Fitzgerald pledges loyalty to Waterford’s cause

ON A night when the Waterford County Board unanimously ratified the appointment of two new county senior hurling selectors for 2010, team manager Davy Fitzgerald blasted those people – many of them within his own native Clare – who, he claims, have an agenda designed to try and knock him at every given opportunity.

Replacing Peter Queally and Maurice Geary, who have stood down as selectors, are former county hurler Pat Bennett of Ballysaggart and Mount Sion’s Paraic Fanning, grandson of former GAA president Pat Fanning and son of Phil Fanning, who has also previously served as a county selector.

There is no recommendation yet, however, for the job of team trainer vacated by Jerry Fitzpatrick, with Davy Fitzgerald telling last night’s meeting it is vital they make the right appointment to succeed “a very special person’’.

“This job of Waterford hurling manager is a huge one and, contrary to what some people are suggesting, the managerial job in Clare has never been an issue with me,” the former All Star goalkeeper told delegates at last night’s meeting in Dungarvan.

“I am more than happy and proud to have the Waterford job, and while we have a massive Munster semi-final task next June against a Clare side that will be buoyed up after the All-Ireland victory of their U21s this year, I hope to meet that task and that challenge head on.”

Fitzgerald said Clare will come out for that provincial semi-final fighting and with all guns blazing, but he will be doing everything in his power to ensure Waterford get over this semi-final hurdle and then go on to even greater things before the end of the championship year.

Reflecting on his time since he succeeded the ousted Justin McCarthy as manager in June 2008, Fitzgerald said the biggest challenge followed their disastrous All-Ireland final defeat to Kilkenny last year when player morale took a merciless battering.

“How we would react to that setback in this year’s championship was the question being most frequently asked,” said Fitzgerald.

“But, in reaching the All-Ireland semi-final and putting Kilkenny to the pin of their collars in a titanic game, the Waterford players had given the whole country the answer.”

Fitzgerald said in planning for the year ahead there will be no “special players” on the panel, with everyone being treated equally – contrary to what some people had been claiming in the past.

He said five or six players over the 30 age mark still have a whole lot to offer to the team in the coming year and for them there would be a special programme put in place with them joining the mainstream panel around the middle of next March.

“The challenges ahead next year are mighty for sure,” the manager said. “But, united, we can and will take them on with a fair measure of confidence.”

Meanwhile last night’s meeting also unanimously reappointed Mount Sion’s Jimmy Meaney as the Waterford minor hurling manager for 2010 when the county will be defending a provincial title the county won this year for the first time since 1948.