GAA: It appears all will not be peaceful within Cork GAA circles over the festive period after the senior football panel decided to boycott next Tuesday's medal presentation for their Munster championship wins in 2006 and this year.
A "strongly worded" letter was sent to the Cork county board on Monday stating the footballers' intention not to attend the presentation at Rochestown Park Hotel. The function has since been cancelled.
It is understood the footballers are making a stand in support of their hurling counterparts - who supported them 12 months ago - branding their treatment by the board as "disgraceful". The senior hurling panel refuse to play under Gerald McCarthy, who was reappointed as manager for a further two years against their wishes.
"They wrote a letter to the board to confirm the senior county panel would not be attending the presentation," said Cork PRO Bob Ryan. "It was supposed to be a function exclusively for the senior footballers to present them with the 2006 and 2008 Munster championship medals."
"But that's not going to happen now and the presentation has been cancelled."
"It's disappointing from our point of view because of the difficulty in finding a date to suit the players. Next Tuesday's date and time was always the players' choice.
"Without giving specific details of the letter I'd say their reasons for boycotting the night is in support of the Cork hurlers, that much seems fairly obvious," added Ryan.
The latest development comes after McCarthy was forced to make a U-turn over the appointment of Mike McGurn as fitness adviser. McGurn, a former fitness coach in Eddie O'Sullivan's Ireland backroom team, said he wouldn't be able to carry out the work while in his current role as fitness coach with Welsh side Ospreys.
While on strike prior to this year's Championship the Cork players secured places for two representatives on the seven-man selection committee but it is understood neither were consulted when the decision was taken to extend McCarthy's contract.
At the time hurling captain Ben O'Connor said the players have no problem playing for another management team but insisted they are prepared to sit out the championship if McCarthy is not removed.
O'Connor also claimed some of the younger players were "advised" to return to the panel to avoid jeopardising their future with the Rebels.
GAA President Nickey Brennan previously said they have no intention of getting involved in the matter.
"We're disappointed to hear about the developments in Cork, but Croke Park will not be getting involved in the matter at all," said Brennan when in Australia for the International Rules Series. "It's a local matter for Cork and we'll leave it with them to deal with anything that emerges from it."
Ryan claims to have made attempts to get the players and county board together to resolve the issue.
"I have made numerous attempts over the last three or four weeks to get everyone together," he said. "An initiative was proposed at the county convention Sunday week ago and the county board is ready and willing to partake in any talks with the players."
"The Cork President Diarmuid Gowen said they would appoint an independent chairman to meet player and manager representatives and the county board."
"We have been waiting for over a week now for a response. We've heard nothing from the players and we can't talk to ourselves."