Cats board will fight any Cody reprimand over ref outburst

Kilkenny will vigorously fight any proposed punishment against Brian Cody for his remarks about referee Barry Kelly.

The county have not yet received word from the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) about the possibility of the Kilkenny manager being asked to explain his comments, made in the wake of last month’s All-Ireland final replay win over Tipperary.

Cody described Kelly’s decision to aware Tipperary an injury-time free in the earlier drawn All-Ireland final as “criminal” but Kilkenny are quietly confident the James Stephens man won’t be reprimanded. However, a county board source said they will back their manager to the hilt, should he be hit with a recommended punishment by the CCCC. Several officials are known to share the same opinion of Kelly as Cody. At least one expressed to Croke Park the board’s concern about the possibility of the referee being appointed for the final before he was formally announced.