Exactly kev, its not up to the players to start making the demands, it should be down to the clubs, and up to the club delegates to make their feelings known. Granted, things arent exactly rosy in Wexford, and a lot wouldnt like Ger Doyle especially after making hte players his scapegoats, but at least the club delegates took him up on his actions:
Wexford’s search for their new hurling manager has got under way but not without a huge fall-out in the wake of the sacking of John Meyler.
Tuesday night’s meeting of the county board was utter chaos as club delegates vented their anger with county chairman Ger Doyle, at the manner of John Meyler’s dismissal and the fact that ‘player power’ is now prevelant in decision making.
County chairman Ger Doyle outlined the meeting that took place with the four-player delegation, comprised of ‘Doc’ O’Connor, Diarmuid Lyng, Eoin Quigley and Rory Jacob, leading to his meeting with John Meyler in Dungarvan and the manager’s subsequent sacking.
But many delegates did not accept the manner in which Meyler and his backroom were treated.
Ballyhogue delegate Michael Foley who along with his committee, was sacked by Doyle earlier this year, after 13 years as fixtures chairman, took the county chairman to task at his failure to follow proper procedure.
He stated: 'The Chairman should have called a meeting of the county management, while in turn then bring it before a full county board meeting to discuss the matter in its entirety.
'This you (county Chairman) failed to do. You were totally out of order.
'It’s not the first time. You did the same thing last year with Paul Bealin (sacked as football manager). You did not follow procedure on that occasion either and there were ructions at the following county board meeting.
‘Yet you went on and did the same this year. You were totally out of order.’
When the county chairman informed the meeting that only one player was not present at the player meeting, former great Tony Doran felt that was not true.
Doran commented: ‘I was told by a player he was not at the meeting. He did not know it was even on.’
Other delegates also felt that more players were not present at the player meeting.
Later the whole episode took another turn when Tony Dempsey, a former hurling manager, on behalf of the County Management Committee, proposed that thee outsiders, people from outside the county board, form the interview committee seeking a new manager along with the county chairman and county secretary.
Many delegates were clearly annoyed feeling it was another snub for the county board.
Delegates subsequently voted that the county chairman, county secretary (non-voting), along with club board delegates, Toss Ryan (St Anne’s) and Philip Howlin (Duffry Rovers) form the interview committee.
This committee is also entitled to add one outside member.
But the growing discontent in the county is going to make it all the more difficult to secure a Manager.
Tony Dempsey, who ruled himself out of the interview committee, is already tipped as a possible replacement for Meyler, with two stars of 1996, Liam Dunne and Tom Dempsey as selectors.
Another name that has been mentioned is Mount Sion clubman, Kevin Ryan, who manages Ger Doyle’s Oulart-the-Ballagh senior
side.
Both Liam Griffin and Martin Storey have ruled themselves out of therace.
Now the quartet of players who met with board officers have angrily refuted claims of the county chairman that they wished to remain anonymous, stating that nothing could be further from the truth.
Spokesman for the quartet, ‘Doc’ O’Connor has stressed that there was never a question of the players wishing to remain anonymous.
The St Anne’s clubman said: ‘We’re disappointed that the perception has been put out there’