By Cian O’Connell

Michael Maher has operated at every level of the game in London.

So to be a homegrown manager of the London senior football team provides a source of joy and inspiration about what can be achieved.

It is why Maher is looking forward to 2020 with such hope and a bit of expectation after being involved in Ciaran Deely’s backroom team for the past 12 months.

Significant experience has been acquired by Maher since emerging as a budding young coach with the Round Towers club.

Maher’s splendid work with the South London Feile teams during the last decade is worthy of the utmost respect, while stints in charge of non league soccer outfit Redhill and being on the staff at Sutton United has added to his development.

Now, though, the challenge is very much focused on for the upcoming Allianz Football League Division Four campaign.

“It has been a manic few weeks since being officially appointed getting everything in place, speaking to players,” Maher admits.

“It is going very well now. We are settled and the main thing is everyone is enjoying it. It has been brilliant. We have been back a few weeks since we were allowed to go back in the middle of November.”

Former Mayo trainer Martin McGrath and Lorcan Mulvey, the star of London’s run to the 2013 Connacht Senior Football Championship Final, are Maher’s selectors.

“Martin obviously trained the Mayo team to All Ireland finals, he has worked with me for a number of years,” Maher says.

“I've also got Lorcan Mulvey as a coach and selector. He is London's only ever All Star nomination. So he has been there and done it for London, a good fella.

“He has done a lot of work with the underage development squads in recent years. We have a doctor and sports scientist and analysts, we have a very professional backroom team.

“Between Lorcan, Martin, and myself I think we have a great blend of experience with different types of coaching.”

Maher is keen to utilise the vision and views of his selectors, who have much to offer the London cause.

“I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many opinions and it is good to have people around me who will challenge me constantly, to ask questions of me, to make sure I'm doing the job to the best of my ability,” Maher states.

“They are two outstanding fellas, Martin and Lorcan. Martin's record at home in Ireland speaks for itself, he has been a massive part in the South London success over the past number of years.

“Lorcan Mulvey, it may not be known to people, but he has been involved in the North London Feile teams in the last few years winning two All Ireland Feile. Between the three of us we have a huge interest in London football for the right reasons. I think we have a great management team that can help these lads along the way.”

Deely showed an admirable willingness to integrate London born players into the senior panel and it is a policy Maher is eager to continue.

“Absolutely, the London born players are always going to be there,” Maher remarks. “They are going to be in London for the entire duration of their playing career.

“If the lads there are good enough to play for London I'm a firm believer that they have got to be in that panel. They will be there year in, year out. They have got to be good enough, but they also have to have the right attitude and application towards the demands of inter-county football.

“We have a number of London born lads in and we have obviously have other lads who are in London, who have committed to playing for the county.

“As I've always said there is always a place for those guys and I believe we have a great mix. Hopefully we will have a very strong and committed panel for the whole season.”

Keen to raise the standard of Gaelic Football in London, Maher is forging a strong relationship with the County Board.

“I'm very proud and privileged to be the London manager,” Maher acknowledges. “I've worked with teams from Under 8s in Round Towers all the way up, I've worked with underage county squads.

“Last year I got the chance to go into Ciaran Deely's backroom. I managed my own senior club, the ladies seniors, all that experience will stand to me now that I'm working at the highest level within the county.

“It is a real privilege, something when you go into coaching and management you aspire to get to the highest level you can. Obviously there is no higher level than this.

“I'm very grateful to the County Board that they have given me this opportunity. I'm very proud and privileged to be given this chance, it is fantastic.”

Aware of what is happening throughout clubs in London, Maher stresses that significant emphasis needs to be placed on the Under 17 grade for the game to prosper in the future.

“The majority of the London lads who are on the panel would have played for the Feile teams,” Maher comments. “To get these lads through the structure in London needs to provide them with games to keep them interested.

“In London they have restructured the model for Under 17 football, that is a critical age. They have done a great job in the last few years of restructuring the Under 15 age group to make sure the kids are getting games at the right time of the year.

“It is absolutely critical to get the Under 17 age group right, to keep the lads playing football so that we will get these guys through. I think there has been a drop off in players in the last few years because no matter what level you are at you can only do so much training.

“Games are the thing everyone is training for. If kids don't get games they are definitely going to walk away. Whatever chance you have with adults training between Championship games, you have no chance with kids.

“I know it is something Joel McInern and the Youth Board are looking closely at now to make sure the Under 17 age group is structured correctly. I believe that will only strengthen the amount of players coming through from Under 14 and Under 15 right the way up to senior football.”

Following a highly competitive London Senior Championship, Maher believes there is sufficient talent to deliver solid displays throughout 2020. “For the first time in a number of years we have a number of Fulham Irish men in the panel, there has always been a good number from Tir Chonaill Gaels,” Maher responds. "We have Neasden men and Kiernan's men, we have got players from all of the Senior Championship clubs. That is hugely important.

“We cast the net far and wide across all the grades Senior, Intermediate, and Junior to get manager's opinions on players that might not have come to light in the games we went to watch. We have given players from across all the grades a chance to prove their worth. We have been very lucky that we have a number of senior men in that panel.”

Ultimately, Maher believes London can maintain a consistent level of performance in the Allianz Football League. “Absolutely, London have been very competitive for the last couple of years,” Maher insists. “For us it is about turning that belief that London can compete into London winning games.

“That is the mindset we are trying to instil in the players. If you look at the results for the last couple of years we have been beaten by a couple of points in most of the losses, the odd bad one as I guess all teams do.

“We feel we have been very, very close, but the key thing is to get the players to approach every game like we can win it. We need to take that step where we not only compete, but go out to win games if we do everything right.

“There is a big emphasis on that, but things have to fall for you on the day and for you to have that bit of luck in terms of player injuries, no suspensions. I certainly believe that anyone in Division Four can beat anyone on their day, I firmly believe that.”

Maher is ready, willing, and able to lead London.