Murphy blasts poor support of Cork draw

CORK County Board secretary Frank Murphy warned clubs that the financing of the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh could be jeopardised if they do not play a greater effort in supporting the Cork GAA clubs draw.

Figures revealed at Saturday night’s convention illustrated that just 30 clubs are responsible for half the participation in the current draw while the surplus has dropped from €212,984 in 2010 to €179,262 in 2011.

“Some clubs play little or no role in the draw and this is an unacceptable situation. The county faces a serious challenge with the re-development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the Centre of Excellence.

“All these activities will be seriously jeopardised if the draw is not properly maintained. It is a matter that requires serious and urgent attention and remedial action.”

Treasurer Pearse Murphy also raised the issue of the declining income from club championship games in the county with the senior championship gates down €135,000 in 2011.

Murphy also dismissed suggestions the board would be better served by playing games at more rural venues rather than staging them in Páirc Uí Rinn or Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Murphy pointed out that the two Premier IFC semi-finals this year were played at rural venues while the two JAFC semi-finals were played in Páirc Uí Rinn, and the gate receipts from the two junior games were twice that of the Premier IFC matches.

Meanwhile rural clubs in Cork who are struggling to field teams at U21 level received a boost when a motion to permit them to form an independent U21 team with another club if both are unable to field 15 players themselves was overwhelmingly passed. The motion had been backed by the Milford, Freemount and Araglin clubs. There was a substantial debate on the issue of player transfers before a county board recommendation was passed that a player eligible for U16 and younger grades must not take part in official competition for 48 weeks before being able to transfer while the term for a player over 16 remains at 96 weeks.

A motion from the Sarsfields club that ‘at U12 level, competitions may be organised on a mini-league format and on the basis that the teams are 15-a-side’ was also passed. This motion was strongly backed by incoming chairman Bob Ryan.

“A motion at Congress in 2010 brought a stop to 15-a-side competitions at U12 level and introduced the Go-Games format.

“But having listened to sensible people and sensible debate on this subject, it appears players on the age of 12 are not enthusiastic about this format. I fear we may lose players at that very sensitive age as they leave their childhood years and become teenagers. Players at the age of 12 should have a 15-a-side competition available to them.”