The Clare hurlers have hit out at their county board for the drawn out managerial appointment process and treatment of Donal Moloney.
Moloney served three seasons as joint Clare boss with Gerry O’Connor, who announced his intention to step down last month while backing his long-time sidekick to stay on as manager in a sole capacity.
Moloney was keen to continue but withdrew from the process last weekend, citing county board inaction, with Brian Lohan and Louis Mulqueen now believed to be the leading contenders to take charge.
With player representatives having met with county board chairman Joe Cooney this evening, a statement on behalf of the panel was then issued.
It explained how the players had outlined to Cooney their frustration at “not having been consulted during the four-month process of securing a management team for 2020”, and that their “only source of information on the process was second hand updates disseminated through the mainstream media and social media”.
The statement continued: “The players are disappointed by the length of time it has taken to conclude the ongoing process and the lack of clarity provided to Donal Moloney and his management team on the process, despite having been interviewed for the position four weeks ago.”
The players also rejected a recent local media report that claimed that they favoured a change of management and revealed how they called on Cooney and the board to invest in their training facility in Caherlohan as well as providing them with “the necessary supports to maximise our ability to compete at the highest level”.
The statement added: “Players raised concerns about the future operation of Club Clare Hurling Supporters, which has raised over €350,000 since it was established by Gerry O’Connor and Donal Moloney in 2016.
“We have asked the County Board to support the continuation of the supporters club or failing that, bridge any shortfall in funding and investment that may arise from the discontinuation of the supporters club.
“The players would like to acknowledge Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor for their contribution over the past three years in the senior setup. The level of professionalism brought into the setup raised standards on and off the pitch.”
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