Livid Lilywhites back Geezer

The Kildare players were last night considering their options following the county board’s decision not to offer Kieran McGeeney an extension as manager.

Several of the panel used their social network accounts to express disapproval of the 29-28 in-camera vote in Newbridge on Tuesday night against the Armagh man remaining on in charge for another two years.

A letter on behalf of the 2013 squad was read out at the board meeting in St Conleth’s Park but failed to tip the balance in McGeeney’s favour.

A statement on behalf of the players, via the GPA at lunchtime yesterday, read: “In light of the Kildare County Board’s decision not to extend Kieran McGeeney’s term as manager in last night’s vote, despite the expressed support of the Kildare senior football squad for the manager’s retention, the panel will hold a meeting tonight to discuss the issue further and formulate a response on the matter.”

John McMahon’s future as chairman is also thought to be under threat after four of his executive voted against his proposal to hand McGeeney an additional one year on the six he has already had with Kildare.

On KFM yesterday morning, McMahon admitted he failed to get the vote “over the line” but chose not to comment about the executive. He acknowledged the vote was “a very difficult result to comprehend” and that the players feel let down.

He also condemned the clubs’ lack of patience: “Nobody, unfortunately, was prepared to wait. Everyone wants instant success. You’re entitled to nothing on the playing field. You have to work for it, you have to train for it, you have to dig the ditch and work hard to get out of it.”

McMahon said he will now begin the process to find a successor, with former county captain and ex-Longford manager Glenn Ryan the firm favourite to take the helm.

In a statement on their website yesterday, the board insisted McGeeney’s success with the county wasn’t measured in trophies.

“Two O’Byrne Cup titles and a Division 2 National League may be the only silverware to show during his reign, but Kieran McGeeney has undoubtedly left Kildare football in a far better place than when he started and we thank him for all of his hard work and intelligent insight.

“He has raised both the standard and the profile of Kildare GAA and we wish him well in the future and trust that he will have fond memories of his six years in charge of the Lilies.”

McGeeney’s former selector and current Waterford manager Niall Carew criticised McMahon for not advocating him staying on prior to Wednesday night’s vote.

Claiming it was as sad a day for Kildare GAA as those when they allowed Larry Tompkins and Shea Fahy to go to Cork in 1987, Carew, who worked alongside the Mullaghbawn man for five years, said he will be inundated with phone calls from other counties.

“I’m actually a bit emotional about it because I know how much he put into it, how much he brought it on, how much he enjoyed working with the lads and how much they enjoyed working with him.

“Geezer was first class and you know by the reaction of the likes of Paddy Bradley and Philip Jordan, not to mention the Kildare players themselves on social media, how highly he is rated.

“Look at how many All Stars Kildare got under him (four) and the number of nominations. Kildare didn’t have many and if you took away 1998, they have very few at all. He took on a squad of players that had not done well for many years and improved them off the charts. It’s just amazing.

“I’m gutted for Geezer. I had told him the vote would be tight but he said he had to let it go to a vote out of loyalty to the players, because they had backed him.

“I’ve said it a couple of times already today; to me this is on a par with Seamus Aldridge’s failure to keep Larry Tompkins and Shea Fahy in Kildare back in the 1980s. And while the current county chairman (John McMahon) has said he wanted Geezer to stay on, why wasn’t he saying it the past four weeks?”

Johnny Doyle wrote on his Facebook page after Tuesday night’s decision that it was “a black day for Kildare GAA. I’ve never felt as empty”.

Carew didn’t refer to Doyle by name but said that he wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of retirements would result from McGeeney’s departure.