The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has offered its full support to the Cork hurlers and footballers after they threatened to strike over the county board's decision to revert to choosing selectors.
The players see the recent decision to deny team managers the right to choose their own selectors as regressive and in a statement this morning said they were "not prepared to go along with it."
The decision by the board to take the matter out of the manager's hands is believed to have influenced the recent resignation of Cork football manager Billy Morgan.
"We have reluctantly resolved to take all action necessary to oppose this system and we feel that it is vital that we register our opposition to the system and take any action necessary before anyone is appointed under it," the players said in a statement published in the
.
"We have no desire to be taking this stance, but we feel we have no option. We believe that this proposal was not properly debated by the clubs and we were, almost to a man, unaware of the proposals before they were passed."
The GPA said this afternoon that it fully supported the players and claimed that the "Cork County Board's new 'procedures' are a blatant attempt by officials to reassume control for on-field team matters, despite the positive benefits enjoyed by the county in the wake of a restructuring some years back.
"The GPA calls on the Cork County Board and club delegates to support the Cork players by reversing the decision at next month's county convention.
"County managers should, we believe, have control over the appointment of their management teams and it is a retrograde step to hand this authority back to Board officials."
Cork hurlers and footballers were successful in strike action in 2002 when the county board acceded to a number of demands, which included the right of the manager to choose his selectors.