Board blasts C.P.A.
Angry response to anonymous letter
OFFICERS OF Wexford County Board have hit back after the Club Players’ Association published an anonymous letter that criticised their approach to fixtures.
The matter was raised at a meeting of the management committee on Wednesday, with disappointment voiced regarding the negative comment the G.A.A. received on social media as a result.
Minutes sent to this newspaper state that the Vice-Chairman of the Board, Micheál Martin, contacted Liam Griffin, a C.P.A. executive member, ‘to point out that the championship dates contained within the letter were not accurate’.
Those in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting were informed that Wexford’s All-Ireland winning manager of 1996 had twice got in touch with the C.P.A. Chairman, Micheál Briody, in order to rectify the matter.
However, it was claimed that Briody refused to do so, instead suggesting that the County Board could respond via social media.
The management meeting agreed that Wexford G.A.A. should not engage with ‘an unsigned and erroneous letter’, noting that ‘there are clear, agreed and transparent mechanisms’ via which members can bring issues to their attention.
Micheál Martin added that, in his experience, the C.P.A. had no understanding of or interest in the issues facing dual counties.
The meeting decided to raise the matter of C.P.A. engagement and their governance structures at the next Central Council gathering.
Tony Dempsey was also critical of the club players’ body, stating that ‘no credible organisation would promote an anonymous letter that is totally inaccurate and without facts’.
Earlier at the management meeting, committee members unanimously agreed to include quarter-finals in the domestic championships, after clarification was received regarding likely dates for inter-county matches in October and November.
Somewhat surprisingly, only three clubs wrote to Co. Secretary Gearóid Devitt after the online County Board meeting on June 10 with counter-proposals to the championship format, suggesting a pattern of alternating codes should pertain in accordance with normal practice.
However, management decided that the original decision to play hurling in a single block, followed by football in another block, would be adhered to, citing ‘the compressed nature of the 2020 championships’ as the reason.
The three clubs had also suggested that the losing quarter-finalists of 2019 should be assigned as second seeds to the four groups of three format.
Management felt that seeding four of the twelve participants was sufficient, adding that the open draw thereafter ‘would generate significant interest’.
Only the 2019 semi-finalists are seeded in each group (see front), while knockout matches, ‘with the possible exception of the county final’, will be played to a finish on the day.
The majority of matches will take place in Chadwicks Wexford Park, St. Patrick’s Park, Bellefield and O’Kennedy Park ‘in order to facilitate efficient management of relevant public health requirements’, but clubs will also be afforded the chance of offering their own grounds for fixtures.
Discussions are ongoing with regard to the possibility of live streaming matches, with the pricing yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, a revised under-age fixtures plan is to be finalised this week.