Cork players set to meet executive

NEWS: The next stage of negotiations in resolving the GAA players strike in Cork will see the county executive sitting down with representatives from the football and hurling panels. The date for that meeting will be set early next week, after this Sunday's Cork annual convention when the new members of the county executive will take up their positions.

Yesterday brought a little calm to the storm after a week of meetings that started last Friday with the entire hurling panel, and ended on Wednesday with the entire football panel, voting to withdraw their services until their demands for better treatment are met by the county board. The hurlers have agreed to resume talks with the county executive, and the footballers have agreed to join in too.

Speaking yesterday, the Cork football captain, Colin Corkery, denied any request or pressure for support had come from the hurling panel.

"It was left up to ourselves," he said. "At our meeting of the football panel on Wednesday night we felt we had no choice but to support them, and go all the way with them. We have the same demands as the hurlers, except for any change in the management set-up. And we're governed under the same board, so it was appropriate we go in together.

"The plan now is early next week to go into negotiations together as both footballers and hurlers."

Corkery was also confident the joint stand would improve the players' negotiating power, and that together they could make the county board meet their demands.

It has been confirmed, however, that the football panel has three additional requests - beyond what the hurlers are seeking. At this stage neither Corkery nor any of the football panel were willing to detail the nature of those requests, but they may prove to be further sticking points in the negotiations.

Last month Corkery put on record his dissatisfaction with the role of current senior football sponsors O2, but a meeting with the company representatives on Tuesday night appears to have cleared the air on that issue. It is also known that the footballers are particularly aggrieved over loss of earnings incurred in intercounty duties, yet the county executive has repeatedly claimed that such an issue falls under the remit of Central Council.

Incoming board chairman Jim Forbes had already suggested the negotiating teams be limited to four per side, a move which would also speed up the resolution process, but with the footballers also joining the negotiations such a reduction may not be possible.

While Forbes also remains optimistic that the crisis can reach a swift resolution, the decision of the football panel to turn down his invitation for talks prior to the strike action suggests the likelihood of a more drawn-out process.

Forbes had contacted members of the football panel by telephone on Wednesday, but their decision to press ahead with strike action before rather than after any negotiations clearly suggests the high level of distrust that exists.

Meanwhile, the GAA's management committee meets today and tomorrow ahead of tomorrow afternoon's meeting of Central Council. There may be some reference to the issue of opening Croke Park for the 2008 European soccer championships, but any decision on the matter remains strictly in the hands of the Annual Congress next April.

Later today in Croke Park, the draws will take place for the 2003 Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups - the GAA's third-level football and hurling competitions - as well as the announcement of new sponsors, Datapac. A total of 21 teams will contest the Sigerson Cup, with the finals to be staged by UCC on the weekend of March 8th.

The Fitzgibbon Cup, which will involve 14 colleges, will be concluded the week before at a venue still to be confirmed.