Déise keeping faith in Fitzgerald

DAVY FITZGERALD’S spell as Waterford senior hurling manager has been extended into a fourth championship season following last night’s specially convened meeting of the County Board.

He was appointed for a one-year term, holding off three other challengers in former Kilkenny All-Ireland medal winner Eddie O’Connor, Mount Sion’s Jim Greene, and Michael Ryan of Fourmilewater.

It took the delegates less than 15 minutes to rubber-stamp his reappointment. The meeting also heard an impassioned plea by one delegate for “everyone in the camp to unite and go forward as one’’ into next year’s league and championship campaigns.

“Its time to set personal agendas aside,’’ said De La Salle’s Seamus Quirke. “Time also to start afresh, leaving the past behind and to create a new era for Waterford hurling’.’

Fitzgerald has been at the helm since a player revolt ousted Justin McCarthy in June 2008. That year he guided the team to a first All-Ireland final since 1963, and while that ended in annihilation by Kilkenny, he has had the satisfaction of leading the county to a fourth Munster championship success in nine years this season.

His term ended with last month’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Tipperary – one that brought a lot of criticism on his head for the tactics deployed in that game.

While there were no dissenting voices over the proposal to appoint Fitzgerald, serious concerns about the direction the county team has been taking in the last few years were voiced by the Dungarvan club chairman.

John O’Brien said many people in the county have been “amazed’’ at the extent the senior hurling team has gone back in the last two years.

“We have lost the ability to turn out skilful teams, and whereas Waterford hurling teams were once loved and respected all over the country for the quality of their play, the standards have come down dramatically in the last few years,” O’Brien said. “When we came up against the counties that really mattered, we failed.”

County chairman Tom Cunningham, who along with vice chairman John O’Leary, secretary Timmy O’Keeffe, and treasurer Michael Hogan interviewed all four managerial nominations, said the recommendation of the committee was that Fitzgerald be appointed.

Asked by former county chairman James Tobin if the recommendation from the subcommittee was a unanimous one, Cunningham replied, “No, there were two dissenters, but apart from that it is unanimous.”

He added that they are also recommending a one-year term this time as opposed to the previous two-year term.

Tony Mansfield (Abbeyside) questioned the numerical size of the management’s backroom team and insisted the board should have a very direct say in that.

“We are entitled to know the numbers that will be involved,’’ he said.

The chairman pledged that these are matters that will be fully discussed with the manager before the new season begins and he will then report back fully to the board delegates.

Making his strong plea for a united front, Seamus Quirke said he wanted it to come forcibly from the meeting that management and players alike are expected to try and launch a new era for Waterford hurling in 2011.

“If there are problems with some players they should get all possible encouragement from the manager as well as the undivided support of this county board,’’ said Quirke.

“We need all our best players to be on board next year, and there should be no agendas. We need to make a new start.”

The proposal to appoint Fitzgerald for a one-year term was put forward by Brendan Tobin of St Mary’s/Sliabh gCua and seconded by the West divisional board treasurer, Eddie Cunningham.

Delegates also unanimously approved the reappointment of Mount Sion’s Páraic Fanning and Pat Bennett of Ballysaggart as selectors.

The draw for the county senior hurling semi-finals was also made and threw up a repeat of last year’s decider between Ballygunner and Lismore, with De La Salle and Passage East meeting in the other game. Both fixtures will be played on the weekend of October 9/10, with the county final scheduled for October 24.

Meanwhile Brendan Fennelly has been named as the new Laois senior hurling manager for a one-year term following a Board meeting last night in Portlaoise.

Fennelly succeeds Niall Rigney in the post, after the Portlaoise man resigned in the wake of Laois's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Qualifier defeat to Carlow after two and a half years in charge.

Former Offaly and Wexford Senior football boss Pat Roe has been re-appointed as the Laois Under 21 Football manager for another year.

The race for the next Galway football manager is down to four, with former Mayo midfielder Pat Fallon withdrawing from the contest.

But Fallon, who guided Barna to the semi-finals of the Galway SFC this season for the first time, could be part of the new management as he may come on board as a selector with one of the other candidates.

Galway minor manager Gerry Fahy and former Westmeath manager Tomas O Flatharta are believed to be the front-runners for the position.

Also in the running are Annaghdown’s Matt Duggan and Peter Warren, who was a selector with John O’Mahony when Galway won the All-Ireland title in 1998 and 2001.