GAELIC GAMES NEWS:THE CLARE management saga is set to run on for at least a few more days. It had been expected that Michael McNamara would step down as manager after Sunday's meeting with players and officials but by yesterday evening there had been no communication to the county board of his intention to step down.

Expectation within the county was that McNamara, part of the management team that brought two All-Irelands to Clare in the last decade, would walk away having listened to the players’ grievances and determination not to play on under him.

But last night the county was holding its minor hurling convention and no further developments were expected with some county sources expecting the matter to carry on until next week.

On Thursday the county convention is being held but two days before that the county executive have a pre-convention meeting and there may be no move from McNamara until then.

County chair Michael O’Neill, who has been involved in attempts to mediate between the sides, told RTÉ yesterday: “To be fair to Mike McNamara and his selectors, they need time to digest the contents of last Sunday’s meeting with the players. That will take time and I don’t expect to hear anything from them today or tomorrow or, possibly, even into the weekend”.

Meanwhile, the draw has been made for the 2010 Ulster Bank third-level competitions. Fitzgibbon Cup holders UCC will begin the defence of their title with a match in Group A against 2007 winners Limerick IT on 4th February. The finals weekend will be held in NUI Galway on 5th and 6th March.

The footballers of Cork IT’s campaign to retain their first Sigerson Cup gets underway against the winners of St Mary’s Belfast and Mary Immaculate College of Education on 3rd February. The finals weekend takes place later that month on 26th and 27th February in NUI Maynooth.

Elsewhere, Kilkenny’s continued hurling dominance has been mirrored by their off-field structures as county board officials have revealed a profit of over €200,000 for 2009.