Meath GAA was rocked tonight after Under-20 manager Bernard Flynn and his backroom team have stepped down from their posts.
Flynn said in a statement that he had issues with senior boss Andy McEntee over access to players.
Meath Under-20s have a bye in the first round in Leinster. Their first game will be a provincial quarter-final next month.
The seniors' League campaign ended with them missing out on promotion against Kildare last weekend in a fractious game that saw the Royals pick up two red cards.
To add to McEntee's woes, last year's joint captains Donal Keogan and Bryan Menton have picked up injuries.
It's understood that an arrangement was in place for Flynn to have access to Under-20 players on the senior panel like Matthew Costello and Jack O'Connor.
But it seems that Flynn and McEntee no longer see eye to eye, with the latter's resources stretched.
Flynn had put a high profile backroom team in place with former All-Ireland winning captain Graham Geraghty, Graham Reilly and trainer Peter Leahy all involved.
"I undertook to accept the role of managing and developing the Meath Under-20 squad based on a verbal and written agreement that the senior players would be released for championship, an issue that has caused difficulties for previous management," said Flynn in a statement last night.
"Confirmation was received today that this agreement, which is underpinned by a signed charter including a commitment from the Chairman Coiste an Mi (John Kavanagh) and the senior manager (Andy McEntee), will not be honoured, therefore making the position of the Under-20 manager and my backroom team, untenable.
"Having put heart and soul into working with such a great group of guys, against a backdrop of Covid pandemic, it is with a heavy heart and much regret that I have resigned as manager.
"At the heart of this decision is the best interest of Meath football, something I have stressed since the outset of agreeing to take on this role, and I feel that my integrity would be called into question in following any other course of action."
