Season of Strife for GAA

Irish Voice Sport

Season of Strife for GAA

November 22, 2007

by cathal Dervan

CORK’S inter-county hurlers and footballers have asked the clubs in the county to force the county board to rethink their policy on the election of selectors at senior level. Football boss Billy Morgan quit last week after he was told he couldn’t pick his own selectors.

All-star Sean Og O hAilpin has claimed the strike action is a last resort for the Cork players. “For future managers who come in, this surely undermines what they’re about. In the last four or five years, Cork may not have won the All-Ireland every year, but we’ve been competing at the top level in both football and hurling,” O hAilpin said.

“Under that system the manager could pick his own selectors, which begs the question — why are we going back to the old way? I have no problem with change for the right reasons, but this has been done for the wrong reasons.

“Managers who bring in their own selectors bring in guys they’ve played with or worked with in the past, people they’re comfortable with. In that respect the fact that Gerald McCarthy and John Allen have come out in support of us is a huge deal.

“A strike, or withdrawing our services, whatever you want to call it — that’s our last resort. We’re trying to do everything we can to avoid that.”

However, former Cork football boss Larry Tompkins has warned the county squads against strike action. “There’s a time when the players have to take a step back and just think about football rather than getting too involved in the nitty gritty of picking managers or selectors,” said Tompkins.

Meanwhile, the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) are still on course for their threatened January strike after they rejected an offer from the government to pay grants to the 90 players nominated for GPA all-star awards. The GPA has turned down the offer on the basis that it would leave up to 1,800 inter-county players left out of the grants loop.

Former president Sean Kelly has urged the GAA to ensure the threatened strike never materializes. “It’s hard to comprehend just how serious the whole thing would be,” he said.

“It would do irreparable damage because it will break the spirit that exists there and create huge suspicions that would have taken a long time to eradicate.

“Given that damage, the GAA should do all it can and in fairness they are doing that. I don’t know why it wasn’t sorted out earlier because I can’t see a downside. It’s not pay for play. In fact I call it expenses rather than a grant.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Vodafone all-stars has denied speculation that next month’s hurling trip to New York is under threat from the strike notice served by the GPA.

Louth Angry

LOUTH football team boss Eamonn McEneaney has slammed the GAA’s decision to ban challenge games in November and December after his team were refused permission to play Monaghan on Sunday. McEneaney claimed the ban is forcing players to turn to soccer to stay fit in the winter.

“I’m not scaremongering by saying this. I’ve had requests from four players to go playing soccer because they have no match this weekend and won’t in the months ahead. I can’t stop them,” McEneaney said.

“I feel it’s restrictive practice. Fellas are mad to play football. Not every county lasts until August and many a club has wound up competitive action by then too. We have players in that situation and they’re mad for action. Imagine a golfer being told the he can’t play a round of golf in November and December.”

Dual Loyalties

STEPHEN Lavin and Padraig Browne have assured Limerick football team boss Mickey Ned O’Sullivan that they will remain as integral parts of his squad despite their elevation to the county hurling squad this season.

“I’m not going to interfere with the hurlers, I’ll stick with my footballers but Padraig and Stephen would be our real leaders,” said O’Sullivan. “I’m sure there are enough hurlers in Limerick at the moment but they have a right to a cut at it.

“I am confident that they will remain involved with the footballers and I can only accept what they have said to me.”

GAA Shorts

CROKE Park officials have confirmed that a proposed Leinster SFC quarterfinal bill at headquarters on June 1 has been moved away from the ground because it clashes with a Celine Dion concert at the venue 48 hours previously. Laois, Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford, Meath and Carlow could be involved in the games . . .

CLARE hurling legend Anthony Daly has turned down an offer to manage the Kerry hurlers and will instead concentrate his efforts on Kingdom club side Kilmoyley. Eamonn Cregan, in charge of Kerry champions Lixnaw, has also been linked with the job . . .

BRITAIN is to be the target of a major recruitment and marketing drive by the GAA in a bid to expand their player base. Currently 93 adult clubs are affiliated to Croke Park from Britain . . .

LAOIS midfielder Brendan Quigley will take up a new career as an Aussie Rules footballer with the Carlton club in December, after he completes his apprenticeship as an electrician . . .

BRIAN Cody has targeted a third consecutive All-Ireland title after his re-appointment as Kilkenny manager for a 10th term was ratified at a county board meeting . . .

ARMAGH expect to have experienced defender Ciaran McKeever back in action in time for the National Football League after surgery on a hand injury . . .

WATERFORD goalkeeping legend Ned Power has died at home in Tallow.

Munster Wins

MUNSTER produced another passionate Heineken Cup performance to score a 36-13 bonus point win over Clermont Auvergne at a makeshift Thomond Park, currently under reconstruction, on Sunday to move into second place in the Pool Five table.

Munster boss Declan Kidney said, “We’re delighted with the result. There is a thin line between winning and losing, particularly in a competition like this, and to get a bonus point against a side such as that is exceptional.

“They came at us round the fringes early on and we were very strong in that department and didn’t concede any scores. We nicked a try from Tipoki just before halftime and that was an important score.

“With the wind and rain, the conditions were difficult and when we play Clermont over in France it will be much drier and they like to play a more expansive game. The conditions did not suit them this time certainly.”

Man of the match Ronan O’Gara said afterwards, “Our pack stood up to them very well in the first half. It was a slower game that last week against Wasps and I thought our forwards were exceptional.

“Getting the first score was huge for us and maybe determined the outcome of the game. We went to sleep for bits and pieces of the second half though and that’s something we can’t afford to do in the games ahead.

Leinster’s Heineken Cup hopes took a dive on Sunday night however when they beaten 33-6 by Toulouse in France.

Kiko’s Threat

KIKO Martinez has threatened to do a Bernard Dunne on Wayne McCullough when he meets the former world champion in a non-title superbantamweight fight in Belfast next month.

The Spaniard stopped Dunne in just 67 seconds in Dublin two months ago and believes he will deliver the same punishment to McCullough.

“Mike Tyson was my big hero. I admired Sugar Ray Leonard but for me, Tyson was fantastic,” Martinez told The Belfast Telegraph.

“I loved watching him fight and I have modeled my style on him and I think it is working. He was very exciting and he hit very hard just like me and I know that I will knock out Wayne McCullough.”

Meanwhile, McCullough has said he will retire from boxing if he loses to European champion Martinez.

“If I win — and I believe I will — then I can get another crack at the world title next year, but if I lose then that would be it,” the 37-year-old McCullough told the Sunday Mirror. “I saw the fight with Bernard and he caught him on the temple. I know I won’t get caught like that, my experience will count for a lot.”

Athletics Winners

KILKENNY’S Eileen O’Keeffe won the Athlete of the Year award and the Field Athlete of the Year crown at the inaugural Athletics Ireland National Athletics Awards at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dublin after finishing in sixth place finish in the Hammer at the World Championships in Osaka.

Sprinter Paul Hession was named as the Track Athlete of the Year while the Cross Country/Road Athlete of the Year award went to Fionnuala Britton. The Race Walker of the Year award went to Cork’s Robert Heffernan and the Performance of the Year, which was voted for by a selection of Ireland’s sporting media, was awarded to David Gillick.

The Hall of Fame Award was given to Ronnie Delaney for his achievements in athletics including his gold in the final of the 1500m at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.

Sports Shorts

GOLF: Padraig Harrington is to miss next week’s Nedbank Challenge in South Africa to attend the birth of his second son in Dublin but should return to golf in time for the Target World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods in December. Harrington finished fifth at the Phoenix Trophy in Japan last weekend . . .

RACING: Ruby Walsh was in the wars at Cheltenham on Saturday when he dislocated his shoulder in a fall from Willyanwoody in the Club 16-24 Novices’ Chase . . .

RACING: The Noel Meade trained Iktitaf is unlikely to race again after a tendon injury picked up in schooling last Friday proved worse than first feared.

RUGBY: Ulster out-half Adam Larkin has announced his retirement from professional rugby.

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