McCarthy admits he does not have backing of Cork hurlers

[Reillers]

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Cork crisis heads for showdown as clubs meet again

IAN O'RIORDAN

THE CORK hurling crisis could be headed for a final showdown as a series of meetings look set to provide overpowering support for the striking 2008 players and their efforts to remove Gerald McCarthy as county manager.

It's still a highly tense affair, but next Sunday's meeting between the players and club representatives - following their initial meeting last Sunday week - is almost certain to result in the backing of two proposed motions: to revise the delegate county board system in Cork, and to remove McCarthy as manager.

The clearest indication that those motions were gaining the necessary backing came at Monday's night meeting of Nemo Rangers, traditionally among the strongest and most influential clubs in Cork.

Nemo voted 185-1 in favour of the motions tabled by the players and club representatives. And, perhaps more significantly, this reverses the club's vote to support McCarthy in retaining his position as Cork manager at a recent county board meeting.

Several high-profile club members, including former Cork football manager Billy Morgan, delivered emotional speeches in favour of the motions at Nemo headquarters in Trabeg, and the majority of Cork clubs have similar meetings planned for between now and Saturday night.

That meeting also disclosed that the Nemo delegate who had voted in favour of the motion of confidence in McCarthy at the last county board meeting later resigned, after several club members claimed their stance on the issue had been misrepresented. The delegate was subsequently reinstated to his position.

In the meantime, the GAA's management committee meet tomorrow evening and, while they will review the situation in Cork, they have ruled out the possibility of Croke Park making a third intervention into the crisis.

Although the threat of the Cork footballers joining in the stand-off for the championship now looks certain to be carried through, Croke Park feel they have done all they can for now.

"This is a regular management committee meeting," confirmed the GAA operations manager Feargal McGill. "The main intention is to discuss a number of issues related to Congress. While it is likely the Cork matter will be raised, there are no new initiatives being considered by Croke Park."

Croke Park's last effort to resolve the crisis involved lengthy negotiations between director general Páraic Duffy and incoming president Christy Cooney, the Cork County Board and the striking players - although the three parties never sat around the same table.

Although Cork County Board chairman Jerry O'Sullivan has repeatedly stated he won't take any more motions on the issue, it also emerged yesterday the Clonakilty club have invited chairmen from all junior, intermediate and senior clubs in the county to attend a meeting in Clonakility Community Hall on Friday evening to discuss the issue - the difference there being that the striking Cork players will not be present.

However, it seems inevitable that when the players and club representatives reconvene on Sunday at the Maryborough House Hotel there will be unanimous support for the motions tabled the previous Sunday week.

Around 400 club representatives attended that first meeting, resulting in the following two motions: "Save in relation to routine matters of administration such as fixtures, venues, etc, that the delegates of this club at divisional and county level do not vote on any matter without first obtaining direction from the executive committee of this club as to which way the delegate should vote."

And second: "That Gerald McCarthy and his management team be removed as the Cork senior hurling management team and this club will take all steps necessary to ensure that this takes place and (at) the earliest opportunity."

The striking players maintain that if support for those motions is not forthcoming then they will disband. However, there is certain to be another show of solidarity for them on Sunday when a second march is planned in support of their cause. It will meet in Kennedy Park next to Páirc Uí Chaoimh at 2pm and march to the grounds just before the National Football League game against Fermanagh.

An estimated 10,000 people attended the first protest march in Cork city centre on February 7th, and any similar show of support this Sunday will make it impossible for the county board heads to ignore.

[theskull1]

Lets for the sake of argument assume that mobacracy eventually wins the day and there is a clear out at CCB level. Can any of you pro player lads not see any difficulty in getting county administrators willing to work within the new world order that would exist? Is that a concern that any of you would have if it works out the way youse would like it to?

[Reillers]

Lets for the sake of argument assume that mobacracy eventually wins the day and there is a clear out at CCB level. Can any of you pro player lads not see any difficulty in getting county administrators willing to work within the new world order that would exist? Is that a concern that any of you would have if it works out the way youse would like it to?

If this works the CB dictator and friends will be gone. We'll face any problems that come after that then, but imo, hopefully it'll be worth it. Whatever happens.

Why are you pro CB Skull? I mean what is your arguement, OM and Dowling were asked but shock horror but ignored the question.
Why are you still anti player?

[Zulu]

I don't think there needs to be a clear out of the CB but some individuals do need to go IMO. I don't think any county will have difficulty getting administrators in the future but if the players do win out here it will act as a deterent to administrators acting in their own interests and not in the interests of their county. This idea that if the players win the GAa will be run by players is nonsense, as long as administrators try to do their best for the GAA then they won't have any problems with players.

[muppet]

Reillers will this be a false dawn or is this finally coming to a head?

[Reillers]

I don't think there needs to be a clear out of the CB but some individuals do need to go IMO. I don't think any county will have difficulty getting administrators in the future but if the players do win out here it will act as a deterent to administrators acting in their own interests and not in the interests of their county. This idea that if the players win the GAa will be run by players is nonsense, as long as administrators try to do their best for the GAA then they won't have any problems with players.

Not clear out the entire CB, I just mean certain individuals have to go.

[Reillers]

Reillers will this be a false dawn or is this finally coming to a head?

I hope not, I'm sick of false dawns with this CB, I honestly can't see how the CB could talk themselves out of this one, well I wouldn't put it passed them, but hopefully this is it, this is the end.

[ardmhachaabu]

The longer this goes on the more people are understanding the players and supporting the players and not CCB, in my opinion.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Skull raises a good point there - if what looks a possibility comes to pass, that there is a full or partial clearout of the County Board, are the people there to replace them? Its all good and well saying ye'll cross that bridge when ye come to it Reillers but there's not too many willing and able people around these days. Sure there are plenty of willing people but any of these who are able are likely to be tied up with clubs and with less and less volunteers around these days, clubs will be reluctant to let people go to the county board. Its not going to make or break the whole thing but its a matter worthy of serious thinking all the same.

Also if the clubs decide to put this motion of no confidence in Gerald McCarthy to the county board it raises serious issues about the clubs themselves. People give out about the county board being 'muppets' etc but if their views are so far removed from those of the clubs they represent then the fact that the clubs have allowed delegates who are not doing what they are delegated to do to remain in the position is the club's fault, not the county boards. Either that or the clubs haven't given a crap about county board matters and just leave it to 'yer man', which is equally reprehensible.

If what looks likely comes to pass - that the clubs force the issue, Gerald McCarthy takes a walk, the 08 players come back and there is possible CB reorganisation - the clubs will be praised for taking ownership of the county board. Nothing would be further from the truth - that fact that they allowed this situation to perpetuate for so long is their fault moreso than anyone else, including Frank Murphy.

[anglocelt39]

Some fair questions there from the Mayo Man. Who'd want to be a county board delegate all right. mind you you can take it as read that there's a few prize boys on the 2008 panel who would see themselves as County Chairman material (at least) by the time the boots are hung up a few years, my guess is one or two of them will be capable of applying some of FM's alleged tendencies if that's what it took to get up a few rungs on the ladder.

[dowling]

Zulu you seem to be another one who can't read. Throw up one post I made to show I'm a 'pro-CB poster'.

Ditto for me as well.

Will Donal Og take the chair next Teuesday night or will family / work commitments preclude him ?

Both are ye are unbelievably anti players, at this stage being pro Gerald, well most of them are genuine pro Gerald and have at this stage watered down on their opinon because of what's going on at CB level, the little left Gerald supporters are really CB supporters.
You can't just be anti players, you have to be pro something, and ye have all acted pro CB for pages now, ever since the tide turned.

So we're not pro-CB we're pro-Gerald.

[Reillers]

Zulu you seem to be another one who can't read. Throw up one post I made to show I'm a 'pro-CB poster'.

Ditto for me as well.

Will Donal Og take the chair next Teuesday night or will family / work commitments preclude him ?

Both are ye are unbelievably anti players, at this stage being pro Gerald, well most of them are genuine pro Gerald and have at this stage watered down on their opinon because of what's going on at CB level, the little left Gerald supporters are really CB supporters.
You can't just be anti players, you have to be pro something, and ye have all acted pro CB for pages now, ever since the tide turned.

So we're not pro-CB we're pro-Gerald.

Ye're not pro Gerald. All the pro Gerald fans are at some level sympathetic now to the players or to the CB, they've either left the pro Gerald camp and joined the players on some level or are pro CB, supporting the fact that cbs are ignoring their clubs.

You are one or the other, sympathise with the players pro Gerald or on side with the CB pro Gerald. It is not simple enough for it just to be pro Gerald, it's not. Things have gotten too complicated for that. You have to have backing for one side. THe players or the CB, and clearly it's not the players.
And according to ye what the CB are doing is ok. 
There are genuine Gerald fans out there like RealRebel but ye're not. Ye have no sympathy for the players at all. Nothings good enough.
Say it what it is, what we know, ye don't have an opinion on what goes on with the players, ye come on to bitch about the players for no other reason then that.

[dowling]

Zulu you seem to be another one who can't read. Throw up one post I made to show I'm a 'pro-CB poster'.

Ditto for me as well.

Will Donal Og take the chair next Teuesday night or will family / work commitments preclude him ?

Both are ye are unbelievably anti players, at this stage being pro Gerald, well most of them are genuine pro Gerald and have at this stage watered down on their opinon because of what's going on at CB level, the little left Gerald supporters are really CB supporters.
You can't just be anti players, you have to be pro something, and ye have all acted pro CB for pages now, ever since the tide turned.

So we're not pro-CB we're pro-Gerald.

Ye're not pro Gerald. All the pro Gerald fans are at some level sympathetic now to the players, they've either left the pro Gerald camp and joined the players on some level or are pro CB, supporting the fact that cbs are ignoring their clubs.
You are one or the other, sympathise with the players pro Gerald or on side with the CB pro Gerald. It is not simple enough for it just to be pro Gerald, it's not. Things have gotten too complicated for that. You have to have backing for one side. THe players or the CB, and clearly it's not the players.
And according to ye what the CB are doing is ok. 
There are genuine Gerald fans out there like RealRebel but ye're not. Ye have no sympathy for the players at all. Nothings good enough.
Say it what it is, what we know, ye don't have an opinion on what goes on with the players, ye come on to bitch about the players for no other reason then that.

Reillers in my last posts you said I was wrong, to put it mildly. I quoted Tomas Mulcahy who's views were very like my own.

Was he wrong too?

[dowling]

For all this spin that the tide has turned and all that maybe there's still yet another few twists and turns. And as I've stated before around 45% of clubs didn't express support for the 2008 panel at the panel's meeting so don't get carried away.


But I can't help wondering if this is right.

"The Cork Senior Hurling Panel 2008 wish to cordially invite the Chairperson (and one other Club member of it's choosing) of every Hurling and/or Football Club in the County of Cork to meet with us on Sunday evening next the 15th February 2009 at the Maryborough House Hotel, Douglas, Cork at 7.00pm."

According to the only reports we been given 400 or more club reps were there. And around 140 clubs were represented. But let's say 145.
145 x 2 = 400?

There must be an obvious answer but I'm missing it.

[INDIANA]

Skull raises a good point there - if what looks a possibility comes to pass, that there is a full or partial clearout of the County Board, are the people there to replace them? Its all good and well saying ye'll cross that bridge when ye come to it Reillers but there's not too many willing and able people around these days. Sure there are plenty of willing people but any of these who are able are likely to be tied up with clubs and with less and less volunteers around these days, clubs will be reluctant to let people go to the county board. Its not going to make or break the whole thing but its a matter worthy of serious thinking all the same.

Also if the clubs decide to put this motion of no confidence in Gerald McCarthy to the county board it raises serious issues about the clubs themselves. People give out about the county board being 'muppets' etc but if their views are so far removed from those of the clubs they represent then the fact that the clubs have allowed delegates who are not doing what they are delegated to do to remain in the position is the club's fault, not the county boards. Either that or the clubs haven't given a crap about county board matters and just leave it to 'yer man', which is equally reprehensible.

If what looks likely comes to pass - that the clubs force the issue, Gerald McCarthy takes a walk, the 08 players come back and there is possible CB reorganisation - the clubs will be praised for taking ownership of the county board. Nothing would be further from the truth - that fact that they allowed this situation to perpetuate for so long is their fault moreso than anyone else, including Frank Murphy.

Out of all 306 pages of pages in my view that is the best post on the subject and one even after 305 pages I still can't understand why the clubs have plodded on as they have for so long. Still it shows democracy still exists in the GAA. Even though everyone doubted it did.