Laois chiefs bid to quell U21 player row

LAOIS GAA chiefs were was meeting in emergency session late last night in a bid to resolve a tug-of-war battle between the senior and U21 football management that is threatening to spiral out of control.

Ahead of their All-Ireland semi-final against Cork on Sunday, the U21 management is fuming at Mick O’Dwyer and the seniors for bringing some of their players to Killarney for the league semi-final defeat by Kerry.

Sources say that, last October, agreement was reached between O’Dwyer and his U21 counterpart Sean Dempsey that the underage outfit would have first call on all their players as they bid for what would be the county’s first ever All-Ireland in the grade.

When Laois defeated Longford in the Leinster U21 final last month, it is claimed that Dempsey informed his panel that they were not to report for senior duty until after their own campaign ended.

A handful of players, such as the two Colm Kellys and Donie Brennan, had featured occasionally for the seniors in the Allianz League to that point, but Dempsey reiterated his instructions after training last Friday, telling his players that no-one was to travel with the senior team to Kerry the following day.

The seniors, who have been hit by a litany of injuries and withdrawals in recent weeks, trained later on Friday evening. After that session, county chairman Dick Miller, secretary Niall Handy and football board chairman Joe O’Dwyer reportedly approached Mick O’Dwyer and asked him who he needed from the U21 panel.

The Kerry man told the officers that he needed half a dozen and, when Dempsey protested at this, he was told that the county executive had the authority to overrule him on the matter.

O’Dwyer confirmed yesterday that he had requested a small number of U21s be drafted in, as the seniors were “in dire trouble” with injuries.

“That is the only reason they were brought. The two Colm Kellys started up front, but they only played for half an hour, and because Laois were into the wind, they didn’t see a lot of action anyway.

“The U21s have done their own thing this season, by agreement, and I haven’t put in on them in any way. I think this is a bit of a storm in a teacup,” suggested the Laois boss.

However, it has emerged that at least one of the U21 players was contacted by phone over the weekend and put under what one source called “intolerable pressure” not to take the field at Fitzgerald Stadium.

U21 selector John Mulligan had threatened to resign if any of their players featured against Kerry. In the event, the two Kellys started while Donie Brennan, sub goalkeeper Colm Munnelly, Cathal Ryan and Mark Timmons spent the afternoon on the bench.

The U21s trained in Stradbally yesterday morning and neither Mulligan nor any of the four who travelled to the game in Fitzgerald Stadium were present, although one source has denied that there is any issue with the players at all and that Mulligan had not stepped down.

The biggest losers in all of this are undoubtedly the young players involved, but the drama could have serious repercussions for Laois’ U21 aspirations as Cork await around the corner in next week’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Dempsey and Mulligan have coached this group of players ever since U14 level where they captured a Leinster title and they have won every grade since, including a minor All-Ireland title three years ago.