Fitzy gets Déise stamp of approval

IT TOOK delegates less than 15 minutes at last night’s meeting of the Waterford County Board to ratify the re-appointment of Davy Fitzgerald as senior hurling manager for a two-year term.

There was, however, strong criticism voiced by some delegates about what they regarded as the “physicality’’ of the tactics adopted under Fitzgerald for this season’s All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary and the final against Kilkenny.

One of the critics was Ardmore delegate Jay Prendergast, an uncle of Waterford players Declan and Seamas Prendergast.

“We had a lot of complaining and a lot to say back in 1998 about the same type of tactics used against us in our Munster championship meetings with Clare,’’ he said. “I don’t want to see us going down that same road’’.

The issue was also raised by Tramore’s Paddy Dunphy, who said that while Fitzgerald deserved the highest praise for guiding the team to the All-Ireland final in just three months in charge, there was a lot of disquiet about the tactics adopted even before the ball was thrown in against Tipperary and Kilkenny.

County chairman Pat Flynn responded: “These are the sort of things that will need to be ironed out, including the preparation of the team and team tactics. All that he achieved in his short time with us has the executive convinced he now deserves the chance to manage the team for the next two years’’.

Confirming Fitzgerald’s willingness to accept the job, the county chairman said that no one else had been either interviewed or considered.

Flynn added: “Given all of the work that he put into it for the three months, we are more than happy to recommend him as manager.”

The chairman said that a recommendation regarding selectors would be before the November board meeting, but it had not been decided whether the committee would comprise three or five members.

Queried as to the cost implications of appointing the manager, the chairman assured delegates that they are watching all of their costs very closely.

“So far,’’ he added, “the manager has been very understanding in all of that’’.

The chairman went on: “We know exactly the state of our finances and they will not be allowed to run wild. We are more than happy to have Davy Fitzgerald on board again and I am confident that we can, and will, continue to go forward under his managerial leadership.”

No decision is expected in the immediate future on the position of Cork hurling manager.

Gerald McCarthy’s two-year term ended with the All-Ireland SHC semi-final defeat to Kilkenny, but the seven-man committee appointed by the Cork County Board to select a new manager has not yet come up with the name of a possible replacement. The committee includes two players for the first time, goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack and captain John Gardiner. There has been speculation as to whether McCarthy will take the team for a third season, but an announcement is not likely before the end of this week at the earliest, and it is more probable that a decision would be revealed to a county board meeting which is scheduled for October 21.

The large attendance at last night’s Meath County Board meeting in Simonstown went away none the wiser as regards Colm Coyle’s successor as the new Meath senior football team manager.

The management committee convened before the full meeting and it was anticipated that the name of the proposed new boss would be put before the delegates for ratification.

Although Luke Dempsey and Eamonn O’Brien were thought to be the front runners, there was no white smoke following the latest deliberations with the committee apparently divided on the appointment.

“We are not in a position to present a candidate to this meeting,” said chairman Bernie Allen who added that there would be further discussion on the matter.