As Longford begins the search for a new senior football manager, Frankie Dolan has been taken aback by the high age profile of some club teams in the county since taking the Abbeylara reins this year.

The former Roscommon sharpshooter famously starred for Ballymahon in their historic 2002 Connolly Cup success before transferring back to his native St Brigid’s and kicking the winning point in their 2013 All-Ireland Club SFC final victory over Ballymun Kickhams.

But since his last stint in Longford football, he believes the standard has dropped due to dwindling playing numbers.

“I don’t think the standard of Longford football is probably where it was maybe 15 or 20 years ago. I think the standard has probably dropped a bit,” he told Shannonside Radio after Abbeylara’s Longford SFC Round 1 draw with former Leinster kingpins Mullinalaghta.

“Looking at a lot of clubs, they seem to be struggling a lot with numbers. I’ve seen a lot of older lads playing in their first teams. Lads in their late 30’s, early 40’s, which is sort of very unusual. I suppose from my own county Roscommon, you wouldn’t see that in Roscommon, and its’ only across the water”.

Whatever about the standard, Dolan is in no doubt about the competitiveness of the Longford SFC.

“The one thing about Longford football is it is always very competitive, there’s not a lot between a lot of the teams,” he continued.

“You would have Killoe and Clonguish and probably Mullinalaghta up there, the teams to beat at the latter end of the year”.

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