Mediation attempts fail on future of Anthony Cunningham

A last-ditch attempt to convene discussions between Galway hurlers and county officials failed on Thursday and the controversy over Anthony Cunningham’s management will go to Monday’s county committee meeting, possibly with no recommendation from the hurling board.

Moves were made to try to break the stalemate after yesterday morning’s statement from the county that the mediation attempts, which had been announced nearly a month ago, had come to nothing.

“The mediation process has concluded and the Independent Mediator has determined that despite best efforts, there was little, if no, possibility of the parties reaching common agreement on the substantive issue,” the statement read.

“At this stage, all reasonable efforts have been made to resolve the impasse. The county committee will meet again on Monday evening next, 16 November, to make a decision on the matter.”

The players, who have been holding out for the resignation of Cunningham, are not believed to be interested in pursuing compromise on the matter and efforts to achieve engagement on that basis on Thursday were always likely to be unavailing.

As things stand the county committee will meet next Monday to decide on the next move, which as things stand will have to be either the backing or sacking of the manager, who was ratified by the same committee only last month.

Wednesday night’s hurling board discussed the situation and the three issues raised by the players, believed to be: communication, man management and the treatment of fringe players.

Although the meeting was divided on the substantive matter, there was also a feeling that the issues needed further clarification, with arguments being made that Cunningham had ‘man managed’ a considerable overhaul of the team this year and had led the fringe players to an intermediate All-Ireland success, as that team was also managed by him and was effectively the senior seconds.

In the absence though of any consensus, the board is unlikely to be in a position to bring forward a recommendation to next Monday’s full meeting of the county committee.

With the players showing no signs of backing down, the meeting may well decide that Cunningham’s position has become untenable.

Galway are due to play Dublin in the experimental ‘Super 11s’ at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox on Sunday week, November 22nd. An attendance of around 25,000 is expected and Galway have confirmed they will play the fixture although who will be in charge remains to be seen.