Kilkenny football in more turmoil

Kilkenny’s footballers could be forced to quit the British championship as they are struggling to field a team.

After opting out of the league, only six players turned out for training for the championship in June and forced Football Board chairman, Tom ‘Cloney’ Brennan to lament at a county board meeting: “The response from clubs is diabolical.”

The board’s reaction was one of shock, especially as GAA President Liam O’Neill had put in a big effort to accommodate the Cats in the British championship so they wouldn’t be without inter-county competition.

“It is embarrassing,” suggested board chairman, Ned Quinn at a meeting this week. “Our reputation is being tarnished, especially in the face of our achievements in hurling.”

The Noresiders have tried everything to stir interest. Former Kerry and Munster hurler and footballer, Christy Walsh, was appointed manager and training was limited to Monday nights to avoid a clash with club sessions. However, some clubs decided to train on Monday’s and players are not being released for the football squad.

“We are about eight weeks away from the start of the championship, but we have no team,” Brennan said when he warned that management was on the verge of quitting. “Maybe we should abandon the whole thing. There will be a lot of red faces if that happens.”

Brennan even suggested that no one wanted to wear the black and amber when it came to football. However the county and football board officers vowed to make one last effort to get a squad together.

This news comes in the same week the Kilkenny minors were hammered by 34 points by Kildare in the Leinster MFC.