While we are now in the festive season, a number of GAA managers around the country will already be plotting for early season training in 2023.
The last number of weeks would have seen teams from all 32 counties will be hatching a plan to get their players fit for the the months ahead.
Of course, getting the right management team in place is not an easy task. With every club needing to put someone in charge, the available options can dwindle rather quickly. When you do manage to pull of a high profile appointment, you would certainly expect them to last longer than four days in the role.
Pat Flanagan leaves new club after four days in charge
Pat Flanagan has a CV that would rival most managers in Ireland, having had experience at both club and inter-county level. He has managed Westmeath and Offaly to varying degrees of success, while he has also been part of coaching tickets that won senior county titles in those counties.
He had been in charge of Padraig Pearses in Roscommon since 2018, leading them to their first ever senior county title in 2019, followed by a further county final win and a provincial crown in 2021.
Having left Pearses this year, his services were always likely to be in high demand. Flanagan was among the finalists for the Roscommon job, although that ultimately went to Davy Burke.
Last night, it was announced that Pat Flanagan would join Kildare club Sarsfields for 2023.
Sarsfields Gaa are delighted to announce the appointment of Pat Flanagan as our Men's Senior Football Manager.
We are also delighted to announce John Doran as our Men's Senior trainer for 2023.
We wish them both & their management team all the very best in the upcoming season.💚 pic.twitter.com/PI52Io4Vk2— sashgaa (@SashGAA) December 22, 2022
The most successful club in Kildare, Sarsfield will be looking to win their first county title since 2019 in the months ahead. As such, it seems like an attractive role for any perspective manager.
The only problem was that Pat Flanagan apparently had already accepted a job elsewhere.
Meath's Ballinabrackey soon took to social media to share their shock that the Offaly native had left their club after only four days in his new role. He had even gone as far as to meet the players and committee before upping sticks and moving elsewhere.
Ballinabrackey GAA wish to note its disappointment in the news that our manager for 2023, Pat Flanagan lasted only 4 days in the job after meeting the players and executives to finalise the coming year.
— Ballinabrackey GAA (@Ballinabrackey1) December 22, 2022
Bizarre.
Ballinabrackey would also reply to Sarsfield's tweet about their new management team.
Ballinabrackey GAA wish to note its disappointment in the news that our manager for 2023, Pat Flanagan lasted only 4 days in the job after meeting the players and executives to finalise the coming year.
— Ballinabrackey GAA (@Ballinabrackey1) December 22, 2022
Ballinabrackey won the Meath intermediate title and have been making strides at senior level since then.
Plenty of Twitter users found the whole thing a bit odd.
Some stunt 🤣 https://t.co/RaeOlcDlb9
— Eamon Mc Gee (@EamonMcGee) December 23, 2022
This sums up the club management scene around the country at the minute #greed https://t.co/83FRnhrQnh
— conall (@conall8) December 23, 2022
To change your mind last minute normally fair enough, but having met the clubs reps/committee twice, AND the entire panel of players THEN decide to fuck off?? https://t.co/vbEC4hYIxr
— Brendan Byrne (@bull_byrne) December 23, 2022
Pat Flanagan https://t.co/VYVdX2HbeE pic.twitter.com/iA5L0ZHqQY
— David Rispin (@Davy_Rispin) December 22, 2022
Dave Bassett once left Wimbledon to manage Crystal Palace but changed his mind and returned to the Dons 4 days later. Closest thing to the Pat Flanagan stunt I can think of.
— 365 (@kildaregaa365) December 23, 2022
Pat Flanagan may have simply preferred a move to the Kildare club, but it is poor timing on his part having already met with players on another team ahead of taking them on for 2023.
It also leave Ballinabrackey scrambling for a new manager at a time when many potential targets will be unavailable having accepted roles elsewhere.
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