GAA clubs retain right to nominate Kerry captains
Beaufort motion fails to get two-thirds majority
THE county SFC champions will continue to have the honour of choosing the Kerry senior football and hurling team captains for 2021 and beyond after a Beaufort motion to abandon the traditional policy in the Kingdom did not gain the necessary two-thirds support on Monday night.
After an extremely passionate debate among delegates at the county committee meeting, the motion ‘that the captain of the Kerry senior hurling and football teams shall be selected by the team management in consultation with the chairman of the Kerry County Committee’ gained a simple majority verdict – 50 votes to 48 – but that was not enough to instigate change, as predicted in last week’s poll in The Kerryman.
County Committee chairman
Tim Murphy had informed delegates that it was the wishes of Peter Keane’s current senior football management, and the previous management led by Eamonn Fitzmaurice, that the management would have the power to select the Kerry captain.
“They feel that they have been entrusted to represent Kerry and win All-Irelands. In order to do so, they feel the current system doesn’t necessarily allow them the best chance of doing so,” he said.
Nevertheless, with the majority of speakers at the meeting talking in favour of retaining the status quo, the motion won the popular vote, barely, but didn’t get the required two-thirds majority needed to carry it.
Interestingly, delegates were then told that, going forward, in the event of the team captain being injured or not selected for a particular match then the incumbent management team reserve the right to nominate a new captain for that particular game, in consultation with the county chairman.
However, in the case of the team captain picking up a long-term and potentially season-ending injury, the county champions would be consulted on the appointment of a replacement team leader.