Division 4 football officials claim ‘small fish’ being cut adrift

Leading officials from a host of Division 4 counties have accused GAA hierarchy of attempting to cut adrift football’s “small fish”.

Waterford and Wicklow chairmen Paddy Joe Ryan and Martin Coleman, along with Louth and Wexford managers, Colin Kelly and David Power, are deeply dissatisfied with the Central Council-backed motion that will be voted on at Congress next month.

Under the proposal, Division 4 teams would be denied access to the All-Ireland championship proper unless they reached their respective provincial final. Wexford, relegated from Division 3 last spring, knocked Division 1 side Down out of last year’s championship, but such a meeting would not be possible under the proposed system.