Cork players threaten strike over selectors issue

[Zulu]

But that's part of the democratic process. The handful (i.e. the executive) are mandated to provide club 'feedback' to the CB delegates. If the executive are providing bad feedback, then they will be thrown out at the next AGM. You can't have a full referendum on every matter. They probably should have convened an EGM on this particular matter, but there was no obligation on them to do so, I'd imagine.

Again I'd accept that and to be honest I think no-one saw things developing as they have so clubs probably didn't even feel the need to seek every members opinion. But the point I'm trying to make is that pro-CB posters have made the point that the clubs voted on this democratically and thus the players are usurping that process whereas I have argued that that isn't the case because of the way the vote was handled. I think we are only going back over old ground here AZ, the issue is nolonger who caused it but how it can be resolved. I'd wager that TH will be gone before Friday, from there I think a temporary resolution can be found for 2008.

[AZOffaly]

I agree. I'm persuaded that the Democratic process wasn't in fact followed here, which is why I've changed my original opinion from treating the players as usurpers of democracy.

However, I'm just saying that the only one of those options which would contravene the democratic rules would be the one where delegates clearly ignored club instructions.

I think we are in violent agreement here

I still think the players have fought a very poor PR battle. They should be emphasising, and getting validation of, the dodgy vote dealings. If it was a country, the UN would be in monitoring the votes

[orangeman]

The bottom line is that Cork players need to find a way to get back out there and start playing again - it will be a huge disappointment if they don't - I know principle is a good thing, but to say that you'd abandon you're IC career is stretching it - even if they play club games, isn't it the SAME county board that is running the show ?

I'd say there will be some crack at next year's AGM !

[feetofflames]

I think after watching the whole episode I have finally began to change my stance on this.  Its difficult to formulate county board policy and be a footsoldier as well.  I believe those responsible on both sides have entrenched their position and have brought Cork county board, Cork county teams and the wider GAA into disrepute, both camps are being run by bollixes and there should be enforced blood letting on both sides and a sanction from Croke Park.  I dont think the ringleaders on both side are ethically fit to either wear their county colours or administer their county ever again.  I also believe that in the event of a settlement that any other county disadvantaged by their postponements should be given the points, nobody should ever be allowed to hold other counties, our national games and competitions to ransom for their own ends rightly or wrongly ever again.
Shame on Cork. They only ever had one rebel and again rightly or wrongly they feckin shot him too, the hoors !!

[orangeman]

Very good post FOF ! 

[Pull Hard Hes No Relation]

Feet of flames, I think people like Sean Moylan, Tom Barry, Terence Mc Swiney, Liam Lynch etc would all disagree with your quote of they only ever had one rebel, take the road from Cork city to Killarney and just count the sheer number of memorials to volunteers from the War of Indepenence!

As for people being unfit to wear the Cork jersey, I think you would be hard pushed to find any group of players who feel as passionately about Cork hurling as the Cork team do. Let's now forget that the basis of this team lifted Cork from the doldrums no Munster title from 1992-1999 to a situation where they have won five Munster titles and 3 All-Irelands in the period since.

There is only one solution to this as I have said in earlier posts and that is for Teddy Holland to stand down, the man lost all credibility with the players due to the underhand manner in which he took the job. In his heart of hearts he knows that he would never have got offered the job if the 1st,2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th choices had wanted it or more corerectly decided to stand aside given the players wish that no-one go into role until the selector issue was resolved.

I saw Des Culliane and Bob Ryan on RTE again last night trying the same ould spin as they have over the past 3-4 wks and to make it worse they repeated the lie about the players being willing to play under Teddy Holland. To put the man in place is bad enough but to actually try to mis-represent what was said in confidential discussions just highlights how underhand the CCB has been in their whole dealings with this.

As I said in an earlier post last week from what I've been told the players won't be budging unless Teddy Holland does the decent thing and steps down, if the guy is really a Cork GAA man he will step aside.

[feetofflames]

It must be very easy to put the blame of this at the feet of one volunteer.  Is this the way that guys are going to absolve themselves from blame.  There are those in the GPA/ Cork that used this issue to cut their teeth.  Ons strike and you are out shoul;d apply here. As for Holland he should go, he is no longer anything but a pawn between the Count Board and the players.  if he walks away from the GAA, which I would certainly do where I subjetc to the players vendetta waged he can claim to be the oppnly one of virtue here.  If he sits for 1 more week and Cork are kicked out of the league then he has little moral high ground.  Frank murphy and D Og - if its found to be yet another  Donal Og stirrup should be politley thanked and asked to move on from Cork GAA.  Both have been great servants but their powers are on the wane and they are entrenched figures.  Both are inflexible and as the last 2 months have shown inflexibility will destroy Cork GAA if its not soon replaced by decent, accomodating and human figures.    Forget about the players doing all they can to get success. last night on TV they were prepared to close Cork GAA down for the year.  True Gaels mehole, the hoors.

[orangeman]

True Gaels mehole, the hoors   

[Pull Hard Hes No Relation]

Feet of Flames, explain the Donal Og stir up comment. Is this another GPA gripe, it should be remembered that there are a lot more players in the GPA than Donal Og yet as he is the spokesperson he takes the flak for all the members who vote on their actions. I know some people on the board think I'm pro GPA and constantly standing up for the likes of Donal Og but as I know the guys personally I feel obilgied to answer some of the blatant untrues and mis-representation being posted here.

You clearly have no idea of what the guy does in his own club (coaching juveniles, on the club committee etc) or indeed outside of his club to promote hurling and I have little doubt that his record as a GAA man stands up very favourably with your own.

Just to give you an example, two years ago donal Og organised for the Down minors to travel to Cloyne and have a coaching weekend there hosted by himself, Sean Og, Diarmuid O'Sullivan and John Allen. All the organisation including the challenge match was organised by Donal Og and everyone of the lads involved refused to take anything for their efforts. Not only that but for the past three years Donal Og and Diarmuid O'Sullivan have travelled to Newry to help promote the primary school coaching underway and once again refused to take a penny even though both lads had to take Friday off work to visit the schools.

Get your facts right before accusing people of not being decent human beings and not true gaels, by the way the guy is also fluent in Irish so I think he scores heavily on the "true gael" mark on that one.

[Seany]

I take what you say, pull hard, but from this end of the country, he appears divisive and arrogant.  Maybe I'm wrong on this, but that's how I see him.  I know it's not just as cut and dried as that, and I'm sure he's ok, but his record is not good on this.

[feetofflames]

No offence but many see rightly or wrongly that Donal Og is one of a group of driven anti establishment groupies/ rump currently trying to turn the GAA into a pay for play oraginsation if hes not threatening a strike over grants he's in the middle of a strike over management.  I really dont care what his merits are as they are far outweighed in my opinion.  Hes the antithesis of what many people I know like about the GAA, others will support him - thats their call, I wouldnt hang him out as a martyr more perhaps a local agitator.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

No offence but many see rightly or wrongly that Donal Og is one of a group of driven anti establishment groupies/ rump currently trying to turn the GAA into a pay for play oraginsation if hes not threatening a strike over grants he's in the middle of a strike over management.  I really dont care what his merits are as they are far outweighed in my opinion.  Hes the antithesis of what many people I know like about the GAA, others will support him - thats their call, I wouldnt hang him out as a martyr more perhaps a local agitator.

So you take no notice of what the GPA/GAA say about not looking for pay for play, you take no notice of the fact that he puts in probably more effort into "club activities" than most people on here and claim that he is against what people in the GAA are about......
He stands up against total incompetence in the County Board who are renowned for screwing their players about and this is a crime???

[Hardy]

Problem is how are we meant to know which of his mutually contradictory statements we're supposed to take notice of and which we're expected to ignore? Is it the oft-repeated "we don't want pay for play" preamble or the unguarded comments when he let slip his true position on amateurism and volunteerism in the GAA?

[quidnunc]

How many people actually believe the GPA leaders when they claim they're not about pay for play? 2? 3?

Even Nickey Brennan stated unequivocally that the GPA IS about pay for play in his 2006 Congress address:


"I want to make one matter quite clear today though, lest there be any misunderstanding or ambiguity on anyone's part. Since the GPA was launched the notion of pay-for-play has been on their agenda. Despite recent comments from some of their officials, I am of the view that this remains the ultimate aim of the GPA in some form or other."

[agorm]

Maybe I am niaive or something but I do not read any more into this without evidence. It is still relatively straightforward in my mind: CCB wanted to arrest more control over the senior teams, notably the football team under Billy Morgan.They put in a rule regarding selectors that they knew would make billy walk. They thought that they would get away with it considering the time they did it. The players objected and said that they would not play for a manager that took the job under the new rules. The problem for CCB is that they players stuck to their position and have not budged. The CCB and Teddy have not budged either.

My opinion is that the only way out is for one of the sides to show some magnaminity and step back from the brink. The players would still have strongly made their point if they stepped back now and Teddy Holland would still be a dead man walking in a managerial capacity. I think they should agree to go back playing and vow to resume the fight against the new system after the championship is over. Moral high ground maintained.