Davy Fitzgerald’s future as Antrim senior hurling manager is in doubt after the players claimed attempts were made to remove the Clare man from the role, leading to the team not training on Tuesday night.
The Antrim squad has left the door open for potential strike action after their request for a pre-training meeting with county board chairman Seamus McMullan did not materialise.
The players claim a decision had been made by county board officials to change manager but the plan was later paused.
Antrim have lost their opening two games, to Down and Laois respectively, in the Joe McDonagh Cup. Their next fixture is away to London on May 10th.
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Earlier on Tuesday, the Antrim squad drafted a letter requesting that the county board chairman meet the panel ahead of training. In addition to seeking clarification over the managerial situation, the statement also raised frustrations around players not having received allocated gear.
The letter reads: “The Antrim senior hurling squad wish to formally raise a number of concerns regarding recent events that have caused confusion and frustration within the group.
“Firstly, there is significant concern surrounding the situation involving Davy. It is understood that a decision was made to remove Davy from his position, only for that decision to later be reversed. When this was subsequently raised and questioned, the squad were informed that no such action had taken place.
“Furthermore, when this was brought to Seamus (McMullan), the chairman was asked directly about the matter and indicated that he had no knowledge of it. This is particularly concerning given that Davy, (and) other members of the management team, have all confirmed that the sequence of events did in fact occur.
“The contradiction between what occurred and what has been communicated has created uncertainty and a lack of trust among the players.
“Secondly, there are ongoing issues regarding training gear. A number of players have still not received the full allocation of gear that is expected. This has been highlighted as part of the basic gear requirements outlined in the GPA Players’ Charter, which further underlines the importance of addressing the matter without delay.
“In order to address these matters directly, the squad will be requesting that Seamus, along with any other members of the County Board who wish to attend, meet with the panel at training tonight, Tuesday 28th April 2026, to provide clarity and address the concerns outlined above.
“If Seamus and relevant board members are not in a position to attend and engage with the squad on these issues, the players will not proceed with the scheduled training session and further action could be taken.”
The letter ended by summarising the squads requests as: “Clarification on the sequence of events regarding the decision involving Davy; an explanation as to why conflicting information was provided when the matter was raised; an update on the status of outstanding training gear and when this will be resolved; reassurance that clearer communication processes will be implemented going forward.”
