Will he stay or will he go?

SPECULATION continues to mount as to whether or not Mike McNamara will be the Clare senior hurling team manager for 2010.
Last week’s county board meeting unanimously supported McNamara to continue in the role, despite hearing that the players had voted no confidence in the manager by a margin of 26 to 1. The outcome of last week’s meeting was that county board chairman Michael O’Neill will meet with all parties, the players, the management and the board executive, in an effort to resolve the impasse which has developed.
O’Neill announced after that meeting that he would appoint two mediators to join him in an effort to resolve the problems and he expressed the hope that he would have the matter finalised “in seven to 10 days”.
“Meetings are taking place this week and we are all anxious to find a resolution. Hopefully, there will be a clearer picture by the weekend,” he told The Clare Champion on Wednesday.
The players met following last week’s board meeting. The Clare Champion understands that two proposals were put to that meeting. One was to concentrate on hurling and leave the decision on who would manage the team to the board, while the counter proposal asked to press ahead with efforts to have a change of management.
The matter did not go to a vote and the meeting ended with the players deciding that each would draw up a list of grievances. The players held a further meeting on Sunday last when grievances from the past year were documented so that they could be presented to board chairman Michael O’Neill.
There have been conflicting reports as to the specific date for the meeting between the players and the board chairman. The Clare Champion learned that the meeting was scheduled for Wednesday night. It’s likely that a meeting between the players and McNamara will follow in the next day or two. Team captain Brian O’Connell has confirmed that the players will meet with all parties.