Minors should be playing before senior games says Down boss Patrick Cunningham

Down minor football manager Patrick Cunningham believes the Ulster MFC games should be played as curtain-raisers to the senior games when possible.

On Saturday afternoon, the Mourne County take on Fermanagh at Brewster Park (4.15pm) in what will feel like a throwback to another era of Gaelic football.

In recent times, minor games have been scheduled for Friday and Saturday evenings, often played as standalone fixtures at sparsely-attended stadiums.

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That should change, at least for Fermanagh and Down, with a decent crowd expected in Enniskillen as the Fermanagh seniors clash with Ulster and All-Ireland champions Tyrone later on Saturday evening.

“To have an opportunity to go out in front of possibly a crowd of 18,000 people at the end of that game would be a fantastic experience for any young fella,” said Cunningham.

“The more experiences like that, the better it is for them. It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to do it.”

The Down boss admits he is something of a traditionalist and supports the view that minors should return to U18s - something which was defeated at Congress.

“My memories of it are all U18,” added Cunningham.

“I grew up playing U18 football and it was always the builder to the senior football and that’s fantastic.

“My preference is U18, that’s what I would like to do, that’s what I’ve always known it to be so my personal preference would be 18.

“In terms of the U17, what we’ve got here is fantastic and the young fellas love what’s going on. But it’s that next year, two years’ time transition, because you have boys sitting out at 18, 19 and 20 before they get another crack at county, so that’s three years in between.”

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