Cork Board gets go-ahead for St Colman’s anniversary game
It is understood that the Cork County Board pressed for the game to go ahead, after pointing out to the CCCC that it was not a ‘proper’ inter-county game.
The willingness of the board to pursue the matter will heighten expectations that Rebels boss Gerald McCarthy is in a position to field a team for the game, which is being played to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Cork college.
The CCCC originally rejected an application from Cork to allow the game to go ahead on the grounds that the match was in breach of the intercounty close season but the game appeared to have caused confusion in Croke Park from the outset, with last week GAA president Nickey Brennan claiming that the game could go ahead because it was a “special” event.
Yesterday Brennan confirmed that the fixture had not been deemed a proper inter-county fixture when the CCCC were asked to revisit the fixture: “That’s the situation. It is being seen as a game between two selections in a special event to mark the contribution that St Colman’s have made to Cork hurling.
“To be fair to the college, this match was the cornerstone of their celebrations and a lot of organisation and preparation has gone into it.”
Cork PRO Bob Ryan said that the game was going ahead as it had previously been approved by the authorities in Croke Park as a special event, adding that the game did not breach the close season rules.
“We’re delighted that it’s going ahead, St Colman’s was, and remains, a bastion of hurling in Cork,” said Ryan.
Stressing that there would be a Cork team for the game, Ryan said the make-up of the team was a matter for Gerald McCarthy. With a county board meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, Ryan said it was possible that McCarthy would propose two new selectors at that meeting to replace Martin Bowen, who has stepped down, and Donal Collins, who is not expected to go forward.
It is the first time in the three disputes that have taken place that Cork will put out a team in defiance of the players, and the board is likely to offer this as evidence of the lack of support the players have in their current stance, especially after Cork’s only All-Star recipient this year, Ben O’Connor, said in a recent interview with the Irish Examiner that the players would be ‘disappointed’ if others took their place in the present circumstances.
St Colman’s yesterday confirmed that they had been told that a “Cork selection” would be available to fulfil the fixture.
Meanwhile, former Cork selector Martin Bowen has said that while Father Time was moving on for some Cork players, he would hope that if certain players decided not to make themselves available (for the St Colman’s game), that they would leave it at that and not bring any influence to bear on players who were willing to answer the call.
Bowen also called yesterday for the Cork players to take responsibility for their displays over the last two seasons.
“Much has been written about the defeats and the blame placed on Gerald, yet it is quite extraordinary that no comment has been made on the great victories this year and no credit given to the coach for them,” he said.
The Erin’s Own clubman added: “Players have to be open to be coached, they have to willingly enter into the coaching regime. It is simply not good enough for players to pick and choose what parts of coaching instructions they want to follow.”
Bowen also said that Gerald McCarthy had wanted to bring in a sports psychologist to speak to the team during last season, and that Cathal O’Reilly had only been brought in as a facilitator when that option fell through. He also said that in Gerald McCarthy’s two years in charge, new training initiatives were not “fully embraced” by the players.
The St Colman’s-Cork game is scheduled for Páirc Mhic Ghearailt, Fermoy on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 2.30 pm. Admission is €10, Students/OAPs €5 and schoolchildren are free. Tickets may be purchased at the gate or directly from the College.
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