McCarthy admits he does not have backing of Cork hurlers

[johnneycool]

from the examiner:

"The year just gone a few weeks before the Tipp game, we were taken into the gym below in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. We were sitting down and the screen was put up, and we were going to look at footage from last year's Tipp and Cork in Thurles. We said, 'yeah we'll learn something out of this'. It started off with a sideline ball which was the last puck of the game and the ball went in, whistle blown. We were watching for up to 10 minutes, watching Tipp players and fans jumping around the field. All the time there was no sound.

"We thought what's going to happen here, we're surely going to see footage of how the game was won and lost. He said, 'Lads this is how Tipp celebrated when they beat us last year, that's what it meant to them'.

"What did we learn from that? Absolutely nothing. That's just another example of papering over the cracks.

"A couple of weeks after that, we were taken to the canteen. The same screen was pulled. This time the sound was working to be fair, they'd figured it out. They found the volume button. We watched the exact same thing again for 10 minutes. In this day and age that's a joke."

Valley Rovers' Kevin Canty outlined how none of the management team approached him after he was substituted against Tipperary in last year's championship and that McCarthy was unaware that he was in hospital before the All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny.

"I made my debut in the Tipp game. I got taken off after 40 minutes and was not approached by any of the management after the game to discuss it. I was downhearted. Another thing before the Kilkenny game, I spent some time in hospital. I went in on a Monday and it was the following Sunday before Gerald contacted me, and he told me he didn't realise I was in there. Six days later before he contacted me. I thought it wasn't good enough."

Ballinhassig goalkeeper Martin Coleman also described how the management never explained why Anthony Nash was preferred to him for the 2007 Munster semi-final against Waterford when Donal Óg Cusack was suspended, and how McCarthy called him the wrong name in training after that game.

"I had an incident in 2007 in the famous Semplegate affair where Donal Óg Cusack was suspended for a game. Myself and Anthony Nash were going for goalkeeper, and unfortunately for me, Anthony got the nod that day. When something like that happens, it's a dent to your confidence. Under management before, you'd get a boost when the manager would have a few words with you.

"What happened to me was we were doing a drill in training, taking shots on goalkeepers. We'd all get a minute each, Donal Óg, myself and Anthony. Donal Óg was called in, Anthony was called in and then the next thing Gerald called 'Brendan'. I was looking around, we were all looking around, 'Who's Brendan?' My name is Martin Coleman but Gerald was looking at me and called me the wrong name. He didn't even know my name and you're thinking, what's the point of being here?"

Kevin Hartnett recalled a similar incident where McCarthy mistook him for Bishopstown's Patrick Cronin.

He recalled: On a number of occasions where we were training, I'd have come out of the dressing room and he'd have called me Pa Cronin, asked me how I was getting on with Bishopstown. I actually met him on the street one day and I was talking to him. I knew from talking to him that he was asking about an injury and I wasn't injured at all."

Cronin also described how McCarthy referred to his performance in a challenge match that he was not even at. He said: "Coming up to the Tipperary game, the selectors organised a match against Waterford in Mallow. Unfortunately I was on senior football duty with my club Bishopstown that day. The following Tuesday was my first training session back. I couldn't believe it when I heard Gerald call us all in and was saying I'd made excellent runs the previous Sunday. That was in a game I wasn't playing in."

Timmy McCarthy outlined how the manager was unaware of what club he was playing for during the 2008 championship.

"We played a club championship game on a Saturday night and Bride Rovers were playing on the Sunday. I was talking to Gerald after and he said 'I heard you played well last week and ran up a big score and Brian (Murphy) got the equalising goal'. I thought he was actually pulling the piss out of me to be honest. I said: 'Gerald, I play for Castlelyons, not Bride Rovers.'

"It came into my head, if he didn't realise what club I was playing for, how would he know what my club form was like?

"Then against Tipperary, there was six forwards playing who'd never played together before. That was not great preparation. I'm well used to being taken off, it's been part of my career for a hell of a long time. I think I played one of my better games for Cork that day. About 45 minutes into the game, the board went up. I had to look twice to see had they made a mistake, was that my number they'd put up. Now I don't want any praise, I hate the spotlight. But Cork hurling means a lot to me and to be taken off on one of my better games, hurt me a lot."






I can understand how disillusioned you could get if the manager kept making fundamental mistakes such as your name, club or even your non participation in friendlies or games you may have played in but I'd have to make that decision for myself and I'd probably walk away. I wouldn't be expecting the rest of the team who may have different experiences to follow suit, that's an individuals decison IMO

[heffo]

Imagine how these fellas would've felt playing under Jack Charlton - getting brought into Harry Ramsdens for 'Harrys challenge' as a pre-match meal and I don't think Jack ever got a players name right

[orangeman]

Imagine how these fellas would've felt playing under Jack Charlton - getting brought into Harry Ramsdens for 'Harrys challenge' as a pre-match meal and I don't think Jack ever got a players name right

I heard him on last night - I liked fish and chips - the boys liked fish and chips - we all liked fish and chips - so we often had fish and chips !! That was it. Then we went out and put the other team under pressure.

[INDIANA]

Some of them are legitimate claims but some of them are laughable. I've worked with some of the better managers in gaelic football and all of them had faults. Now I don't think Mc Carthy is a great manager by any stretch. But I often had video sessions where things went wrong, a tape was damged etc. You can't complain about every little glitch over the year. Its a little bit pathetic reading some of the things on that. The man-management issue should be better but what was stopping Canty from asking the question why he was taken off? Has he got a mouth on him?
I often played under managers where I wasn't told why I was taken off. We all have , and we'd be pissed off over it. Thats life.These guys must have been totally mollycoddled under Allen in my view. As I said recently if they had a toenail broken I think there would be an issue. Do you think Cody sits down every Kilkenny player after he's been taken off like and AA meeting? I know for a fact he doesn't. Could they not condense their issues into 5 basic points and get the message to the public that way? Because thats just another rambling.

[Bud Wiser]

The ballot was amongst the 2008 panel,

Thanks Zulu.  I appreciate that you are a good GAA man and you are more in touch with the core issues of Cork GAA than I am.  I now fully understand that the ballot was among the 2008 panel only so I am right in that.  It would not be acceptable, to my way of thinking anyway to say that because young lads did not go to the meeting or involve themselves in the ballot that this meant they did not want to play for their county.  

Anyway, I hope it is sorted out, not for my love of Cork hurling, but for hurling in general.  The whole saga is the worst thing that could have hit hurling at the worst time and perhaps in the longer term there is a requirement for Croke Park to appoint a hurling executive to tour the country to ensure that players and county boards are operating in sync and that all the good things about hurling is promoted instead of this type of thing.  Both sides should realise at this stage that untold damage is being done, you are talking Civil war down there and it looks like boths sides are prepared to use the heaviest artillery they can get their hands on.

Best of luck with it but I think at this stage there will be no need for further Press Releases or statements on national radio and accompanying media circuses because outside of Cork the whole country is sick and tired of the entire affair regardless of who is right or wrong.  

[passedit]

That is my final opinion on ths entire subject, I am sick of it because it is tiresome, useless debate.

It probably has become tiresome at this stage alright, but it isn't a useless debate. IMO the CCB are just a particularly bad version of most CB's, many of them serve neither the county or club teams as well as they should. Many of them fail to promote the GAA within their county with anything like the vigour we should expect, as i've said before we all have to accept a level of incompetence and poor management from amateur officers, many of whom are doing their best, but we should never put up with power hungry officials who are damaging the GAA not out lack of ability but through maliciousness. It seems from this thread however that I'm in the minority on that one or maybe I too am living in Reillersland.

No you're not zulu, Bud's statement above represents the calculation that FM made before further abusing his undemocratic position of power with this latest dispute. He reckoned (correctly in my opinion) that if he continued to revisit the 2002 dispute at regular intervals either the hurlers or definitely the gaa public would get sick of it and he would eventually win by default. The appointment of Teddy Mc Carthy during this latest dispute imo shows that he not only believes he has won but that he wants to rub the noses of both the hurlers and the footballers in the dirt to boot.

This is a single issue dispute imo. It's about the abuse of power. I hope the footballers make their stand with the hurlers now and, irrespective of the fate of bit part players like the Mc Carthys, i hope they hold out for the removal of FM because that is the only thing now that can save Cork GAA.

[INDIANA]

footballers have announced they aren't joining them on strike.
The word on the street is that Counihan has said he's resigning if they do and he won't be back upon the conclusion of any strike. He says it has nothing to do with them. And in my view he's dead right.

[longrunsthefox]

Did the players not agree after last year they would not seek recourse to strike action again. Maybe that was footballers, is hard to keep up with the Cork malcontents...  donal og as usual whining on and stuck in another strike or threat of one. keep 'er lit McCarthy -you're playing a blinder. The boys that do play for Cork in league should get a standing ovation wherever they go.   

[tyronefan]

footballers have announced they aren't joining them on strike.
The word on the street is that Counihan has said he's resigning if they do and he won't be back upon the conclusion of any strike. He says it has nothing to do with them. And in my view he's dead right.

where are you getting that from INDIANA

[INDIANA]

shouldn't have said announced . Its what has been said in the background. If they go on strike they'll need a new manager. I've no doubt they'd be on strike as well only that Counihan told them to take it or leave it. Should also have said that the football camp are split as to whether to join them.

[The GAA]

That'll stick in the throats of the hurlers after they backed the footballers last year

[Reillers]

Let me think, make a prediction, the CB will meet tonight, usual whitewash, technicalities, rule book says etc etc. Cloyne motion gets pushed to one side, more 92-6 votes of support for Gerald..you know the rest.
A statment will be made afterwards about the democratic way being followed..etc.voting this and voting that.
All the clubs chairmen will creep back into the woodwark, a handfull will meet with the players, (and maybe deny doing so later)
The fans will do their best, they'll make a point but the clubs will keep their heads down (any lower and through the ground) they'll say nothing just nod at what they are being spoon fed.

Players admit the game is up and about 20 or so retire. They leave with their heads held high, the other 10 or so (the kids mainly) change their mind and agree to play for Gerald but their hearts are a million miles away.
Cork are poor in the league, each match followed by a post match pep talk interview about positives and only learning the game..etc and then maybe scrape a lucky win giving Gerald encouragement to go on to the championship. Tipp in Thurles, no more than 4/5,000 Cork fans (and that's pushing it) most of which are family members, parents, friends and such of all the 09 squads.  Cork might win the first round of the qualifiers against, put up a good fight against a big name in the next round but go down by 10 or so points in the end.
A bad season, (awful in a lot of our views) but some "encouraging signs" for Gerald and he vows to see out his term till 2010.
Because now just showing up in a Cork jersey is enough and the Cork fans will sit and shake their heads wondering how the hell we got to this point.

Meanwhile Sean Og, the twins, Ga, Tom Kenny etc adorn the club hurling scene, playing their best hurling for years. But interest is low the hurling public have fallen out of love with the game, in the knowledge that Cork are a spent force for many years to come. Public debate is forgotten, all of this is forgotten and we'll all sigh about the good old days in the bars and pubs and the remaining fans will always ask the same question, how old is he now? Surely he's near retirement now.

But tonight, like I said, will be a typical "fair" meeting.

The press (surprise, surprise) are not allowed at tonights County Board Meeting, so much for being open and accountable.
There's nothing we can do about it, as per usual.

They say that they are doing things by the book, democracy at work and such etc. Like what the hell are the top table so afraid of, what are they trying to hide,its our organisation, it's our GAA, we demand and are entitled to know whats happening within the set up, again this justs highlights the cause of the players actions, I wonder how many of the delegates will have the balls to stand up tonight and question why the press have not been allowed to attend, and maybe question every other decision that has been made in this mess. .

[INDIANA]

but why the level of disconnect between the players and the clubs/chairmen?

[Reillers]

footballers have announced they aren't joining them on strike.
The word on the street is that Counihan has said he's resigning if they do and he won't be back upon the conclusion of any strike. He says it has nothing to do with them. And in my view he's dead right.

They are not joing the hurlers yet but there is a massive split in the camp about what they should do.

[heffo]

Let me think, make a prediction, the CB will meet tonight, usual whitewash- technicalities, rule book says etc etc; Cloyne motion gets pushed to one side, more 92-6 votes of support for Gerald- you know the rest.
A statment will be made afterwards about the democratic way being followed..etc.voting this and voting that.
All the clubs chairmen will creep back into the woodwark, a handfull will meet with the players, (and maybe deny doing so later)
The fans will do their best, they'll make a point but the clubs will keep their heads down (any lower and through the ground) they'll say nothing just nod at what they are being spoon fed.

Players admit the game is up and about 20 or so retire. They leave with their heads held high, the other 10 or so (the kids mainly) change their mind and agree to play for Gerald but their hearts are a million miles away.
Cork are poor in the league, each match followed by a post match pep talk interview about positives and only learning the game..etc and then maybe scrape a lucky win giving Gerald encouragement to go on to the championship. Tipp in Thurles, no more than 4/5,000 Cork fans (and that's pushing it) most of which are family members, parents, friends and such of all the 09 squads.  Cork might win the first round of the qualifiers against, put up a good fight against a big name in the next round but go down by 10 or so points in the end.
A bad season, (awful in a lot of our views) but some "encouraging signs" for Gerald and he vows to see out his term till 2010.
Because now just showing up in a Cork jersey is enough and the Cork fans will sit and shake their heads wondering how the hell we got to this point.

Meanwhile Sean Og, the twins, Ga, Tom Kenny etc adorn the club hurling scene, playing their best hurling for years. But interest is low- the hurling public have fallen out of love with the game, in the knowledge that Cork are a spent force for many years to come. Public debate is forgotten, all of this is forgotten and we'll all sigh about the good old days in the bars and pubs and the remaining fans will always ask the same question now, how old is he now?

But tonight, like I said, will be a typical "fair" meeting.

The press (surprise, surprise) are not allowed at tonights County Board Meeting, so much for being open and accountable.
There's nothing we can do about it, as per usual.

They say that they are doing things buy the book, democracy in work and such etc. Like what the hell are the top table so afraid of, what are they trying to hide,its our organisation,we demand and are entitled to know whats happening within,again this justs highlights the cause of the players actions, I wonder how many of the delegates will have the balls to stand up tonight and question why the press have not been allowed to attend, and maybe question every other decision that has been made in this mess. .

I don't like the sound of this one bit. It sounds to me like you're becoming as cynical as 'Ga', and the rest of them..