Cats may quit league

Kilkenny are expected to consider withdrawing from the Allianz Football League and the Leinster U21 FC later this year.

In the wake of embarrassing 50 and 46-point defeats respectively to Louth’s U21s last Wednesday and Fermanagh in Division 4 on Sunday, the Cats are reeling and plan on undertaking a root-and-branch study of the game in the county.

Speaking on RTÉ on Saturday, county secretary Ned Quinn admitted they would rethink their participation in the Leinster U21 competition following the 6-34 to 0-2 humiliation.

“After last Wednesday night, we have to reconsider whether we’ll enter U21,” he said. “I think it’s better to keep entering U14, U16, minor and adult level. You have to have some flagship team that you can have lads try and aim to play on.”

But after the 9-23 to 0-4 defeat to Fermanagh on Sunday, the mood among the game’s stakeholders has dipped. Speaking to the Irish Examiner yesterday, a Kilkenny official said: “There’s been a lot of bad publicity. We don’t have any other choice [but to withdraw]. That’s what I’ll be recommending.”

Earlier this year, Kilkenny’s seniors withdrew from the O’Byrne Cup.

They face Limerick in their next Division 4 game on Saturday.

Former GAA president Nickey Brennan refused to speculate on what course of action the county board might take. But the Kilkenny native, who was at the game in Freshford, said action will have to be taken if clubs and players don’t fully support the county team.

“It’s not for me to say,” he said of the withdrawal speculation. “That’s a matter for the board. To be fair to the county board, especially the secretary [Quinn] who has done more for football in the county than any man can, ultimately if the clubs and players aren’t prepared to play ball, so to speak, we’ll have to look at something different.

“I don’t know what that might be but right now the attitude is going to get us nowhere.”

Brennan has been disappointed with the lack of context in the debate, highlighting the high activity of football at club level in the county.

“While people are talking about the inter-county scene, there’s another side to it as well. Up to last Thursday, 101 league matches across all the grades in football, bar U16, have been played in Kilkenny this year. Put that up against the lower third of the hurling counties, count how many hurling games they have played so far this year. That would be some comparison.

“Things have to be kept in context. There’s a significant amount of football played in league and championship. Yes, it will be fit around the hurling.

“People can criticise Kilkenny’s performances. I won’t do it because I know these men are genuinely trying to push a juggernaut up a mountain. There has to be some balance.”