JOHN Buckley can take a lot of satisfaction from his two years as Munster FA Chairman.
It’s a demanding position, but the Newcestown native took it all in his stride.
Throughout those 24 months, Buckley and his executive committee successfully oversaw the operation of 18 leagues, comprising 944 teams, across the province.
In that time, he regularly engaged with the Cork, Kerry, Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary, Tipperary Southern and District, Waterford and West Cork leagues.
Additionally, Buckley attended nearly every provincial cup final and was actively involved in the day-to-day management of Munster FA’s League of Ireland ground, Turner’s Cross.
Despite the significant demands of the position, serving as the chairman of the Munster FA proved both an enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
Buckley will continue to contribute to the organisation as an MFA Executive Member while also upholding his longstanding West Cork League committee obligations.
‘Munster FA Chairman is a big position and there’s a lot that goes on in it, besides presenting cups,’ Buckley told The Southern Star.
‘You are a director of the Munster Football Association and they are responsible for a lot of leagues and a lot of clubs all over the province.
‘Nowadays, a lot of our finals are held here in Cork. During my time as Chairman, I made myself available wherever the games were played. I think somebody commented that every final, over the last two seasons, I only missed two where I didn’t present a cup.
‘Also, and probably the biggest thing of all, is Turner’s Cross. Believe it or not, it takes a toll on everybody behind the scenes. Barry Cotter, our administrator, and I were hands-on nearly every single day with something happening or needing attention at the ground.’
WCL Secretary John Buckley presents the WCL Premier Division trophy to Clonakilty captain Rueben Henry.
Those commitments won’t stop anytime soon as Buckley remains on as an MFA Executive Member. Bandon AFC’s Leslie Doyle has replaced Buckley as new Munster FA Chairman for the upcoming two-year term.
‘I hand over to Leslie Doyle, our new chairman from Bandon and I’m very proud to do so,’ Buckley added.
‘I know Leslie has a lot of experience as he has been the Munster Senior League registrar for many years. A lot of clubs will have already come across Leslie because of transfers and different things. Leslie is a good guy and I know he will do a very good job.’
In taking up the prestigious provincial football role, Buckley put all of his West Cork League experiences to good use. Engaging with multiple leagues across six counties and a wide geographic area brought him into contact with a huge number of clubs, players and committees.
The traveling miles were sometimes as demanding as the politics of dealing with league executives, but the former Dunmanway Town coach is proud to have made his mark.
‘Yes, Munster is a massive province – it is a huge, huge area and has a lot of clubs to look after,’ Buckley explained.
‘You have the Munster Senior League, Cork AUL and Cork Business League as well as the West Cork League. Then you go down to Kerry. In Limerick, you have the Limerick Desmond League and the Limerick District Leagues. The Tipperary, Clare and Limerick leagues are some of our strongest and that has been proven in their FAI competition victories over the last few years.
‘Now, in more recent seasons, Cork’s leagues are showing themselves to be one of the strongest in both the province and nationally as well. We (Munster FA) are very proud of that.’
Staging the majority of Munster FA finals at Turner’s Cross seems a sensible decision considering it is a League of Ireland stadium. Buckley and his executive, however, had to deal with criticism of staging most of the province’s cup deciders at the famous Cork venue.
‘Yes, we’ve held a lot of finals in Turner’s Cross over the last couple of years,’ Buckley noted.
‘I think that is where our cup finals should be (played) and something I repeatedly pushed for. I might have gotten some criticism for that. Maybe from teams, like in Limerick, for pushing to have Munster cup finals played at Turner’s Cross. I hold my head up high on those decisions.
‘I think it is the right place for Munster finals to be played. It is a great opportunity for players from all over the province or wherever, to perform at a stadium like Turner’s Cross, experiencing the dressing rooms and a fantastic pitch.
‘We just wanted to give all those players the experience of playing in a League of Ireland stadium. That is why, as chairman, I’m delighted, and stand over my decisions, to have brought those finals to Turner’s Cross.’
