fun.
“I remember it being celebrated, the first adult competition that Clare had won in decades. I think it was Longford we beat in Ballinasloe. It propelled Clare football at the time. Right now a two-tier competition has to be introduced and whatever format that is.
“With regard to the Leinster championship everyone knows Dublin are going to win it, albeit Meath are closing the gap, up to Division 1. I was looking at Meath football and asking for the last few years ‘what’s wrong here’ but watching them in that Division Two final this year and the results they’ve got against Kildare and other teams they are back with a bang.
“You would expect that Dublin will, not only win the Leinster championship, but also the All-Ireland. That’s my opinion. Having Carlow, Wexford and Offaly competing at that level, it’s a no-brainer. You’ve got to address some issues there.”
Having been involved for several seasons, Maughan is pragmatic enough to understand the pressure in the role of an inter-county manager.
“It’s a very fickle business, you have no idea when things might turn. I have had experience of it turning before. Everything can be rosy in the garden one week, a couple of weeks later, the knives are out. I’m fully aware of that.
“I have experienced both sides of it. You are carried shoulder high one day, the next thing ‘get him out, he’s no good.’ That’s the nature of the business we are in. I’m in it because I love it enjoy it.
“I didn’t think I would enjoy Offaly as much as I am now. They’re a great bunch. When you come into a county outside of your own, getting to know lads, it’s always interesting, even outside of football, what do they do, learning about guys, understanding their personalities, I enjoy that.”
They face a difficult opening assignment in taking on a Meath team buoyed by having secured promotion to the top tier of the league this spring.
But managing to preserve their Division 3 status was a boost to Offaly.
“They would have questioned Maughan for a start and said what’s he doing up here. It would have knocked the stuffing out of the lads. It just would. I’m not being disrespectful to the teams in Division 4 but for Offaly, if they were going to move on and have sunnier times, they need to be playing a different standard of football.
“Look at the quality in Division 3 next year, Cork, Tipperary, Derry, Down, Leitrim coming with a run out of Division 4. Playing against them is going to bring on Offaly football so that’s a bonus for Division 3.”
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