Longford query meeting

Longford are refusing to attend the Central Games Administration Committee (CGAC) meeting pending clarification of what is to be discussed. In a further development, the meeting, fixed in an attempt to resolve the Donegal-Longford fixture impasse, is likely to be put back from tomorrow to Saturday.

The Longford county executive decided on Saturday to query the purpose of any such meeting. "This isn't a dispute between us and Donegal," said one source. "We don't want to become involved in anything that's going to put us up against Donegal so that we'll agree to something that wouldn't suit us."

There is only one free weekend before the end of the league - April 1st-2nd - and the Leinster under-21 football final is scheduled for then. Longford are in the semi-finals, where they will face Kildare on March 25th.

Tony O'Keeffe, chair of the CGAC, said he expected the matter would be resolved within the next week. "There are only three places where it can be played: Donegal, Longford or somewhere else. It's up to us to sort it out as quickly as possible."

There was bad news for Kildare yesterday when it emerged that Dermot Earley, who has been in great form at centrefield, will miss the rest of the season with a broken collarbone. Earley picked up the injury in Sunday's defeat by Derry in Celtic Park.

With the club finals taking place at the end of next week, the 10th annual AIB club awards were presented yesterday in Dublin. The scheme honours the players of the championship in the provinces. Coaching awards were also presented to Liam Cheasty of Butlerstown and John Fahey of Galway's St Thomas club.

All four of the players involved on St Patrick's Day were present, and none are strangers to the big stage. Jerry O'Connor of Newtownshandrum is the Hurler of the Year and Portumna's Damien Hayes is an All Star.

In the football, Alan Kerins of Salthill-Knocknacarra played in the 2002 hurling final for Clarinbridge and is a veteran of two senior All-Ireland finals.

The odd one out is Antrim's Karl Stewart, whose club, St Gall's, are the first football side from the county to reach this stage since St John's 28 years ago.

Yesterday also saw the launch of a strategic plan for women's football. The numbers playing the fastest-growing sport in Ireland are expected to rise to 150,000 by 2008 and, in response, Cumann Peil na mBan have announced a series of initiatives.

The plan - Enhancing Lives and Communities for over 100,000 Players - envisages the appointment of four full-time regional development officers (two this year, two in 2007) to cover the provinces, the recruitment of more coaches and referees, a re-structuring of competitions, improved administration systems and new communications, public relations and marketing programmes.

Launching the plan, the president of the women's association, Geraldine Giles, said: "Our game continues to experience massive growth and we have to prepare and be ready to sustain the growth."

CLUB AWARD WINNERS

FOOTBALL: Alan Kerins (Connacht, Salthill-Knocknacarra), Ray Cosgrove (Leinster, Kilmacud Crokes), James Masters (Munster, Nemo Rangers), Karl Stewart (Ulster, St Gall's).

HURLING: Damien Hayes (Connacht, Portumna), Eoin Larkin (Leinster, James Stephens), Jerry O'Connor (Munster, Newtownshandrum), Johnny McGrattan (Ulster, Ballygalget).