Legendary manager says stats can add up for clubs

"I'm not convinced about the use of stats. I know the county teams do it, but I wonder about the value. And, down at club level, I have my doubts it can do any good at all. Any relevant views?" ? Intermediate team manager.

Down's double All-Ireland manager Pete McGrath is perfectly placed, as it turns out. He wasn't heavy into stats when managing Down, and it did them no harm. But some recent experiences at club level have changed his attitude ? so much so he's talking on the value of statistics at the forthcoming National Coaching Conference.

"When I managed teams in the past I was relying on what I remembered from games, or what people told me. And I suppose looking back on it, things must have slipped through the net.

This year, I managed An Riocht in Co. Down, who had just been promoted from Division Two to Division One of the Down Co. League.

I got my hands on a Team Analysis Book from sporttracker.ie. I have to say it made a huge difference ? it allowed me to get some proper factual information on the team's strength and weaknesses.

Before a game, I would decide to have certain information collected ? maybe how we were doing on breaks, or where we were scoring from, or where we were conceding scores from, things like that.

This meant that afterwards I could do a proper look at aspects of our performance. Then we'd talk about it at the Tuesday night session. We could consolidate what we were doing well, and improve on areas where we were weak.

It definitely helped us enormously. Players could see we were making a genuine effort to gather scientifically accurate information. That encourages them. And it contributed to more constructive, positive and focused team/management meetings between games.

Players, or management, couldn't go into denial ? it was there in black and white. Once we knew where the problems were, we could try to fix them.

As it turned out, An Riocht won Division One of the Down league for the very first time ? people will have read about Martin Clarke playing for us in the semi-final and final after coming home from Collingwood in Australia.

I have definitely been converted and now accept the importance of statistics in Gaelic games." If you'd like a question answered in Club Corner, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Compiled by Freelance GAA Reporter Liam Horan.

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