Board under fire

So is the tide finally turning in the Cork County board versus hurlers debate? Michael Moynihan does a good summation of the past few weeks in today's Examiner. The people of Cork are certainly hurting over this, no matter which side of the argument they are on.

It's become something of an embarrassment at this point, but I for one don't want it washed over - it needs to be resolved properly and openly and in good time that we don't lose our footballers as well. The key facts which Moynihan focuses on include the following:

• The chairmen and club representatives met the players on Sunday and gave them overwhelming support (Over 60% of all Cork clubs showed up)
  
• On Friday GAA President-elect Christy Cooney and director-general Pauric Duffy proposed a solution, taking the selectiopn of senior intercounty managers tfrom the county executive
• "Cooney is a former chairman of Cork County Board and has an intimate knowledge of its operations. What does that say about his co-authorship of that emasculating document"
• Two weeks ago five times more people protested on the streets of Cork as went to see the league match in the Pairc
• Last year the panel said no to another two years of Gerald McCarthy, well in advance of the new selection.
  

It's a fairly comprehensive list all told and there isn't a lot of unreasonable demands in there - in fact there is only one. It's clear the board initiated this dispute with Gerald's reappointment and now are hiding behind the rules they have written themselves. The lkatter point was proved when the Chairman came out and siad the clubs and players EGM "have absolutely no standing in rule".

Well that position isn't washing anymore. The players have spoken, the people have spoken and the clubs have spoken.

Any end in sight? There is yeah, boy!

It's now nearly a month since my hopeful assertion that the whole saga of the Cork hurlers looked to be coming to a close - It seems I was wrong. As things stand I hope that the rescheduled meeting of players and club officials will go ahead as planned tonight.
I am strongly in favour of a fair democratic process in Cork GAA and it is clear that the current 'democracy' is not fair in way, shape or form.
If the clubs go against the 2008 panel, then I fully expect them to disband as per their word, and allow the team to move on. If this is the case we will most likely end up facing a couple of tough years with inexperienced players and we will be unlikely to compete until 2011, when a new coach has his pick of the county's best.
I can't see the clubs going against the players however - and how they vote with their attendance or absence tonight will tell a lot.

Wind-up comedy gold

Steve Staunton for Chelsea?...surely not! Anyhow I'm not entirely sure Peter Kenyon even knew who he was talking to, even before he figured out it was a wind-up.