Meath row reaches crisis point

GAELIC GAMES: The stand-off between Meath county officials and new football manager Eamonn Barry has reached crisis point.

An executive meeting of the Meath officials last night recommended that next Monday's full county board meeting vote on the removal of Barry as manager.

The county executive have clearly taken the dispute to a new level by recommending such drastic action, and Barry's future as manager hangs in the balance.

Barry, however, stated earlier this week that he was willing to take a chance on the county board delegates re-approving him for the position should the impasse come to this.

The county executive have openly demonstrated their personal unwillingness to continue with Barry despite the development of an apparent peace deal yesterday, when the two men central to the dispute - Dessie Rogers and Martin Barry - withdrew their nominations as team physio and team coach respectively.

Barry was intent on adding Rogers and his own brother Martin to his backroom team, although the county executive committee had flatly rejected such a request. Barry's chances of staying on as manager appeared to decrease as the county executive refused to budge, but the withdrawal of the two nominations suggested the controversy had found its own solution.

Rogers met with Barry on Tuesday night to discuss the stand-off, and it was agreed the best thing to do was for Rogers to distance himself from the nomination as team physio. It emerged yesterday that Barry's brother Martin won't be going forward for an unspecified coaching role as he is concentrating instead on his role as manager of the St Patrick's club.

"Well I hope that's the end of it now," said Barry earlier last night, adding: "It does mean I'll have to go out and find another physio, although I do have one in mind and hopefully that can be ratified within the next week or so."

Neither the Meath officials nor Barry were willing to back down in any way since the stand-off first entered the public domain on Sunday evening. Having failed to accept their reasoning for not accepting Rogers and his brother, Barry threatened to stand down as manager, within three months of taking up the job.

Both Rogers and Martin Barry had fallen out with the county board after being involved in a dressing-room showdown back in 2003, which resulted in lengthy bans for both men.

Before meeting with Rogers on Tuesday night, Barry announced he had no intention of asking either man to step aside, blaming the whole issue on "GAA politics".

"We discussed the issue at length," said Barry yesterday, "and he agreed the best thing to do was not to go forward. Martin Barry made his own decision not to go forward as well. But I don't know how this will impact the county executive.

"I just intend continuing training the team until I get my new physio in place, and after that it's a matter for the county board whether or not they'll have a problem ratifying him."