Further doubts over Cork playing in national leagues

Further doubts have been cast over Cork's participation in the national leagues following yesterday's strong warning from Labour Relations Commission chief executive Kieran Mulvey over his potential reinvolvement in resolving the senior players' strike.

The Cork County Board decided to recall Mulvey at their meeting earlier in the week, following his involvement in talks last weekend which broke down after about 18 hours of negotiation between county officials and player representatives.

Mulvey, who is acting in a personal capacity, was contacted by Cork officials on Wednesday, although it is still unclear if he will resume those talks.

Instead Mulvey told the Cork Evening Echo he is still trying to establish if there is a fresh basis for him to reconvene the talks - and said he would only do so if positions materially changed on either side.

"I have no immediate plans to return right now," he said. "But I am trying to establish if there is something new there for me to reconvene these talks. I am involved in off-the-record talks with both parties and if I find that there is an opening for me, I will travel down and meet them over the weekend.

"Time is running out and if I return, my involvement has to lead to a solution. I won't return unless I believe a solution can be found."

Some change in the stance of either the players or the county board is therefore necessary for any solution to be found. Mulvey has so far declined to comment on any individual aspects of the discussions, but clearly the biggest stumbling block is the position of new football manager Teddy Holland.

While the players insist that he be removed before any agreement can be reached, Tuesday's meeting of the Cork board saw delegates express full support for Holland, maintaining he was elected to the position democratically.

Mulvey is reported to have come to a "90 per cent agreement" last weekend before talks broke down - and one of last weekend's proposals, which was subsequently withdrawn from the table, that the players would consider returning provided Holland would only serve one year of the two-year term could yet be revisited.

On Wednesday, Cork's opening Football League Division Two game against Meath, set for tomorrow evening, was temporarily delayed, although neither officially deferred nor postponed. The onus is therefore firmly on Cork to come to some agreement before next weekend.