“We’ve really missed the boat this time.”
Speaking on the BBC after Donegal defeated Cavan in the Ulster championship, the pundits discussed how Mickey Graham’s side could prosper in the Tailteann Cup.
This is the new competition where teams from division four and three, compete against each other in a second tier championship.
This is to give weaker counties an opportunity to get more championship games under their belt, and allow them to progress and improve.
However, the conversation turned to the lack of coverage and build up that the new tournament has received, and former Tyrone boss Mickey Harte, believes that they have taken too long.
“It’s nearly too late to market it well now. It should have been marketed before now. It should have been attractive for the teams that are going to find themselves in there.
“I don’t think it has been made an attractive event for them. We’ve really missed the boat this time. [Marketing] should have started when it was mooted in the first place.”
Former Tyrone legend, Peter Canavan, was also a part of the punditry team, and he agreed with his former manager.
“The marketing of the Tailteann Cup, that’s where the likes of Croke Park can come in and do managers like Mickey Graham a massive favour by really promoting the competition, having a separate All-Stars, and putting the game prior to the Sam Maguire competition, [and then] he’ll have no problem keeping his squad together, keeping players focused,” said Peter Canavan.
“You want to see players. We want to see more of the quality of James Smith, Patrick Lynch and these boys.”
Armagh All-Ireland winner Oisin McConville, backed Cavan to succeed in the new competition.
“The first year of the Tailteann Cup, nobody really knows how it’s going to be marketed, how popular it’s going to be, how players are going to react, how serious counties are going to take it.
“For the first year, definitely, if it’s done right, I think players will buy into it. I think the Cavan squad would have all the hallmarks of buying into something like that.”
