GAELIC GAMES CORK STAND-OFF:THE 2008 Cork hurling panel last night urged the Cork public to push for change at Cork County Board level in a bid to resolve the stand-off as they presented a united front and re-iterated their determination not to play under current coach, Gerald McCarthy.

All 30 members of the panel attended a press briefing at the Maryborough House Hotel at which 2008 captain, John Gardiner read a statement in which the panel said they would be issuing invitations to all chairpersons of clubs in Cork to meet with them to discuss the current impasse.

But Gardiner confirmed that if the 2008 players don’t have the support of the Cork hurling public in their demand for Gerald McCarthy to step down or if the county board support him again at some future meeting, then 2008 players would disband as a group. “We do not and will not hold any ill feeling personally towards any of the people involved in Cork hurling, including any player currently with the Cork set-up or who might return should we so disband,” said Gardiner in the statement.

Donal Óg Cusack said that if people supported the players, then they need to get their clubs to put motions forward calling for Gerald McCarthy to be removed and ensure the way the county board does its business is changed forever. Asked what sort of time frame the players were giving the Cork public to indicate their support, Cusack said it was difficult to put any firm time frame on it but he conceded it would be difficult to achieve if it hadn’t happened by the time the Munster championship starts. “It’s a very hard thing for us to say but if we’re not playing championship for Cork then that’s it,” said Cusack.

Among those who spoke were many of the younger players such as Cathal Naughton, Shane O’Neill, Kevin Canty, Martin Coleman, Pa Cronin and Kevin Hartnett who said they were offended by comments by McCarthy that they were being pressurised by the older players in the squad.

Gardiner explained in the statement that the players were seeking to set the record straight regarding some of the comments made recently by McCarthy and other members of the management team. “We did not object to or in any way undermined the management for 2007 and 2008 and we assisted in every way possible with any difficulties as regards team management during that period,” said the panel in their statement.

The players said that they had entered the selection process for the 2009 hurling manager as agreed by Kieran Mulvey in his arbitration findings in early 2008 and players reps took part in a number of meetings until it became clear that there was process really involved.

The panel said the board executive clearly viewed the matter as a vote and there was no process involved in either the selection or assessment of candidates and the board decided to force a vote on the only candidate despite the players’ reps making it clear the players didn’t want McCarthy.

“The board may argue that they have technically complied with the process in the usual ‘rule book’ way but they certainly did not comply with the spirit of it and accordingly, we have always maintained that the appointment of the current manager was flawed.”

The players pointed out that the board executive ratified Gerald McCarthy despite the fact that he was the only person in Cork whom the panel had definitively stated that they did not want as manager, having had two years of his management. And they pointed out that no Cork player publicly criticised McCarthy after the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kilkenny and they only commented on his ability as a coach when they were left with no option after the board executive insisted on ramming his selection through.

The players said that much had been done to portray them as “a troublesome group” but they had made no complaint about the set-up from 2003 to 2006 when they contested a total of eight provincial and All-Ireland finals, winning five of them.

PLAYERS' LETTER

“Dear Gerald, We acknowledge receipt of your letter. Given the seriousness of the issues at hand and the fact that the thirty players in question remain steadfast in their stand, this correspondence does not alter the situation in any way.

In fact, the haste with which the letter was leaked for publicity purposes has, if anything, merely compounded matters.

Can we remind you that our passion for the Cork jersey remains as strong as ever. There are no men within our County more committed to that jersey than the 30 players who received your letter and I can assure all involved that the anguish they are suffering at the moment is intense and real.

However, our commitment to the principle by which we took this stand, is total, and the pain being felt by the players serves only to deepen their resolve.

We want to play for Cork and we want to win for Cork. We will not stand in the way of any player who wishes to play for Cork in those circumstances but our loyalty to each other, to our County and to our cause will not be tested.”