Donegal say US are targeting players

Donegal County Board chairman John McConnell has expressed his stern opposition to financial awards being offered to club players to entice them into moving to the US this summer.

McConnell has reacted to the news that a number of football players from the county have signalled their intention to relocate Stateside for the summer - the most notable being inter-county defender Niall McCready. And it appears that certain financial rewards are the main reason for doing so.

"There seems to have been a concerted effort by clubs in the North American Board to poach players from the county," said McConnell. "I would have no problem with any player going overseas for the summer looking for work, especially students.

"But it is a different situation when players are openly being encouraged and targeted to go overseas for a limited number of months and with financial carrots being dangled in front of them."

Donegal football manager Declan Bonner also came out strongly against the current scenario. "The carrot seems to be in relation to bringing out players before April 20th in order to build up a strong home-based panel," said Bonner.

Games played in the US are 13-aside and on any given day 10 of those players must be home-based. Players like McCready - who has signed up with Donegal Boston - would be eligible for that classification if they arrive before the April date. There are rumours that other Donegal county players have been approached but Bonner declined to comment on them.

Players who wish to take up an offer from the North American or Canadian Board receive a sanction to play there for a minimum of 60 days and after that period it doesn't interfere with their involvement with inter-county or club participation back home.

Bonner has called up Paddy Campbell into the Donegal panel to replace McCready.

There are also suggestions that there was a similar incentive surrounding Niall Buckley's move to Chicago last week. The Kildare midfielder intends to play his football for the summer with the St Brendan's club and is therefore deemed unavailable for Kildare's championship campaign.

It was also learnt yesterday that the Kildare County Board have lodged an appeal against Anthony Rainbow's 12-week suspension handed down by the Games Administration Committee last Thursday.

Rainbow was given the suspension following his red card for an alleged kicking offence on Fermanagh's Rory Gallagher during the league game of February 13th.