Familiar hands have cracked the Cork whip
Why? Why not “Ahhh! Another confrontational move by the county board, flying full in the face of the stated preference of the vast majority of the panel, completely and utterly ignoring their views!”?
When two players were appointed to the selection panel, they thought that this was so they would now have a real say in how things were done, that we would have no more destructive confrontation and everyone would be pulling in the same direction for the good of Cork hurling and football.
And this is how those players are treated? They are supposed to accept being swatted to one side? It’s only just over six months since the last ceasefire was brokered, the bone of contention at that time being the reversal of the agreed procedure whereby the incoming team manager would choose his own selectors, rather than having them appointed by the board. At the time it was football at issue, with Teddy Holland falling victim to the dispute before peace was agreed.
Several weeks ago the process began to find a new senior hurling manager, following the end of term for Gerald McCarthy. From conversations with several players, the following is what has happened over those few weeks.
Even at the end of last season the players as a group were unhappy under McCarthy. Where just a few years previously, Cork had been the benchmark for others in hurling, setting new standards in the way training and matches were approached, now they felt those standards were slipping. They didn’t speak out, however, for two reasons: one, they liked McCarthy and secondly they felt it wasn’t really their place — they had tried the patience of the Cork GAA public so best to leave this one to the appropriate people charged with advancing Cork hurling. So, they played on this year. Like 2007, it wasn’t a successful year for Cork by their own high standards. While they accept that they are the ones on the field, the problems, they claim – and they have said this to McCarthy himself — begin off it, in the level of preparation.
When it came round to picking a new manager, the players felt that this would be a perfect time for change. McCarthy’s term had expired. What actually happened, however, left them feeling utterly frustrated. At the first meeting only one name was proposed – Gerald McCarthy.
They felt that change was needed. At the very least they felt there should be some choice, and several meetings were spent discussing this. Eventually it was put to the players: ‘ye come up with a few names, we’ll make a list, but Gerald’s name will be at the top, the first man to be interviewed’.
With McCarthy having already indicated his willingness to take on the role again, the players felt this was a total waste of time – he would be appointed, everything else was just window-dressing. Farcical, they felt, so they walked, took no further part in the process.
The two players who were involved in negotiations, however, did talk face-to-face with McCarthy, told him of their concerns with his methods, which left him hurt and disappointed. Subsequent to that meeting, a delegation of ten players, a mixture of the old and the new, also went to talk to McCarthy, and again they expressed their views, and again McCarthy was upset. Surely all this was avoidable? The players absolutely did not want to hurt Gerald McCarthy in any way and have huge respect for him but they felt backed into a corner, hoped that by appealing to him he would step aside. They misjudged their man, however; he speaks mildly, but anyone who ever saw Gerald McCarthy play knows he can take care of himself. He does not back down.
Was this avoidable? Absolutely, had the county board paid due notice to the players. What’s going to happen now? Retirements, that’s the word, retirements. Nobody can be under any doubt at this stage that this particular group of players have the best interests of Cork hurling at heart, but equally, nobody should be under any doubt that they are finally fed up of all the shenanigans, all the politics.
Despite what the knockers say, they didn’t sign up for that, looks like a lot of them are about to sign off. The real victims in all of this? Teddy Holland last March, Gerald McCarthy this October, or the players, hurling and football? Well, all will suffer, but the real victims, as always, are the loyal Cork GAA followers. The real perpetrators? Well, would anyone out there tell me that the players got a fair crack of the whip here? The whip is being cracked alright, but it’s back in familiar hands.
Contact diarmuid.oflynn@examiner.ie
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