Carr attempts to clarify position

Uncertainty surrounds the future career of double All-Ireland medallist and former All Star Ross Carr of Down. A statement from county secretary Brian McAvoy confirmed that neither Carr nor Shorty Treanor had been invited to rejoin the senior football panel after the Christmas break. Neither had made themselves available for the first part of the National Football League campaign. Asked whether he had retired from the game, Carr said: "To tell you the truth, I thought the matter had been taken out of my hands, that I'd been dropped. I didn't find out about it until I saw it in the papers. Normally you'd either get a letter of confirmation asking you to attend training or a letter saying that you were no longer required."

Team selector John Murphy disputed the interpretation put on events. "I saw Brian McAvoy quoted but as far as I'm concerned, Ross was not a member of the panel and the question of inviting him to rejoin didn't arise. He hadn't made himself available before Christmas for personal reasons - he's a new business and his wife gave birth to a new baby - and he hasn't given any indication that he's ready to return."

Murphy denied, however, that he believed the player's career was now over: "I expect Ross Carr to put himself in line for selection but the ball is most definitely in Ross's court. He felt in October that he wouldn't be able to give it his full commitment and we've heard nothing from him since. Had he been available, Ross would have been in the team."

McAvoy explained his own role. "I simply communicate what I'm told. The team management tell me and I notify the panel but I do know that there were two players notified who were not available in September."

At a time when Down have suffered from the retirement of several players who helped in the victorious All-Ireland campaigns - D J Kane, Eamonn Burns, Gary Mason - and the long-term suspensions of Greg McCartan and Paul O'Higgins for playing illegally in the US, Carr is one of the most experienced players at the county's disposal. He has been playing for the county since the mid-1980s and was a major contributor to both All-Ireland wins in 1991 and '94, since when a number of players from those successful teams have retired. Although he has misgivings about the situation, he intends to contact manager Peter McGrath and his selectors.

"Whether or not they want me back, I don't think that the contact should be up to the player. It has to be done and I'll do it."

Meanwhile, Carlow's management saga should draw to a conclusion tomorrow night when the county committee will be asked to ratify a successor to Bobby Miller who resigned last month after the disbandment of the county's Supporters' Club. It is believed that the name before the delegates will be that of Paddy Morrissey, the former Tipperary manager and player.

Neither Morrissey nor the county board could confirm that he has secured the nomination but a well-placed source said that the Bansha man would be the candidate "to have your money on" among a selection of candidates reported to include such luminous names as Jack O'Shea, Dermot Earley and Mick Lyons.

According to Tom O'Neill, the Carlow county secretary, the decision took time but has now been made by the management committee. "We have spoken to a large number of people and some were not interested but there was a final list of three. There will be a recommendation from the management committee before the county committee meeting on Saturday and we will not be releasing anything before then."

Morrissey had asked the county board to inform him of its decision by the weekend. "I can't say whether I have it or not but it will be known in a couple of days," he said.

His year with Tipperary was quite successful with a creditable championship campaign ending in defeat by Kerry after a closely contested match while the team drew with Connacht finalists Sligo in the NFL. For whatever reason the county board was in no hurry to renew his appointment and he was replaced by former Laois player and manager Colm Browne, a garda instructor in Templemore College.

Carlow's footballers, who had refused to turn out for the county team in the wake of Miller's resignation and in the process caused the postponement of a NFL fixture with Mayo, decided to return to the fold at the weekend for the O'Byrne Cup match against Wicklow.