GAELIC GAMES: Alan Kerins has expressed his unhappiness at being dropped from the Galway hurling panel by manager Noel Lane. The action was taken after the player refused to abandon his dual career and leave the football panel with which he won an All-Ireland medal last year.

It also comes two days after hurling selector John Connolly stepped down from the hurling management citing pressure of work as the reason but against a backgound of speculation that he was unhappy at the impending ultimatum to Kerins.

"I am disappointed and upset and believe it's unfair to deny me the chance to play hurling," said Kerins last night. "Noel Lane knew that both John O'Mahony (Galway football manager) and I were prepared to bend over backwards to be flexible about this. I told him I'd be at every hurling session and every match, that I would give hurling the priority at all times and still he wouldn't accept it.

"All I want to do is play and enjoy myself. I love hurling. My childhood was hurling. All I ever wanted to do was help Galway to win a hurling All-Ireland."

He rejected the view that his hurling suffered last year because of his dual involvement.

"I don't accept that. There were other factors. I was doing my final exams for instance. Anyway I've been through it now and know the pitfalls. I thought something might be sorted out."

Earlier in the evening the county hurling management issued a statement in which it was revealed that "Alan Kerins has been released from the senior hurling panel to facilitate his decision to play football".

It went on: "Discussions have been ongoing for several months between Alan Kerins, Galway football manager John O'Mahony and Noel Lane on the dual role issue. The hurling management accommodated Alan's dual ambition last year. However, the new championship format in both hurling and football makes impossible demands on any dual players.

"Alan's inclusion in the football panel and his wish to play both codes does not meet the 100 per cent focus that Noel Lane and his mangement team are demanding from all panel members."

Pointing out that the door remains open should Kerins have a change of heart, the statement concludes by wishing the player and the Galway football team continued success.

The position of Kerins's brother Mark is unclear.

According to his brother, "Mark is upset about this, but I'm not going to make any statements on his behalf."

Kerins also angrily took issue with the speculation in some quarters that he had made his decision on the basis of receiving a car from a benefactor in the football Supporters Club.

"That's rubbish - basically saying I took some sort of bribe. I got a car and it was a month ago. It wasn't organised through the Football Board but offered by a friend of mine. It absolutely wasn't a factor in my decision. I've done everything I can - and am still willing to do so - if I could continue playing hurling with the county."

Although this had been on the cards since last autumn when the Galway hurlers lost the All-Ireland final to Tipperary and the footballers beat Meath to win their second all-Ireland in four years, the timing still comes as something of a surprise.

Galway are in the play-off stages of the National Hurling League - they play Tipperary in the quarter-finals next Sunday - whereas the footballers have not qualified in their National League. Consequently there wasn't going to be any direct clash for a number of weeks. It is believed that the football management wanted to try the dual status for a bit longer, even though the qualifier system is due to be introduced in hurling this summer and that dual involvement might not ultimately have proved possible.

But Lane and his trainer, former Clare selector Michael McNamara both have strong views on the issue of dual players and weren't prepared to wait any longer before asking Kerins to make his choice.

There had been speculation that Connolly's decision to step down as a selector was tied to the dual issue. He is a close friend of Kerins's father Monty, with whom he served as a county selector at both minor and senior level.

For all the public statements about 'pressure of work' and Connolly's reservations about his ability to give a full commitment having been stated back at Christmas (he owns a construction company), the timing is very co-incidental.

Despite Connolly's conflicting commitments he still waited until two days before the son of one of his friends was put off the panel before stepping down.

His parting appeared to be amicable and on Sunday when Galway played Meath in their last regulation NHL match, Connolly attended and said goodbye to all the players. One source close to the county hurlers maintained that it (the dual issue) "could be part of the reason" for Connolly's departure.

Another long-time observer of the hurling scene put it this way: "In the days when John Connolly was building 100 houses a day, he still had time for 36 holes of golf. He's always been a laid-back sort of guy."

Lane, however, was quick to reject these implications. "People can draw what conclusions they want. John Connolly flagged me last Christmas that he might be forced to make a call on his work commitments. There's no reason to be looking for any other explanation. There's no hidden agenda."