Cork crisis heads for showdown as clubs meet again

THE CORK hurling crisis could be headed for a final showdown as a series of meetings look set to provide overpowering support for the striking 2008 players and their efforts to remove Gerald McCarthy as county manager.

It's still a highly tense affair, but next Sunday's meeting between the players and club representatives - following their initial meeting last Sunday week - is almost certain to result in the backing of two proposed motions: to revise the delegate county board system in Cork, and to remove McCarthy as manager.

The clearest indication that those motions were gaining the necessary backing came at Monday's night meeting of Nemo Rangers, traditionally among the strongest and most influential clubs in Cork.

Nemo voted 185-1 in favour of the motions tabled by the players and club representatives. And, perhaps more significantly, this reverses the club's vote to support McCarthy in retaining his position as Cork manager at a recent county board meeting.

Several high-profile club members, including former Cork football manager Billy Morgan, delivered emotional speeches in favour of the motions at Nemo headquarters in Trabeg, and the majority of Cork clubs have similar meetings planned for between now and Saturday night.

That meeting also disclosed that the Nemo delegate who had voted in favour of the motion of confidence in McCarthy at the last county board meeting later resigned, after several club members claimed their stance on the issue had been misrepresented. The delegate was subsequently reinstated to his position.

In the meantime, the GAA's management committee meet tomorrow evening and, while they will review the situation in Cork, they have ruled out the possibility of Croke Park making a third intervention into the crisis.

Although the threat of the Cork footballers joining in the stand-off for the championship now looks certain to be carried through, Croke Park feel they have done all they can for now.

"This is a regular management committee meeting," confirmed the GAA operations manager Feargal McGill. "The main intention is to discuss a number of issues related to Congress. While it is likely the Cork matter will be raised, there are no new initiatives being considered by Croke Park."

Croke Park's last effort to resolve the crisis involved lengthy negotiations between director general Páraic Duffy and incoming president Christy Cooney, the Cork County Board and the striking players - although the three parties never sat around the same table.

Although Cork County Board chairman Jerry O'Sullivan has repeatedly stated he won't take any more motions on the issue, it also emerged yesterday the Clonakilty club have invited chairmen from all junior, intermediate and senior clubs in the county to attend a meeting in Clonakility Community Hall on Friday evening to discuss the issue - the difference there being that the striking Cork players will not be present.

However, it seems inevitable that when the players and club representatives reconvene on Sunday at the Maryborough House Hotel there will be unanimous support for the motions tabled the previous Sunday week.

Around 400 club representatives attended that first meeting, resulting in the following two motions: "Save in relation to routine matters of administration such as fixtures, venues, etc, that the delegates of this club at divisional and county level do not vote on any matter without first obtaining direction from the executive committee of this club as to which way the delegate should vote."

And second: "That Gerald McCarthy and his management team be removed as the Cork senior hurling management team and this club will take all steps necessary to ensure that this takes place and (at) the earliest opportunity."

The striking players maintain that if support for those motions is not forthcoming then they will disband. However, there is certain to be another show of solidarity for them on Sunday when a second march is planned in support of their cause. It will meet in Kennedy Park next to Páirc Uí Chaoimh at 2pm and march to the grounds just before the National Football League game against Fermanagh.

An estimated 10,000 people attended the first protest march in Cork city centre on February 7th, and any similar show of support this Sunday will make it impossible for the county board heads to ignore.