LAST UPDATE | 10 Nov 2020
ANTRIM AND WATERFORD ARE ON the hunt for new football managers after the departure of Lenny Harbinson and Benji Whelan while Leitrim have announced they will be managed again by Terry Hyland for a third season.
Harbinson’s decision to move on after three years was revealed this morning by the Antrim county board.
Last night it had been confirmed that Cavan native Hyland has agreed to stay in charge for the 2021 season with his position ratified by Leitrm county board chiefs.
Antrim’s season ended on Sunday when they lost their Ulster quarter-final 0-13 to 0-9 against Cavan while they had just missed out on Division 4 promotion previously when finishing third.
The Antrim statement reads:
Lenny Harbinson informed Antrim county board today that he did not wish to extend his three year contract as Antrim senior football manager.
Lenny has been a good servant of Antrim GAA both as a player and a manager, we would like to put on record our gratitude to Lenny and his management team for all the hard work put in over the last three years with Antrim senior football squad. We wish them all the best in the future.”
Leitrim’s 2020 championship campaign ended at the first hurdle last Sunday week when they lost out in Connacht to Mayo while they suffered relegation from Division 3 of the league.
Before taking over as Leitrim manager in August 2018, Hyland had been involved with Cavan teams. He helped guide the county to success at U21 level before taking over the senior team in 2012.
Under Hyland’s watch, Cavan contested the 2013 All-Ireland senior quarter-finals and claimed promotion to Division 1 in 2016.
The full statement released last night by Leitrim GAA reads:
Leitrim GAA is delighted to announce that senior team manager Terry Hyland has agreed to continue in the role of senior football team manager for the 2021 season. This evening’s meeting of Leitrim GAA Management Committee formally approved this position.
Leitrim GAA wishes to thank Terry and his management team for the efforts they have made over the 2020 season, in what has proved a most challenging year, given the extraordinary set of circumstances that we have been through since last March. We are delighted to have secured the services of Terry and our outgoing management team and look forward to the continued progress of this group of players over the 2021 season.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Waterford confirmed that Whelan will not carry on with the Déise footballers in 2021.
“Benji Whelan has today informed the Waterford county board that he has decided not to seek the option of a third year as Waterford senior football manager,” the statement read.
“Waterford GAA would like to sincerely thank Benji and his management team for their tremendous work, commitment, and dedication to the Waterford senior football team over the past two years. We wish them every success in their future endeavours.”
Subscribe to The42′s new member-led GAA Championship show with Marc Ó Sé and Shane Dowling.
