Cork players invite club officials to meeting

GAELIC GAMES NEWS ROUND-UP:IF THE Cork hurling crisis has so far played out like a Beckett drama it may be about to reach endgame. After the unanimous backing of manager Gerald McCarthy at Tuesday's county board meeting, any potential future of the 2008 panel will hinge on the outcome of Sunday's arranged meeting with the chairpersons of the Cork clubs.

The 2008 panel have invited the chairperson, and one other club member of its choosing, of every hurling and/or football club in the county to meet them this Sunday evening at the Maryborough House Hotel in Douglas.

The purpose of the meeting, according to the statement from the players, “is to ensure that the clubs of Cork have a chance to obtain first-hand information on the current difficulties, so that they can brief their clubs and members accordingly”, and that “this will allow the clubs of Cork to decide what is to be done”.

However, at their press conference last month, the 2008 players declared that if support from the clubs wasn’t forthcoming they would disband.

The result of Tuesday’s county board vote – which went 84-13 in support of McCarthy – suggests most clubs have already made a decision, and unless the 2008 panel change their minds and agree to play under McCarthy then it’s game over for them, at least for the next two seasons.

Cork county chairman Jerry O’Sullivan has questioned the validity of the players’ gathering. In a statement last night, O’Sullivan reiterated that, following Tuesday’s county board meeting, he would “not be taking any further motions on this subject at any future meetings. This issue has dominated for far too long, and this board must revert to its other usual business”.

O’Sullivan made several other points, including that as the democratically elected chairman of the county committee decisions on team management “have been made by the only body entitled to make these decisions and that any other proposed gathering does not have a function in the matter.

“The county committee is under the association’s General Rule 59, the governing and controlling body of the association in the county. It has under this rule the sole right to determine all matters relating to the management and selection of our intercounty teams.

“The county committee has decided on its senior hurling team management over three meetings. Gerald McCarthy was democratically appointed as senior hurling team manager by the only body which has this function.

“At Tuesday’s county board meeting his appointment was reconfirmed by another overwhelming vote. I wish to reiterate again the county committee’s and the team management’s absolute desire to have the opportunity with the players involved to try to find a solution to the impasse, which can only be achieved by dialogue between all parties, and I again extend a sincere invitation to the players to engage in immediate talks.”

The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) have voiced their most significant words of support so far for the striking Cork hurlers. In a statement last night, they confirmed they were refusing to recognise McCarthy’s current hurling panel until the differences with the 2008 panel are resolved: “As the 2008 panel is currently in dispute with the Cork County Board, membership for the 2009 squad will not be processed until that dispute has been resolved. This is the only fair and logical stance for the GPA to take in the current circumstances.”

The GPA also rejected what they perceive are attempts by Gerald McCarthy and the Cork board to allege that the current dispute is related to a hidden “pay-for-play agenda”, “commercialisation” or “GPA membership”, saying “these comments are purely antagonistic and designed to deflect from the central issues behind the impasse”.

Meanwhile, the GAA have confirmed most of last Sunday’s postponed league games have been refixed for Sunday, March 8th – including the Division One hurling league clash between Kilkenny and Galway.

REARRANGED MATCHES

SATURDAY FEB 21st: NFL:Division Four: Leitrim v Carlow.

SUNDAY MARCH 8th: NHL:Division One: Galway v Kilkenny; Division Two: Antrim v Westmeath; Offaly v Carlow; Laois v Down; Division Three A: Meath v Kildare; Wicklow v Armagh; Division Three B: Tyrone v Fingal; Donegal v Longford; Division Four: Cavan v Fermanagh; Sligo v Monaghan.).

GALWAY(SH v Dublin): L Callaghan; S Kavanagh, D McClearn, B Bugler; K O'Donovan, M. Ryan, G Mahon; A Cullinane, K Hynes; F Healy, R Murray, G Donnellan; D Tierney, G Farragher, A Callanan.

DONEGAL(SF v Mayo): M Boyle; D Walsh, N McGee, P McDaid; F McGlynn, B Monaghan, E McGee; N Gallagher, C Bonner; R Kavanagh, C Dunne, D Walsh; M Doherty, S Griffin, M Murphy.

WEXFORD(SH v Laois): D Flynn; B O'Leary, R Kehoe, A O'Connell; M Jacob, D O'Connor, C Kenny; C Farrell, D Redmond; S Doyle, E Quigley, D Lyng; R Jacob, S Banville, N Kirwan.