Angry O'Leary "could quit" Dublin team

DUBLIN'S football captain, John O'Leary said yesterday that he would consider retiring from inter county football if the sort of climate he had witnessed over the past week was to continue.

O'Leary said that he understood his name had been used by County Chairman John F Bailey to prevent what had being described as a pending revolt over the ratification of Micky Whelan's management team.

O'Leary said, on RTE radio yesterday, that he was in the sport purely to play football and resented being pulled into any `political' debates. The Dublin County Board later issued a statement through its secretary, John Costelloe, claiming that "misleading and inaccurate reporting" had caused the confusion.

The statement said that John O'Leary was not at the Dublin County Board meeting "and did not intercede in any way nor did any preference ever arise. To suggest that John O'Leary saved Micky Whelan in any way is completely inaccurate".

The statement goes on: "The discussion was not heated and no delegate demanded that Mr Whelan `get the chop', as reported."

It adds: "During the course of the discussion, the chairman stated that the intercounty sub committee had met a number of times after the Leinster final. He explained that the committee had discussions with the management team and they in turn had met with the players.

"The chairman further explained that John O'Leary had confirmed to him by telephone that the meeting between the management and the players had taken place and that Mr Whelan had discussed with the players the events surrounding the recent Leinster final and had taken on board the views and suggestions of the players as well as outlining to them the management plans for the coming season.

Regarding Monday night's meeting of the County Board, the statement adds: "Several delegates proposed that Mr Whelan be confirmed as manager of the senior football team and the proposal was carried unanimously. It is regrettable that other newspapers and media have pursued what is probably interpreted as a good story and exaggerated the matter out of all proportion."