Clubs’ 22 proposals in Cork hurling boss hunt
Clubs in Cork have submitted 22 proposals to the board regarding the process to be adopted to appoint the senior hurling boss for the start of the 2012 campaign.
Last Friday was the deadline for the submission of the proposals, which have then been distributed to clubs all over the county this week.
The process will then be kick-started at Tuesday’s meeting of the county board where a decision will be made as to which process will be used in the hunt for the next manager.
Mid-Cork clubs Blarney and Cloughduv have both issued proposals calling for the three-man sub-committee of Barry-Murphy, Fenton and Coughlan to be handed the task again. However, it is believed that trio are not willing to take on those roles again and viewed their appointment in the early months of 2009 as a once-off, when they provided vital assistance after months of bitter conflict in hurling circles in the county.
That standpoint tallies with the assertion of board chairman Jerry O’Sullivan who stated after Cork’s exit from the championship against Galway last month that the independent committee was entrusted with the role due ‘to the unusual and unique situation’ that the county found itself in.
Denis Walsh, whose three-year term came to an end after that qualifier loss in the Gaelic Grounds, is still in the frame to secure another tenure in charge.
Interestingly there has been a direct call by the West Cork club Dohenys for the Cork U21 hurling management team, headed by Ger Fitzgerald, to assume the senior roles.
Their term of office in the U21 grade finished after the narrow defeat in last week’s dramatic Bord GáisEnergy Munster U21HC final. The executive committee of the Cork county board have outlined theirproposal which would see three executive committee members, one senior club delegate, one intermediate club delegate and one junior club delegate oversee the search.
The executive also insist the manager be granted a three-year term and that he will have the right to pick his own selectors.
Four club motions have called for members of the 2011 Cork senior hurling panel to be involved with the St Nicholas club specifically stating that the outgoing captain, defender Shane O’Neill, be part of the appointments committee.
Four other club motions state that former Cork senior players should play a role in the process while the Banteer club has outlined that a former All-Ireland winning manager be appointed.
Meanwhile, the All-Ireland JFC final between Cork and Kildare is fixed for Semple Stadium, Thurles on August 20th (4pm). The game will act as a curtain raiser to the Bord Gáis Energy U21 All-Ireland HC semi-final between Galway and Limerick at 6pm. The other semi-final between Dublin and Antrim is set for Newry the same afternoon (4pm).
TG4 will televise both U21semi-finals.
