Angry exchanges mar Tipp Co Board meeting

Tipperary County Board chairman Donal Shanahan has recommended three selectors who resigned from the county's senior football team which prompted Tipperary to pull out of the All-Ireland qualifiers be "debarred" from holding similar positions with any Tipperary team.

He has called for a two year debarring. He also suggested the Football Board be disbanded if the officers are unwilling to pledge its loyalty as a sub-committee of the County Board.

Andy Shortall, Mick Burns and Jim Cahill resigned earlier in the year prior to a qualifier clash with Fermanagh which resulted in Tipperary pulling out of the competition.

Since then the fall-out at Board level has been of nuclear proportions with tension filled meetings, accusation after accusation, and stand-offs.

All of this has taken place despite pleas from the chairman to move on in the best interest of the GAA in the county.

Crucially the word "suspension" was not used by the Toomevara man who was acting on a recommendation from Croke Park to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the offending officials.

A meeting of the County Board had to be adjourned following very heated exchanges between the chairman and angry delegates who wanted the matter thrashed out in full.

Football Board Secretary Eddie Lonergan asked under what rule the three selectors were being debarred from holding positions. The question was repeatedly asked, but was not answered.

Donal Shanahan pointed out that nobody was suspended but that the three selectors would not be accepted in management teams for 2005 and 2006.

The Football Board has to make fresh recommendations on selectors for the September meeting, but the three names mentioned will not be accepted. He once again refused to allow debate.

A number of delegates began remonstrating with the chairman for not allowing debate. It was unfair as he was acting as a dictator, they stated.