Cork hurlers may miss out on cup

News: The Cork hurlers' participation in the Waterford Crystal Cup is in serious jeopardy as long as the players' strike continues.

Several of the Cork county executive are on the footballers' team holiday in South America, so negotiations will continue this week but it's unlikely that a resolution can be reached before the first-round tie against Limerick IT on January 10th.

That match, initially scheduled for this Sunday, was put back to enable a breakthrough on the issue of the board imposing selectors on the manager.

Former football manager Billy Morgan withdrew his candidacy for the position and was replaced by Teddy Holland. Incumbent hurling manager Gerald McCarthy has already stated his intention to step down should a similar edict be imposed upon the hurling management once his term concludes next year.

McCarthy was unwilling to comment on the matter yesterday but he may yet field a team of players not on the 2007 30-man panel. The hurlers have yet to reconvene for collective training.

"I can't see it being sorted before the National League unless some form of outside mediator is brought in," said 1999 All-Ireland-winning Cork captain Mark Landers. ". . . and not from the GPA (Gaelic Players Association ) but from Croke Park."

A GAA spokesman stated yesterday the dispute remains an internal issue for the Cork County Board and there will be no official involvement. However, if Cork are unable to field a team for competition that situation would have to change. This could become a reality next week.

"Allowing the county manager to choose his own selectors was cast in stone after the 2002 strike," continued Landers, who was a key figure during that dispute.

"This all seemed to start with removal of the county champions' ability to choose the Cork captain and a selector. It was then thrown in at the end of that.

"That is the only real issue for the players. Every forward-thinking county lets the manager name his own selectors. He doesn't need additional individual problems that could originate from a selector chosen by the county board.

"The players' stance proves they want the management to be part of the team. There should be no divide between players and selectors as they are all in it together."

The joint strike by the Cork footballers and hurlers became a reality when club delegates voted 79-35 in favour of imposing selectors on an intercounty manager on November 20th.

Also on that night Ballinascarthy clubman Holland was confirmed as the new football manager with "some input" into choosing selectors along with a seven-man committee, whose final decision must still be approved by the county executive.

The only public utterance from either side since was a terse statement from county PRO Bob Ryan stating that talks are ongoing. A players' committee of three senior hurlers and three senior footballers met six representatives of the county board before Christmas.

Several other county boards around the country will be watching how the Cork situation plays out as repeated grumblings about the power wielded by intercounty managers was evident in 2007.

"They do have too much control when it comes to club fixtures and the county board needs to dig its heals in to protect the lifeblood of the game," added Landers.

Another official meeting between the respective parties is scheduled for early next week.