McIver stays on as Donegal boss

[Armamike]

People tend to talk up Donegal's level of talent. On what basis? No underage or club success to speak of. Is it on the basis of a few good individual performances here and there during the league or a few appearances in Ulster finals? 

[Uladh]

He got the O Rourkes in Drumintee to play football one day for about 15 minutes without whinging at each other, the referee, their own teammates, the opposition!
No mean feat, so a top man!!

Jaysus, that's one club he shouldn't look for a reference from anyway

[loughshore lad]

McIvor managed a star studded ballinderry team to an all ireland club championship and that is no mean feat. however, you have to remember that dessie ryan was prominent on his back room team there.

has he done anything else in management before the donegal job?

I wouldnt say that Ballinderry team was star studded as such, Enda Muldoon would have been considered their star player at that time and Conleith Gilligan produced a number of brilliant performances for them that year but that was an excellent all round team more so than a star studded one.  Dessie Ryan may have been involved in the background but I think you will find Brian was definitely the man in charge of operations, the shamrock posters will no doubt confirm that.  Dessie Ryan would have been involved in numerous following seasons when Brian was not and almost the same Ballinderry team didnt win anything. 

He has been involved with at least one other Ballinderry side to win a Derry Championship and 3 Ardboe sides to win Tyrone championships so its not a bad record when you look at it in comparison to a number of other high profile mangers/coaches knocking about.  As for Dromintee, its hardly Brian's fault they cow against Cross year in and year out.

[Uladh]

Are there many clubs who had as many players with senior county experience as that balinderry team?

keeper (name escapes me)
kevin McGuckin,
Nial McOscar,
Ronan McGuckin,
Paul Wilson,
enda muldoon,
james conway,
adrian mcGuckin,
sean donnelly,
declan bateson,
Jarleth Bell,
gerard cassidy,

all played at least national league football to my memory.

you didn't mention what else he had achieved?

[orangeman]

He got the O Rourkes in Drumintee to play football one day for about 15 minutes without whinging at each other, the referee, their own teammates, the opposition!
No mean feat, so a top man!!

That took a bit of doing alright ! 

[Uladh]

I doubt if he achieved that either!

[orangeman]

I doubt if he achieved that either!

Would that have been impossible Uladh ?? A superhuman effort needed there ? 

[Uladh]

well i'd imagine to get them to stop fighting with each other would be impossible

on a serious note, the domintee lads reckon mcivor to have been one of the worst coaches to have come about the place

[orangeman]

well i'd imagine to get them to stop fighting with each other would be impossible

on a serious note, the domintee lads reckon mcivor to have been one of the worst coaches to have come about the place

Easy to blame the coach when Crossmaglen have done 12 in a row - I suppose Dromintee would reckon that with the O'Rourkes on board they should be making more of an inroad in Armagh football but maybe they're just not good enough - maybe they don't believe in themselves - eg replay a couple of years ago against Cross ?

[Uladh]

they drew with cross last year. there's no doubt that cross have better players - as they do than anyone in the county - but as they've been very close and cross have beaten them maybe 7 or 8 years in a row you'd think luck would have gotten them over the line somewhere along the way. dromintee have had a fair few outside coaches and the mcivor came up while discussing those - the like of rafferty, murray, etc.

[loughshore lad]

Are there many clubs who had as many players with senior county experience as that balinderry team?

keeper (name escapes me)
kevin McGuckin,
Nial McOscar,
Ronan McGuckin,
Paul Wilson,
enda muldoon,
james conway,
adrian mcGuckin,
sean donnelly,
declan bateson,
Jarleth Bell,
gerard cassidy,

all played at least national league football to my memory.

you didn't mention what else he had achieved?

I dont think Kevin McGuckin had played senior county football at that stage, I am certain Paul Wilson had not played senior county football at that stage.  Jarlath Bell definitely didnt ever play senior county football and from memory was on the fringes of that team.  Senior county experience is one thing but how many of those were genuine intercounty class? Not too many on that list cut the mustard at county level. 

I did post some of the other successful teams he had been involved in:

He has been involved with at least one other Ballinderry side to win a Derry Championship and 3 Ardboe sides to win Tyrone championships so its not a bad record when you look at it in comparison to a number of other high profile mangers/coaches knocking about.  As for Dromintee, its hardly Brian's fault they cow against Cross year in and year out.