Fennell saga is likely to reach DRA

GAELIC GAMES NEWS:DESPITE THE county board's insistence that he is still eligible to play for Dublin, Eamonn Fennell's future as a county footballer would appear to be in serious doubt following the latest rejection of his club transfer request from O'Toole's to St Vincent's.

Fennell looks certain to pursue the matter with the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA), or possibly even through a legal challenge, having already vowed not to play again for O’Toole’s under any circumstances.

In the meantime, the 25-year-old midfielder, who started in both of Dublin’s O’Byrne Cup matches this month, is still set to feature in this evening’s quarter-final replay against Meath (which has a 7.45pm throw-in at Páirc Tailtainn).

Dublin County Board chairman Gerry Harrington has insisted that Fennell is free to play for Dublin, as he is listed with O’Toole’s – but that will no longer be the case if, as expected, Fennell refuses to line out for his club, which would therefore make him ineligible.

In a further twist to the three-year saga, it was Harrington’s casting vote as chairman that decided Fennell’s fate, as Monday’s meeting of the county committee was split over the transfer request – 33 for and 33 against – before Harrington ultimately turned it down.

A statement issued by the Dublin County Board yesterday said the committee had acted within their bye-laws, which state: “As the GAA is community centred, based on the allegiance of its members to their local clubs, the object of which is to promote the association’s aims at local level, the transfer rules in the Official Guide and this bye-law reflect that ethos. A player is considered to always owe allegiance and loyalty to the club he first legally participated with in club competition.”

The statement also outlined how the committee considered the following in reaching their determination: “(a) be cognisant of the role played by his current club in nurturing and developing the player; (b) consider the potential impact of the transfer of the player on his current club; and (c) consider the potential impact of the transfer of the player on the promotion of the association’s aims in Dublin.”

Fennell missed almost all of last season, in part through a combination of injuries, but mainly because he wasn’t allowed to play after refusing to line out for O’Toole’s. He has been trying to transfer from O’Toole’s since 2007, initially requesting a move to Ballymun-Kickhams, and, for the last two years, to St Vincent’s.

He claims his only motivation for doing so is that he wanted to better his football prospects, and that O’Toole’s were largely hurling-based.

O’Toole’s have insisted they want to keep the player, and are reportedly still hopeful of convincing him to line out for them his season.

Given Dublin manager Pat Gilroy is obviously eager to use Fennell this season, particularly with his dwindling midfield options, the refusal of Fennell’s transfer request would appear to be in conflict with the county’s best interest. But, either way, the saga looks set to continue.

The dispute surrounding Tipperary’s employment of John Evans as their new, full-time director of football, while at the same time serving as county senior football manager, also looks set to continue despite Croke Park’s notification on Monday that such a duel role was in breach of the GAA’s policies on amateur status.

Evans took up the full-time post of director of football on January 1st, the first such position for Tipperary, but according to a source in Croke Park, it is impossible to differentiate between the hours and obligations of the full-time, paid position as director of football and the part-time voluntary position of a county manager.

Yesterday, however, Tipperary County Board chairman Barry O’Brien, who was behind the establishment of the director of football role, was adamant they hadn’t broken any rules, although they would now be seeking full clarification from Croke Park, before making a more formal response.

“At the moment, John Evans is manager of the senior football team,” said O’Brien.

“Croke Park have raised a query regarding his appointment as director of football. While we are solving this problem, he is definitely our senior manager and we will clarify his position as director of football.

“We will not break any rules, but it has to be clear that what we have done is in contravention of the Official Guide. We don’t believe that it is.

“This appointment is a major item in the forward planning for the development of football in Tipperary and we won’t be walking away easily from it.”

The problem, according to Croke Park, is that Evans is precluded from the role of team manager because of his role as director of football.

This was already outlined in a letter sent to all counties last month, which contained a recommendation from the GAA’s management committee, then passed by Central Council, that anyone employed full time by the GAA as a coach is banned from involvement in the management of intercounty teams.