Fogarty critical of Farrell and GPA

The recent awarding of the Government players grant scheme continues to draw criticism with GAA presidential candidate Seán Fogarty last night claiming "there are still some areas that need to be addressed".

While the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) last week formally withdrew their threat of strike action following the agreement with the Government and the GAA, they didn't escape some fresh criticism from Fogarty, who told delegates at the Tipperary County Board convention in Thurles last night that some of the comments from the GPA during and after the recent grants negotiations were "intemperate" and "deeply disappointing and grossly offensive to many decent hard-working GAA officials and supporters".

While stating that he strongly supports the concept of player welfare, Fogarty also warned "we need to be very careful not to introduce professionalism and pay-for-play by the back door".

He was also critical of the GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell for labelling people in Ulster with "genuine concerns" about the future of the GAA's amateur ethos as a "small rump of malcontents". Fogarty said these words were "provocative and unnecessary" and hailed the people in Ulster for putting "their personal safety on the line to promote our games during the troubles in their province".

Fogarty also insisted that if the GAA is to embrace an official body to represent players, then the GPA must have its own constitution "with the ideals and objectives of the GAA".

Meanwhile, the GAA's Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) have yet to confirm when they will meet to hear the challenge from a group also opposed to the players grants scheme. The unlikely challenge was lead by Tyrone men Mark Conway and Donal McAnallen, who are arguing that the GAA's Central Council didn't have the authority to make a decision on the issue, and which they claim, is in contravention of Rule 11, which refers to the GAA's amateur status.

Conway was involved in the meeting in Antrim held earlier this month to outline opposition against the GAA's grants, and has since resigned from the Club Tyrone funding group last week, while McAnallen quit his third level GAA role. And Sunday's Fermanagh County Board unanimously passed a motion calling on "all units of the association to debate the current grant aid to county players issue".

The Enniskillen Gaels motion had been drafted by Fermanagh county player and journalist Colm Bradley, who remains a vocal opponent of the grants scheme.

Meanwhile, the Cork County Board executive are due to hold talks with members of the county's striking football and hurling teams tomorrow evening in a bid to resolve the ongoing row over the appointment of team managements.

Kerry's former All-Ireland winning manager Jack O'Connor has been confirmed as the new manager of club team Kerins O'Rahilly's.