Keating points finger at 'malicious' Tipp fans

Michael "Babs" Keating has lashed out at a "malicious" element within Tipperary who he believes want him removed as the county's senior hurling team manager.

Rumours swept through the county last week that Keating would step aside if Tipp lost Sunday's Munster semi-final replay against Limerick.

However, the Ballybacon/Grange man has insisted he will ride out the storm and gathered his players in the Horse and Jockey last night to begin preparations for Saturday's game against Offaly.

"I heard a lot of s**t going around the county last week, but why should I resign?" said Keating. "I heard that (selector) Tom Barry and myself weren't talking and that I had problems with all of the team. But there are a good lot of malicious people in Tipperary looking to undermine what we are trying to do."

Keating declined to comment on the performance of match referee Seánie McMahon from Clare - who has come in for scathing criticism in Tipperary following his performance.

But Keating did question the credentials of some of the game's top whistlers. Keating's latest comments won't go down well at Croke Park, coming just days after he heavily criticised Offaly referee Brian Gavin for his handling of the second game between Tipperary and Limerick.

"Since (GAA President) Nickey Brennan's Central Council meeting, managers are not expected to mention the ref from now on.

"It's up to the listeners and media at large to voice their opinions about the ref. I did it and John Leahy did it (after first replay) and we're both in Croke Park before a meeting to determine whether we'll be left in charge from now on because we did express those views about previous refs. Nickey Brennan and his committee have put a muzzle on us so dare I say anything about the ref . . .

"But the great difficulty we have with all these guys is that none of them played the game. Nobody ever heard of Seánie McMahon as a player, nobody ever heard of Brian Gavin as a player, nobody ever heard of Diarmuid Kirwan, who refereed the first game, as a player.

"I'm coming from a position of strength because I was the managers' representative on the committee at Croke Park and expressed those views."