Lenihan: we didn't pressure players
COUNTY Board chairman Liam Lenihan has angrily rejected a players statement which accused the County Board, and Justin McCarthy's management team, of making a "deliberate and concerted effort" to end their resistance by pressurising players into making their return.
On Sunday night 24 of the 2009 Limerick senior hurling panel published a stinging broadside at the County Board and Justin McCarthy's senior management team. After Tuesday night's County Board meeting in Claughaun, however, chairman Liam Lenihan completely rejected the players' accusations.
"I asked every member of the executive inside there did any one of them ring up players or intimidate them in any way or did they try to pressurise one player against another and they said no," Liam Lenihan insisted.
"I can only speak for myself and I didn't do it, but all the officers said that they didn't do it either. All our officers were there tonight and they said that they never pressurised any player into coming back."
When asked whether he had investigated whether any of senior management team had 'pressurised' players Liam Lenihan said: "No, I didn't question any of the management team individually or the back room team".
There was a lively discussion at Tuesday night's County Board meeting, but no resolution was reached with the County Board executive adamant that they were standing by the decision made to retain the services of Justin McCarthy following a vote cast on December 17.
"This is not a nice situation to be in and it's not good for Limerick because hurling was never going better in Limerick at underage level and at club level it was never going as good either," Liam Lenihan said.
Although a motion of no confidence in Justin McCarthy was not tabled at Tuesday night's meeting the County Board, through Liam Lenihan, did suggest that if five clubs combined and wrote to secretary Mike O'Riordan a special County Board meeting could be then arranged.
Only at that meeting would delegates get an opportunity to overturn December's decision to retain the services of the Cork man.
"Everybody knows where I stand and from the word go I've been consistent all the way through. So have the officers," Liam Lenihan explained.
"The clubs, maybe, have a different opinion. If they want to go away now and put down a motion for change they can do so. If five clubs want to, once they give ample notice to the secretary, they can have their meeting. There's been enough talking now. Everyone knows where they stand."
Justin McCarthy's senior hurling squad take on Davy Fitzgerald's Waterford in Dungarvan on Sunday (2.30pm) - the new-look Limerick have already lost heavily to both Galway and Cork.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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