'Play the big games at Croker and let the players have a voice' says Armagh Minor management duo Aidan O'Rourke and Stefan Forker


The pair – who take the team alongside selectors James Daly and Niall Woods – were speaking at a media event ahead of next Sunday’s All-Ireland Minor Final between the Orchard County and Derry.
The game will be played as a stand-alone fixture at 2pm on Sunday July 7 at O’Neills Healy Park in Omagh.
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Hide AdHowever, for many years the All-Ireland Minor Final served as the first game of a double-header ahead of the biggest game on the GAA’s calendar: The All-Ireland SFC final.


Indeed the last time Armagh won the All-Ireland title at Minor grade, they opened for the Kerry v Cork Senior final in 2009. By the time the full-time whistle blew to confirm Armagh as champions, they were playing before a near sell-out crowd at the GAA’s Headquarters.
Armagh Minor coach Stefan Forker says he would like to see the return of these games to Croke Park, as the young players would gain invaluable experience.
“I would say yes (it should be held at Croke Park). I spoke before about my own experiences and the big days that I got to enjoy,” said Forker.
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Hide Ad“We got to play before these boys (points to Aidan) in '05 and there was 60-65,000 people watching by the end of the match. I think if you're thinking of that as a negative thing as a player, I think you're not going to go too far after that.


“If we're preparing them for Senior games, surely there are boys who will rise and boys who will fall, but at the end of the day, if you're going to be playing there in three, four, five years' time, then you are going to have to deal with that.
“I know there is a problem fixture-wise, but there is an All-Ireland quarter-final on this weekend, there are semi-finals in another two weeks. Croke Park could certainly facilitate a final.”
However, as the game is a stand-alone fixture, Forker is happy to play the game at a smaller provincial ground rather than the atmosphere from the crowd get lost in an almost empty Croker.
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Hide Ad"As a coach of the team I would probably rather have a smaller provincial ground for a bit of atmosphere,” he said.


“It (Croke Park) is probably more for the lads to experience the whole day around it. I think sometimes the Hogan Cup final is a bit lost in it, and there is even a debate about whether the quarter-finals should be played in it this weekend and stuff, although I think the crowds will be decent.
“But I think 9-10,000 in Croke Park probably isn't going to create much atmosphere, but if you get that in Healy Park it will be a better occasion.”
Forker also discussed the issue that the winning team’s captain will not be permitted to deliver a speech, saying that it would benefit young players to project their voice and personality more, rather than be anonymous to the public.
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Hide Ad“That's something which we learned during the week,” he said.


“We were standing beside Daithi [O'Callaghan] who won Man of the Match (against Mayo in the semi-final) and he was about to get interviewed, then somebody ushered him away.
“I think that's a bit of a shame, it was a chance for him to have a word. If he speaks well, he speaks well and if he doesn't then so what? Let them at it.
“You talk about resiliency and all of these words, we need to expose them to that.”
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Hide AdForker’s viewpoint was supported by team manager Aidan O’Rourke.
He said: “I fundamentally disagree with the policy, but who am I to know better than those who are making the decisions?
“The reason I disagree is because they're throwing a blanket over all of these youngsters and young people now are more educated, more articulate, wiser to the world than we have ever had before.
“It's underestimating them I think (not allowing them to do interviews or speeches) and it is depriving people of an insight into younger players.”
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