Fermanagh row takes new twist

THE power struggle in Fermanagh football appears to have swung in boss John O’Neill’s favour after one of the players who recently left the panel went public to deny the manager was the reason for his departure.

As the county board’s management committee reconvened for the second time in three days last night, with an official statement on the impasse expected later today, substitute goalkeeper Feargal Murphy explained he left to pursue interests in soccer.

Furthermore, Murphy, who departed from the camp earlier this month, claims a number of others quit the Fermanagh camp for similar reasons.

“There are other boys in the squad who were playing soccer and that was the deal,” Murphy said.

“I thought about it over the weekend of the Roscommon game (March 13) and weighed things up. I wasn’t getting my place on the Fermanagh team and James McGrath was doing great in goals.

“The opportunity came up to play for Ballinamallard so I took it. Things are going great out there at the moment and it is a great time to join.

“To be honest, if there was a way I could do both, play the Gaelic and the soccer, I would. But that just can’t be.

“I chatted to John O’Neill about it and left the squad on very good terms. There was no animosity. I’d play for John again, no problem.”

Six players — Tommy McElroy, Ciaran Flaherty, Mark Little, Niall Bogue, and James and Peter Sherry — are still believed to have quit the Fermanagh squad in protest at O’Neill’s management.

However, in breaking his silence and rejecting suggestions he had any issue with O’Neill, the position of those who have problems with O’Neill has been weakened.

Under the terms of disputes resolution process in the GAA and GPA’s official recognition protocol, all parties have agreed not to speak publicly about the impasse.

However, as Murphy isn’t involved in the arbitration as he is not one of the disaffected players, he felt compelled to set the record straight from his point of view.

It is understood O’Neill’s position is not now under threat and that will be illustrated in the document released later today.

Murphy also rubbished suggestions made in newspaper reports there was inadequate strength and conditioning preparation work done by the management.

“I read a lot in the papers last week about there being no weights programme or nutritional stuff and I thought ‘where are they getting this from?’ There was a personalised programme given to everyone who was there for pre-season so I could not understand that, to be honest.

“I actually thought what we got in terms of weight programmes and other stuff was great, especially the fact that it was personalised.”

However, Murphy admits that there weren’t as many backroom team personnel as Malachy O’Rourke’s previous management.

“The set-up was spot on. Okay, there were less people about but I would not fault it.”

In previous player revolts in Cork and Limerick, there was not a single dissenting voice among those who decided to leave the panel.

However, Murphy’s comments have demonstrated the opposition to O’Neill’s management isn’t as strong as was first indicated.

That being said, in a county where there are only 21 clubs and the disenchanted group including some of Fermanagh’s best players, the county board will have to extend an olive branch of some sort.

Whether it is O’Neill’s presence at the helm or other reasons, 10 players called up to the panel were convinced Fermanagh senior football wasn’t for them in 2011.

It’s a startling fact the county board will have to face up to.