Cork games on as Bowen quits GPC
Last night’s county board meeting voted 41 votes to 37 to play the Erin’s Own game, while Blackrock’s request was well beaten 61 votes to 10. Prior to the vote, Erin’s Own delegate Martin Bowen resigned as a member of the General Purposes Committee.
In making a strong case for a postponement, Mr Bowen said two of their players, Brian Corcoran and Kieran Murphy, were injured on inter-county duty last Sunday and deserved special consideration.
“We have lost the services of two very important players because of their involvement with the county and will be in dire straights without them,” he said.
When it was pointed out by chairman Jim Forbes that it would be setting a dangerous precedent to postpone the game, Mr Bowen argued that precedents had been set. “There must be a bit of give and take and I’m pleading with the board to put our game back.”
In a letter read to the meeting by county secretary Frank Murphy, Mr. Bowen who is also Erin’s Own secretary, said his club would not be in a position to fulfil the fixture. “We have nine players who are members of various inter-county teams and have co-operated fully with every selection committee. We are now looking for something in return.”
Bride Rovers delegate John Arnold pleaded that the game be postponed. “We were all over the moon 12 months ago when Brian Corcoran came out of retirement to help the county win the All-Ireland. He has done more for Cork hurling over the last 10 years than anyone else and deserves the chance to play with his club.”
Mr Murphy, while very sympathetic towards the clubs, was conscious of the board’s responsibility to progress the county championships.
“It’s not fair to suggest that the GAC and the Executive are jeopardising Cork’s chances of winning the All-Ireland final. We examined the situation and have no other choice but to play the four quarter-finals.
“It would be a very dangerous deviation to change board’s policy stretching back to the 1960s where games were not postponed because of injuries to players. It would be a very dangerous precedent to set and would throw the fixtures programme into chaos.”
Blackrock delegate Tom O’Sullivan also made a passionate plea to have their game with St. Finbarr’s postponed because of injuries, one of which Wayne Sherlock picked up while on inter-county duty. He accused the GAC of moving the goalposts. “Clubs are being pushed aside more and more and a stand-off between them and the board is imminent,” he said.
Mr Forbes agreed it was unfortunate for clubs, but said Cork’s success was a major part of the problem.
