KILCAR MANAGER and Donegal football legend Martin McHugh has an idea he believes will spice up club football in the county.
McHugh is in his first year as Kilcar manager, having previously been player-manager when they won the Donegal SFC in 1989.
Following their 2-15 to 0-7 win over St Michael’s on Sunday in Towney, Kilcar are one of the strong favourites to win Dr Maguire this year as they search for a first title since 1993.
Kilcar are top of the ‘group of death’ with one of three big guns – Kilcar, St Eunan’s or St Michael’s – guaranteed to exit before the knockout stage.
[adrotate group=”82″]McHugh is in favour of the group format, which came into being for the 2013 season, but believes a seeding system, based on League placings, could be brought into action.
“I think that, looking at the groups, it’s disappointing that they worked out the way they did,” McHugh told Donegal Sport Hub.
“I think we should look at seeding teams. The fact is we need our best teams left in for the quarter-finals. We have three of the big teams in the one group and one of them will go.
[adrotate group=”38″]“The four groups of four is brilliant. The league is irrelevant now and that isn’t good. Maybe we could seed the top four teams in the Legaue. That would make the League better, too and it would help the teams at the bottom teams too. It would be fair to everyone.”
The McBrearty brothers, Patrick and Stephen, scored in the 14-point win on Sunday that has Kilcar atop their group while they also top the All-County League Division One table at present.
McHugh is delighted to be back in management, his previous spell being when he managed Cavan in the late 1990s, winning an Ulster title in 1997.
He said: “I love club football and it’s great to see club football like that. We had Gaoth Dobhair down here on Friday night and there was a brilliant atmosphere. Club football is brilliant.
“The people in this parish love club football and people come out to see the county players. It’s so important to have good club football.”
On Kilcar’s current form, McHugh said: “It’s still all to play for. Wheover comes out of this group, these games will stand to them.
“We’re going to need the two points in Killybegs. We have to go down and professionally do it. We know Killybegs will be fired up to play Kilcar. We have to deal with it.”
Listen to the full interview below …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsporthub-club-notes/martin-mchugh-talks-club-football-after-kilcar-defeat-st-michaels
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