And so we go again.
Another season for the Laois footballers gets underway this afternoon in Dr Hyde Park and with it a new managerial era.
Former Kerry footballer Mike Quirke takes charge of his first proper competitive game (discounting the O’Byrne Cup), becoming the fifth Kerry man to manage Laois in the last 20 years.
Mick O’Dwyer, Liam Kearns, Tomas O Flatharta and John Sugrue have all done spells with Laois and as we set out on a new decade, Quirke is the latest entrusted with the role.
First up in a Division 2 campaign like no other previously, are Connacht champions Roscommon.
A new structure in the All Ireland championship this year will means that if Laois get relegated to Division 3 they won’t be eligible to compete in the Qualifiers unless they reach the Leinster final. Instead they’d go into a new Tier 2 championship.
The Laois footballers are coming off the back of successive league promotions – winning Division 4 in 2018 and getting to the Division 3 final in 2019.
But that came after back-to-back relegations in 2016 and 2017. Indeed Laois played in Division 1 in 2012 but were in Division 4 by 2016. Now they’re hoping to go the other way.
Laois, however, have been hit with a couple of withdrawals and retirements over the winter with captain of the past three seasons Stephen Attride gone travelling and Donie and Paul Kingston not involved. Brendan Quigley also recently announced his retirement.
Roscommon are third favourites behind Kildare and Armagh for promotion while Laois are joint second favourites alongside Fermanagh and ahead of Clare to be relegated.
The action in Dr Hyde Park gets underway at 2pm and you can follow all of the action in our Live Blog below.
SEE ALSO – Check out all our coverage on the Laois senior football team
The post LIVE BLOG: Follow all the action as Laois footballers take on Roscommon in Division 2 of Allianz Football League appeared first on Laois Today.
source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/01/25/live-blog-follow-all-the-action-as-laois-footballers-take-on-roscommon-in-division-2-of-allianz-football-league/
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