Kieran McGeeney blasts ‘conspiracy theorists’

Kieran McGeeney has labelled the GAA chiefs who introduced the 26-man registered panels as “conspiracy theorists”.

The new rule was passed at annual congress in February in order to call a halt to managers naming ‘dummy’ teams by forcing them to submit match-day panels at 9am on Thursdays, with no additions allowed except for a change of goalkeeper. Failure to comply results in concession of the match.

McGeeney was unhappy the restrictions meant he only had 24 fit Armagh players available for Saturday’s All-Ireland SFC first-round qualifier against Wicklow, with captain Ciaran McKeever and Aaron Findon both sustaining injuries in the build-up to the game.