Morris departure prompts players into discussion

Gaelic Games: Dublin have found themselves without a senior hurling manager after a disagreement between Marty Morris and the county board, primarily over demands for next season.

Morris announced yesterday he was "reluctantly" stepping down from his position, citing a reduction in the necessary support, and also the failure to fulfil certain player expenses, although the county board were quick to reject any such claims.

The county's senior hurling players have called a meeting, to be held after today's county final between Craobh Chiaráin and St Brigid's at Parnell Park (4 p.m.), to discuss the current situation.

The possibility of the players going on strike has not been ruled out, although one player played down those rumours when queried yesterday.

Morris was appointed last December in what was an open-ended term, replacing Kevin Fennelly, but he departs on far from amicable terms.

"I felt my position had become untenable," said Morris. "My credibility was being eroded, and I just sensed a change in the attitude of the county board. I honestly felt Dublin hurling was going forward again, but suddenly a lot of restraints were being put in front of me."

Morris met county chairman John Bailey and secretary John Costello on September 22nd, where he intended to have his plans for next season rubber-stamped, but he claims this meeting had the opposite effect.

"I was surprised by a certain change in their attitude. They claimed they needed to go back to the county board with some of the requests, which I thought was strange. And I smelt something wrong.

"There just seemed to be a lot of negative talk. I don't know what their agenda was but I'm a little bemused by it. We met again on Thursday night and it seemed there would be no deal, or no compromise. Stepping down was a decision I made reluctantly, but there was no way back."

Bailey, however, was quick to deny any limits being put on Morris's demands. "There were more resources poured into Dublin hurling this year than ever before," he said. "At every level, in terms of training and travel and even entertainment. And I was fully behind the hurling team this year. I travelled to every game they played and made sure they got everything they wanted, which is even more than I did for the footballers.

"Marty had a few requests for next year and we were prepared to meet them. But if people want to jump ship then it's their decision. And they'll have their own reasons for it. And I would thank Marty for the contribution he did make over the last 10 months."

In expanding on the nature of those demands, Morris referred to a gym membership, a deal he wanted to put in place with the Westpoint gym, where the players paid one third of the cost, Friends of Dublin hurling another third, and the county board the final third - but the county board would not commit to their share.

Yet Bailey described that as a total smoke screen, and that they would have paid the entire membership fee if necessary. "The Dublin players would have got everything they wanted in terms of gear and boots and gym membership," he said.

Morris also says his players had not yet been paid all of their travelling expenses for this year's championship, despite the fact that they were knocked out in the middle of June.

The problem there, say the county board, is that Morris often exceeded the permitted number of players that could travel with the panel, and they were still trying to determine who, in fact, were entitled to such expenses.

Morris had got his term off to an auspicious start when Dublin beat Kilkenny in the Walsh Cup final, but the league and championship produced mixed results.

His selectors, Tommy Ryan and Mick O'Riordan, have also stepped down and with no obvious replacements in contention, Bailey stated that the process of finding a successor would not be rushed - but ruled out Diarmuid Healy.

"He's been installed as director of coaching," said Bailey, "and there's no way he's going to be asked to take over as senior manager. He's not going to be used or abused in any way."