Crisis deepens as players come out fighting

The crisis in Cork GAA deepened last night with the release by representatives of the senior players of a blistering response to yesterday's press statement from the county board, which included details of the memorandum of understanding drawn up at the discussions facilitated by LRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey and GAA Director General Páraic Duffy.

Describing the board's treatment of the discussions as "absolutely shocking" the statement went on to deny the most contentious part of the county board's press release, the paragraph stating that the players had been prepared to move on the issue of Teddy Holland's position as manager of the football team.

"We are furious at the spin and misinformation put out by the board," runs the players' statement, "culminating in yesterday's board statement which said that we would accept Teddy Holland as football manager, which is totally and utterly untrue".

Earlier in the day the press release from the board had stated: "It is important to note that the players during negotiations were prepared to accept Teddy Holland as coach for the year 2008, with a review at the end of the championship season, but the players representatives then indicated that they wanted the four selectors appointed by the board to be removed. The removal of the four selectors was unacceptable to the county board negotiating team."

In response to this, the players emphatically ruled out any prospect of a solution based on accepting Holland, who was appointed last November under a new dispensation controversially introduced by the county board, removing the manager's right to choose his own selectors, as manager.

"Because of the volume of information now in circulation about the recent talks," they said in their statement, "we feel we should be clear about our position, which has not changed throughout this process: we desperately want to play for Cork, but cannot until 1) Teddy Holland and his four selectors - Mick O'Loughlin, Diarmuid O'Donovan, Liam Hodnett and Teddy McCarthy - are no longer in office and 2) the recently adopted system of appointment selectors has been satisfactorily dealt with."

Speaking earlier on the News at One, Kieran Mulvey had accepted that Holland's position was still the crux of the problem.

"I think we made an extraordinary amount of progress," he said. "There is an outstanding issue and one that has not been resolved."

Asked by Seán O'Rourke was that issue the position of Holland, he replied: "Yes," before adding, "and I had the opportunity with Páraic Duffy to meet both managers of the hurling and football team and one would have to be impressed with the calibre of both men and the professionalism they bring to what is an amateur sport."

One measure outlined in the memorandum and aimed at alleviating the current situation appears to be directed at the players and has been comprehensively shattered by yesterday's events.

"No further adverse media comment is (to be) made relating to any person (player or administrator)," it reads. This was a reference to a series of player interviews, including one with Seán Ó hAilpín in this newspaper that took issue with the position of both Holland and Cork county secretary Frank Murphy.

Mulvey's radio interview expressed sympathy for those affected. "I feel desperately sorry in this dispute for the way it has transpired that personality has taken over in some cases from what needs to be resolved."

He also expressed the need to "respect the position of people who are appointed or elected to positions and that applies across the board to both sides in this dispute" and added that: "A number of things have been said publicly and in print that make resolution of this dispute nearly impossible."

This he acknowledged was a reference to the Ó hÁilpín interview, which he said could have resulted in the county board delegation leaving the original talks the weekend before last.

The county board statement echoed this concern with media coverage. "It deeply regrets the orchestrated media campaign which has personalised the issue in relation to Ted Holland. He is a decent honourable man who has given long and distinguished service to the GAA."

There was private annoyance expressed that the players had refused to bring the memorandum of understanding, accepted by the county board, back to a full meeting of the football and hurling panels.

The players' response to this is that whereas the memorandum contained welcome concessions it didn't in itself amount to a settlement of the outstanding issue of the appointment of the football management.

The county board statement lists those concessions and they include the establishment of mechanisms and initiatives to ensure that situations like the current impasse would not happen again.

Most significantly, it addresses the core issue of how team selectors are appointed by committing the county executive to recommend the restoration of the pre-October 2007 procedure for next season.

"The county board negotiating team will recommend that the executive committee recommends to the county committee that the appointed coaches in September/October 2008 be given the right to choose their own selectors. This situation will be monitored by the proposed consultative committee under the independent chairman."

A full meeting of the two playing panels is expected to take place this weekend. In the meantime, Sunday's opening NHL fixture between Cork and Kilkenny is expected to be formally declared off today.

This leaves until the middle of next week before the final deadline arrives for Cork's participation in this season's National Leagues.

Cork players' statement in full

We would first like to thank those people who have supported us recently, particularly those who took to the streets of Cork to support us in atrocious conditions.

Because of the volume of information now in circulation about the recent talks, we feel we should be clear about our position, which has not changed throughout this process: we desperately want to play for Cork but cannot until: 1) Teddy Holland and his four selectors - Mick O'Loughlin, Diarmuid O'Donovan, Liam Hodnett and Teddy McCarthy - are no longer in office and 2) the recently adopted system of appointment selectors has been satisfactorily dealt with.

The systems in place in Cork for the last five years have seen a Cork team in the All-Ireland final every year. The board, whether at delegate or executive level, have decided to fix what clearly wasn't broken.

You'd have to ask why.

The board has used the recent negotiations to leak and misrepresent documents and discussions agreed to be confidential to suit their own ends.

This has caused confusion and has not helped to resolve anything. We are more than aware of our duty to Cork supporters to resolve this situation and have fully engaged in all talks, whether directly with the board or with the assistance of Mr Mulvey, and latterly, Mr Duffy.

The way the discussions have been treated by the board throughout has been absolutely shocking to us.

We are furious at the spin and misinformation put out by the board, culminating in yesterday's board statement which said that we would accept Teddy Holland as football manager, which is totally and utterly untrue.

There have been a number of attempts to split the players throughout this process, which have failed.

Our position is and always has been: we are totally united in our opposition to Teddy Holland and his selectors and to the system recently adopted.