Dubs call Fennell despite club row

MIDFIELDER Eamon Fennell will again feature for Dublin against Meath in tonight’s O’Byrne Cup replay despite the escalating controversy surrounding his attempted club transfer.

Fennell has been seeking a move from the O’Toole’s club for three seasons but his latest attempt to make the switch to St Vincent’s was defeated by a vote of the county board on Monday.

A split ballot of 33 for and 33 against left chairman Gerry Harrington with the final casting vote and the Cork native duly decided not to sanction the player’s switch.

Fennel is currently eligible to play for the county due to the fact that O’Toole’s have not yet played any senior fixtures this year but that will change if and when they do and the player refuses to play, which he has already indicated he will.

Dublin regulations state that a player must be available to play for his club if he can be selected for the county side.

The county board released a statement on the matter yesterday, stating that:

“A county committee has the right, acting within its Bye-Law, to grant or not to grant an application for transfer. The committee refused to grant the transfer application.

“The Dublin Transfer Byelaw states:

“As the GAA is community centred, based on the allegiance of its members to their local clubs, the object of which is to promote the association’s aims at local level, the transfer rules in the Official Guide and this Bye-Law reflect that ethos. A player is considered to always owe allegiance and loyalty to the club he first legally participated with in club competition.”

Fennell could now opt to take his case to the DRA but this latest setback could have a disastrous effect on his inter-county career at a stage when he has finally managed some regular game time.

Manager Pat Gilroy has previously stated that the player will continue to be considered until he is told differently by officials and Fennell was last night duly named in the squad for the game in Navan 24 hours after the county vote.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton, C Reilly, P Conlon, N O’Connor, S O’Shaughnessy, P Casey, C McCormack, B Sexton, S Murray, D Murray, D Carrigan, E Fennell, T Diamond, J Brogan, L óg Ó h’Eineachain, D Kelly, B Brogan, R McConnell, D Daly, A Kerins, J McCarthy, C Guckian, C Daly, K Bonner.