It looks increasingly likely that the stand-off in Carlow GAA will require outside mediation. Yesterday the county board requested that Sunday's National Football League fixture against Mayo be postponed.
This would allow breathing space for the resolution of a situation which has led to the disbandment of the supporters' club, the resignation of manager Bobby Miller and the withdrawal of the entire senior football panel from the NFL fixture against Mayo on Sunday and their call - echoed now by the county board - for a postponement of the match in Charlestown.
Miller spoke out yesterday in support of his former players whose action he felt had been misrepresented as an act of petulant rebellion. "There's a lot more to it than just the fulfilling of a fixture at the weekend. It's about the future of Carlow football.
"Ordinary people are looking for leadership and that concern was well expressed by the players. They organised themselves well and avoided a split.
"I'd hope that their request for a postponement would not be seen as some sort of adolescent behaviour and that it would be acceded to rather than viewed as anarchy. This should not be portrayed as the Carlow crowd making a show of themselves again. It's a problem for the GAA and they should put in their own people to sort it out."
Croke Park authorities will view the matter with extreme caution as there are strict rules on the role of supporters' clubs and the powers of county committees are extensive as defined in Rule 56 of the Official Guide. The request for a postponement had to come from the county board rather than the players and now that it has, the request is likely to be granted.
The postponement of the match is in the hands of the GAC who meet tonight to consider, among other things, the injury to Offaly captain Finbar Cullen after an off-the-ball incident in a League match against Dublin at the beginning of the month.
Dublin officials will be asked to bring along their video of the match but it is not certain that sufficient evidence will be available to implicate the player who committed the foul.
On the team front, Galway make four changes for the NFL trip to Drogheda. Damien Mitchell returns at centre back in place of Ray Silke and their troublesome centrefield, which has had to be replaced in its entirety during each of the last two matches, is again changed with Kevin Walsh returning and the second position left vacant.
Kildare selectors have left the right half back position vacant as they attempt to preserve their 100 per cent unbeaten record against Wicklow in Section D of the NFL on Sunday. Denis McCormack, who started in that position against Tipperary, is injured and unlikely to play.
Elsewhere, Brian Fahy, who last lined out in the closing stages of the League earlier this year, returns to the team at left corner back. Bosco French, who replaced Damian Behan in the attack last Sunday week, holds on to his place.
Also in Section D, Cork have made two personnel changes for the trip to Newcastle to play Down. Dual player and All Star hurling nominee Sean Og O hAilpin is named at left corner back in place of Ronan McCarthy whose club Douglas is involved in an intermediate final replay on Sunday.
Aidan Dorgan returns to the team at left corner forward in place of Don Davis while there are positional changes on both the half lines but the personnel remain the same. The Castlehaven players, Niall Cahalane - still awaiting news on a county board disciplinary hearing - and Colin Crowley, whose Munster club semi-final with Laune Rangers has been put back to Sunday week, are named on the team.
Kerry announce their team today and it will include Laune players, according to manager Paidi O Se. Opponents Sligo will without full back Colin White for the match at Austin Stack Park, Tralee, on Sunday.
The Drumcliffe Rosses Point clubman, White, ruled out with a groin injury, is replaced by Nigel Clancy who moves from centre half back. Midfielder Dermot Keavany has been dropped with his place going to Eamon O'Hara who moves from the half forward line. Coolera clubman Niall Carew comes into the team at left half back in place of Brendan Kilcoyne who moves to centre back.
Ken Killeen, who came on as a substitute in Sligo's drawn game against Monaghan at Markievicz Park, lines out at right half forward. Top marksman Paul Taylor is switched from full forward to the left corner.
Limerick hurling manager Eamon Cregan has announced his panel of 28 to go into training now for next year's National League campaign.
A surprise omission is Frank Carroll, an ever present for the last four seasons. Also out is Brian Tobin and Pat Heffernan.
Into the panel come the Patrickswell pair of Pa Carey and Anthony Carmody, as well as Damien Quigley who did not figure in the season just ended.
Cork (SF v Down): P Mackey; B Collins, S O'Brien, S Og O hAilpin; M Cronin, B Corcoran, N Cahalane; P Hegarty, N Murphy; O O'Sullivan, S Dineen, C O'Sullivan; C Crowley, J Kavanagh, A Dorgan. Subs: K O'Dwyer, J O'Connell, M O'Donovan (Doheny's), M O'Donovan (Mallow), S Walsh, M Harrington, B Walsh.
Kildare (SF v Wicklow): C Byrne; K Doyle, R Quinn, B Fahy; AN Other, G Ryan, D Maher; N Buckley, K Brennan; J Whelan, D Kerrigan, B French; P Brennan, N Donlon, A McAndrew.
Galway (SF v Louth): P Comer; R Doyle, G Fahy, T Meehan; K Fallon, D Mitchell, S Og de Paor; K Walsh, AN Other; P Clancy, S Walsh, D Meehan; D Savage, P Joyce, T Joyce.
Sligo (SF v Kerry): P Kilcoyne; N Maguire, N Clancy, M Cosgrove; R Keane, B Kilcoyne, N Carew; A O'Hara, P Durcan; K Killeen, B Walsh, S Davey; E Cawley, D Sloyane, P Taylor.
Limerick (SF v Clare): R Bowles; M McMahon, D Sheehy, G O'Connor; J Kiely, M O'Doherty, Denis Reidy; J Quane, N Mulvihill; F Finnan, J Allen, Damien Reidy; T Cummins, D Ryan, P Galvin.
