Paddy O'Rourke has expressed disappointment with Down GAA clubs for rejecting his plea to continue as county manager for a fifth year.
O'Rourke failed to bring any success to Down football in a four-year tenure that ended after Wednesday night's county committee meeting when the clubs voted, on a three-to-two basis, to seek a new manager.
"Over the past four years a lot of good work has been done and I honestly believe that if I had been given more time, I would have delivered success for Down," O'Rourke said in a statement yesterday.
O'Rourke is highly regarded in the county, having captained Down to the All-Ireland title in 1991 and then guiding them to the Ulster final in his first season as manager. However, they lost to Tyrone in a replay.
Mickey Harte's men continued to haunt them with Ulster championship defeats in 2004 and 2005.
Down also failed to impress in the qualifiers, losing to Cavan, Derry and, this year, to Sligo - a defeat that seemed to seal O'Rourke's fate. Donegal knocked them out of this year's Ulster championship.
Team trainer Jody Gormley quit after the championship exit but support from the county executive appeared to leave the door open for O'Rourke to continue in the role. The clubs disagreed.
"Over the years, I have been very generous with my time. No request was turned down if it were at all physically possible," continued O'Rourke. "The failure of the clubs to reciprocate when I made a request of them for one more year is most disappointing."
O'Rourke implied his service as a player should have ensured the county board afforded him a fifth year as manager. "As one who made my intercounty debut in 1976, I am saddened that the county board did not see fit to give me this opportunity to remain in charge.
"This was a job I loved doing, yet a job that in 2006 brought with it a lot of outside factors which at times made it an unpleasant experience for those close to me."
O'Rourke was unavailable for additional comment so there was no elaboration on the "outside factors."
Meanwhile, tickets for the All-Ireland football championship quarter-finals on Saturday between Kerry v Armagh at 2pm and Donegal v Cork at 4pm, and Sunday's Waterford v Cork All-Ireland hurling championship semi-final at 4pm in Croke Park are on sale from the ticket office at the rear of the Cusack Stand from 11am today.
They are also currently on sale through Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and through the participating county boards.
