GAA:The Cork county board will meet tonight to bring to an end the dispute that has blighted the county's GAA for the past three months.

The in camera meeting is expected to vote for the removal of the football management it appointed last November.

This has been brought about by football manager Teddy Holland and his selectors last night declining to step down in line with the binding arbitration of LRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey, which was delivered yesterday.

"I met my selectors and we decided unanimously not to resign," said Holland afterwards. "The county board can do whatever it needs to do at the next meeting probably tomorrow."

It was clear however that he does not envisage being in charge of the footballers after tonight. In a statement released last night he had a parting cut at the football panel, which had resisted his appointment because of the contentious new procedures under which it had taken place.

"The notion that the players somehow monopolise a desire to win is a myth," ran the statement. "Last year's All-Ireland final was the most chaotic, abject capitulation in the history of Cork football. It lacked all the qualities which I stand for and which I hope the players can learn in time. In their more honest moments, the players might reflect on their performances that day and use them as a motivation to drive them forward."

Although the departure of his management had been the likely solution to the impasse for quite a while Holland himself had ruled out resignation as had the county board on the basis that the appointment back in November had been made properly on procedural grounds even if it had become clear that the players were in dispute with the proposed new system of appointment.

"No good cause would be served," according to yesterday's arbitration, "in the short, medium or long term by continuous assertion that the appointments made were in accordance with the rules and decisions of the board when practical effect cannot be given to these decisions or when those primarily affected by the decisions for whatever reasons will not be bound by them or adhere to their application."

Mulvey's attitude to Holland was nonetheless extremely sympathetic, absolving him of any culpability in the situation that had developed.

"It should be noted by all," runs the arbitration, "that the players have indicated that they have no issue with Ted Holland or the team of selectors, all of whom have served Cork GAA with honour and distinction, in relation to their expertise and capability to fulfil the roles to which the Board has appointed them.

"The challenge for me is to issue a finding which will resolve this dispute and, taking all the foregoing into account therefore, it is with a deep feeling of sincere regret that I now believe that the present football management team should step aside and thereby contribute their essential and key assistance in resolving this dispute."

Rumours that the agreement had hit a snag began to circulate after the expected time of announcement of early morning to lunchtime passed by without any developments. This was later explained as being simply a need for re-drafting.

The arbitration also made some interesting observations on the origins of the dispute and held that both sides had contributed to its escalation.

"The Board was entitled to appoint a Manager in accordance with their rules and procedures and, in this respect; they have acted in a legitimate fashion. It was unwise, however, to proceed to do so in view of the players' stated opposition and their view of the "understanding" the players believed they had obtained in relation to future management/selector appointments, arising from the outcome of the "2002 Dispute."

"The players for their part made the position equally difficult by threatening and actioning the "strike" option so early in their dispute with the Board and by then asking the Board to revisit the selection decision and process.

Overall the arbitration featured an emphatic victory for the players' concerns that led to the long-running dispute.

As well as recommending that Holland and his management team step down, Mulvey decided that a new manager should choose his own selectors, a reversal of the decision taken by the county board last October that it should pick the whole management team, a move that triggered the crisis to follow.

The arbitration also proposed that a new football manager be appointed as quickly as possible according to the new structures proposed in the memorandum of understanding that was drawn up 10 days ago but which was not accepted by the players as being the basis of returning as long as Holland and his selectors remained. The memorandum provides for two players' representatives to sit on the appointments' committee that chooses the new manager.

Main points of arbitration

1) Teddy Holland and selectors to stand down: ".... it is with a deep feeling of sincere regret that I now believe that the present football management team should step aside and thereby contribute their essential and key assistance in resolving this dispute."

2) New manager to choose his own selectors: "A football manager should be appointed for the 2008 season by the appointments committee in the manner proposed in the Memorandum of Understanding. The manager thus appointed should then pick his own selectors. This should be done as a matter of urgency."

3) Players not to strike as long as the county board abides by this arbitration: "The players agree not to invoke any strike process in future where it is clear that the terms of this arbitration memorandum have been adhered to by the board."