Cork: League rethink not our idea

Cork GAA chiefs last night rejected Wexford claims that they had instigated the proposed changes to the Allianz Hurling League for the 2014 season.

A statement on the Model County’s official website yesterday noted that “Wexford GAA has been convulsed since Cork’s proposals to reconstitute the National Hurling League were unveiled earlier this week.”

However Cork chairman Bob Ryan dismissed claims that the proposed changes — which could see the Rebels and Limerick playing in Division 1A next year — were at the behest of his county.

Ryan said: “Cork made no proposal to anybody with regard to the leagues. This was something that was put forward by the Central Competitions Control Committee, it was not something that was driven by Cork at all. We welcome this, obviously, but it’s not something that we pushed. We will abide by Central Council’s decision, whatever they decide.

“We accepted what happened on the field at the time, and we’ll accept this change if it is passed by the Central Council.”

Wexford GAA chiefs have described the proposals as “undemocratic” and an emergency meeting this afternoon will discuss what line of action is pursued. “Based on this year’s final league positions, after an intense competition all counties were placed equally in their various divisions. Why in any new proposal should any county be removed unilaterally and placed in a different division without consultation with the teams in that division that will be impacted? That is not democratic and neither is it democratic for any organisation to come with a proposal that has been taken unilaterally. Wexford recognise that they are in their correct division together with the teams that are also in that division based on last year’s national league results. How under the new proposals were teams chosen to be removed from various divisions where the competition had placed them as equals? This implies that some teams are more equal than others — why?”

Offaly county board chairman Padraig Boland has also expressed disappointment at the proposed restructuring.

“Offaly is strongly opposed to the new league proposals and the manner of their introduction,” he said.