Murphy: player opposition emerged at third meeting

AFTER initially opposing the idea of giving Convention an overview of the manager selection process undertaken by the five officers and the two player representatives, Secretary Frank Murphy gave a brief summary of five meetings held over a period of three weeks.

Revealing that there had been a unanimous decision at the first meeting that Gerald McCarthy would be asked if he wished to continue, he said there had been a positive response from the player representatives.

It was only at the third meeting that some opposition was voiced but it was a constructive meeting at which the players talked about establishing a centre of excellence.

They also said they had in mind what he described as ‘a rather elaborate plan’ in relation to team management which they were asked to develop and bring forward to the following meeting.

“I must say this, that the members representing the Board, the five people, agreed in principle to put that plan into operation. We also agreed that either the Board Executive would talk to Gerald McCarthy and discuss with him the putting into operation of that plan, or, if they preferred, that the players themselves would discuss it with Gerald McCarthy. Either way, the executive members present were prepared in principle to accept and to recommend it to the Board. That was on the basis that the manager who was outgoing would be re-appointed.”

Pointing out that the fourth meeting didn’t conclude because one of the players had a business appointment, Murphy said that it was at the fifth meeting that there was disagreement. Stressing that the meetings followed the decisions and the spirit of Kieran Mulvey’s binding agreement, the board reversed its decision taken last year not to allow the manager pick his own selectors.

“Insofar as the appointment of team management is concerned, the Appointments Committee consider who is best to do the job, they make a decision and they offer it to the person they consider to be the best person. If that person accepts the position it’s the end of the process. If he doesn’t accept, then the Committee consider the next person they consider to be appropriate.”

However, when it came to the fifth meeting, the players felt that the appointment of the manager should be on the basis of interview — of five people including the interviewing of Gerald McCarthy. The other five members were of the opinion that normal procedures should be followed and that it should not go to interview.

“This is where the disagreement is,” he said, adding that apart from the legality of McCarthy’s appointment, he didn’t see what the five people would be doing interviewing him as one of the five people when it was obvious ‘that some members of the committee didn’t want him under any circumstances’.

“Gerald McCarthy was proposed and seconded. A vote was taken and he had five votes. The two players did not vote and they left the meeting.”

Subsequently the Board voted 88-6 to confirm his appointment.