Funding blow for Erne board

THE Fermanagh County Board will have to do without one of its major revenue streams as long as John O’Neill is manager.

Fundraising group Club Eirne, run by supporters in Dublin and Belfast, confirmed in a letter that they have “very reluctantly decided to withdraw from supporting the county team financially for the immediate future.”

Club Eirne has raised £400,000 (€453,000) for the senior footballers over the past five years.

O’Neill’s management was brought into question earlier this year when 11 players quit the panel in March.

The group said it “hopes to continue fundraising at a much reduced level, in the hope that its support may be required at some time in the future“.

According to BBC Sport, Fermanagh chairman Peter Carty is a member of Club Eirne although he made it clear he has not been involved in the decision to withdraw support from O’Neill’s footballers.

Meanwhile, Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has described Owen Mulligan’s departure then return to the county panel as “just a storm in a tea-cup’’.

Writing in his Eircom.net blog, the three-time All-Ireland winning boss played down the episode, saying it attracted unwarranted attention because of the player’s high-profile.

“As for Owen Mulligan that was something that was overhyped because it was Owen,” wrote Harte. “Many times players become disillusioned with the pressures of playing at that level. It has happened many times but because it was Owen Mulligan it attracts attention.

“I was always confident it was just a storm in a teacup and everybody is delighted to have him back. He is such a quality player and finisher and he has that experience and flamboyance that’s good to have around a team.”

Harte also suggested he may be prepared to manage a team outside Tyrone if it ever came to it.

“As for whether it would be something I would like to do, I would find it hard to work with any other county other than Tyrone at that level.

“The only proviso I would make would be if I still wanted to work at that level and Tyrone didn’t want me then I suppose would have an open mind about what I might do.”