Monaghan Hurlers

[Bingo]

It now appears that the Hurlers are fully on strike and county Board have said that they won't be able to fulfill their fixture this weekend - final of the NHL Div 3.

Players statement released through GPA yesterday http://gaelicplayers.com/

Was chatting on it last night and someone suggested that the county board can suspend all the players involved? Is this possible or would they want to, even if they could.

County board under serious pressure at the minute between this and the failings of the senior football team.

[brokencrossbar1]

Technically the county board can suspend any player who refuses to play for the county when requested.  It used to be a sword that the CB would hang over our heads when the 2 Brians were over Armagh.  Its a disgrace what the Monaghan Board are doing and the clubs should refuse to field.

[orangeman]

County board won't suspend the players - not a chance.

[Bingo]

I would have thought it be madness for the county to go down that line, but you never know with county boards. By all accounts, they will face sanctions/fine themselves from HQ for failing to fulfill the fixture or maybe this can be avoided if they have given sufficant notice at this stage.

I can't believe it reached this stage. It boiled down to calling off 3 Intermediate league games, another 4 clubs were involved but they had agreed to play and release the players to the hurling squad. The county board could easily have moved the 3 matches.

[DuffleKing]

As an interesting side note - clubs can also suspend players for not representing them. eg if a county management stops a player playing in a club fixture outside of the 13 day rule he can be suspended and unavailable to the county (unless a county byelaw stipulates further times when a county player can be withdrawn from club availability).

[Bord na Mona man]

Fair play to them for taking the somewhat nuclear option.
The hurlers will bring immediate attention to their plight but unfortunately I don't think it will helpin the long term.
They'll most likely be quietly marginalised even more in future for pulling a stunt that publicly embarrassed the county board.

[magpie seanie]

Are ye all serious? Division 3A hurling! Get a grip lads.

[didlyi]

Fair play to them. They simply want some respect shown for themselves and Hurling.

[thebandit]

Fair play to the hurlers, they are unbeaten in the league, going well under a good manager, and then they are expected to put up with having a good few of their panel playin club football on the Wednesday night before the final. Mattie and the lads are dead right not to put up with it.

I'm from one of the intermediate clubs involved, and there's no way we could play without our hurlers, but we could have played our game last week if asked. I realise the county board don't have an easy task keeping everybody happy with fixtures, but It seems that people are sticking in their heels when a bit of flexibility would have sorted the whole thing out.

Mickey McHugh is Tv3 news at 5:30pm and Newstalk Off the ball at 7:30pm speaking about the situation.

[bennydorano]

I think Mattie Lennon has pulled the resigning card on more than 1 ocassion.

[panc56]

First Cavan, now Longford & Monaghan. The game is on it's knees.

[Tony Baloney]

A total joke all round. None of the demands were unreasonable and it seems most clubs were amenable to a resolution but the assholes on the county board decided to play hardball when it was entirely unwarranted. You'd think in instances like this someone from the CCC or one of the many bodies under the Ulster Council would step in and tell them to wise the f**k up. Shit like this can end up festering for years.

[laoislad]

They should get the Kilkenny footballers to tog out for them.

[didlyi]

First Cavan, now Longford & Monaghan. The game is on it's knees.

The game is far from on its Knees. I will argue that huring is in a far beter place now than 20 years ago. It takes time and hard work to encourage its popularity in otherwise football strongholds and it is slowly working. That said if we were talking about Kerry here one might understand their stance in protecting the sacred football. Howvever this is Monaghan. Kerry have alot more respect for Hurling than that.

[johnneycool]

Are ye all serious? Division 3A hurling! Get a grip lads.

If it had been Division 3 in the NFL would the county board be asking county players to play club football on the Wednesday night?

I think not.

Take all their grant money from Croke park off them.