Erin’s Own appeal expulsion and fine to Council

ERIN’S OWN have written to the Munster Council to formally appeal the expulsion and fine imposed on them by the Cork County Board earlier this week.

Club secretary Martin Bowen confirmed that the club have sent a letter to the provincial body appealing the county board’s decision

“We met yesterday (Thursday) and as far as we’re concerned there’s a responsibility to take this as far as possible.

“We’ll be seeking to get the expulsion reversed as well as the fine. We think it’s absolutely ridiculous, we’re amateur people who are working practically full-time for the association.

“From our point of view, we’ve spent all our lives trying to get lads out playing hurling and football, and now for the sake of people deciding a rule is black and white, we’re being ejected, when we all know rules are changed on a daily basis.”

Mr Bowen said Erin’s Own are aware of a similar case in Tyrone in which a club ejected from the county championship was reinstated by the county board.

But the east Cork club are unlikely to cite the case in support of their appeal to the Munster Council.

“We feel our case will stand on its own merits,” said Mr Bowen. “We know what our lads have done for Cork, particularly Brian Corcoran over a long period, and the situation is self-explanatory. We feel this is a very serious issue.

“It’s a fact, we’re being penalised for having players good enough to play for Cork. We’re out and about trying to collect money for the club in order to keep the games going, but when something like this happens you really have to ask yourself what is it for?

“The club is completely unanimous on this, 100%, the officers are being backed absolutely. The letter has been sent in to the Munster Council so now it’s all up to them. We don’t know the mechanism involved once we’ve sent in the letter, but as far as we’re concerned the machinery is in motion now.

“After that it’s up to other people.”