Council defers most issues

CENTRAL COUNCIL MEETING: There was, as expected, no further movement on the matter of opening Croke Park to other sports at this weekend's meeting of the Central Council of the GAA.

Though UEFA will decide on Thursday the venue for the 2008 European soccer championship, the idea of using Croke Park remains out of bounds until the GAA's annual Congress next April - at the very earliest.

Central Council managed to avoid any major decisions at the weekend. A proposal on the future of the GAA in Dublin, worked out between the Strategic Review Committee and the Dublin County Board, was only tentatively discussed and will get more closer examination at a later date.

A decision on the use of Croke Park for Dublin's opening National Football League game against Armagh next February will also be decided at a later date in consultation with the stadium director, Peter McKenna.

In another matter, the GAA's Management Committee turned down a request to stage a fund-raising concert during next year's Special Olympics, mainly because of the fear of pitch damage, and outof consideration for the residents. GAA officials did confirm that the association would offer "some financial help" to the Special Olympics.

The GAA declared its full support for the EU's aims to improve the lot of the disabled, with the Management Committee pledging to upgrade all county grounds to provide full facilities for disabled patrons by the end of 2003.

While the Management Committee also stated their determination to rescue the Railway Cup competition from increasing obscurity, they decided to defer proposals for any sort of revamp until their next meeting.

It is also expected that the next Central Council meeting will address a motion from the GAA's Players Committee to increase the rate of expenses allowed to inter-county players, including a rise in the mileage rate from 38 cent a mile to 60 cent a mile.

The Dublin County convention takes place in Parnell Park tonight, which also marks the deadline for applications for the senior hurling manager position, as well as the county's new full-time director of hurling. The Thomas Davis club have submitted a motion seeking a new back-door system in the county championship similar to that in the current football championship.

Meanwhile, a delegate to yesterday's low-key Cork convention accused the county board of sweeping the problems regarding the county's hurlers under the carpet. Tommy Lyons (Clonakilty) said now was the right time for everything to be aired in public.

But he received little support, with Liam OTuama (Glen Rovers) saying there was a frank and open discussion at last Tuesday's board meeting and there was no need to bring it up again.

County secretary Frank Murphy made no response at convention, but interviewed on local radio yesterday, he said: "I would be very hopeful the problems will be resolved in a few days. The signs are positive of an early resolution. Smaller working groups will meet early this week."

Player issues also received an airing in Tipperary. The newly elected chairman of the Mid Tipperary Board, Johnny Doyle of Holycross-Ballycahill, stated that the ordinary club players in the GAA were getting a raw deal and would not take the same treatment for much longer.

Speaking after his election, Doyle - son of former Tipperary GAA hurling legend John Doyle - said that club players would not stay sitting around for much longer waiting for their championship games to be played while intercounty action continues.

Journalists who pried into the private life of former Tyrone manager Art McRory have been condemned by a leading official.

Tyrone County Board secretary Dominic McCaughey claimed attempts were made to intrude into McRory's privacy in a bid to glean details of his personal reasons for resigning as Tyrone manager last month. Having failed to elicit the information, McCaughey said some media outlets printed and broadcast reasons they attributed to 'sources'.