The GAA's Games Administration Committee (GAC) will next Monday decide the penalty to be imposed on the counties that failed to fulfil championship fixtures this season writes Ian O'Riordan.
Among those requested to attend are representatives from the Tipperary County Board, the result of their senior football side withdrawing from the All-Ireland qualifier series three days before the round-one meeting with Fermanagh.
Similar letters of request were sent to the Kerry County Board, whose senior hurlers were also late defectors from their qualifier series, and also the Derry Board, because their senior hurlers announced a late withdrawal of the B championship.
According to a GAC spokesman, the counties will be asked to give just reason why disciplinary action should not be taken against them. Under the GAA rule 116 (b), a county failing to fulfil a championship fixture shall be disqualified, and suspended for 48 weeks from the date of default.
Tipperary secretary Michael O'Brien reiterated yesterday they were left with no option but to withdraw having been left "without any manager, or any selectors". Team manager Andy Shortall resigned a few days previous to the withdrawal when a club hurling match involving two panel members wasn't deferred.
Earlier this week the Tipperary football board put forward a request that Shortall be reinstated so the team could still play in the new secondary football championship, the Tommy Murphy Cup. That request was turned down by the county board, and as a result Tipperary have also withdrawn from that competition.
The draw for the Tommy Murphy Cup will also be made on Monday, featuring the designated teams beaten in rounds one and two of the qualifier series. Depending on the outcomes of this weekend's games, the teams that can still be included are Leitrim, Sligo, Louth, Wicklow, Carlow, Longford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Waterford, Clare, Antrim, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Cavan and London. Round one is scheduled for July 10-11th, with the final set for Croke Park on August 22nd - a curtain-raiser to one of the All-Ireland semi-finals.
It appears improbable, however, that the GAC will impose the full 48-week suspension on the counties, and a heavy fine, in the region of €10,000, is the more likely outcome.
One other minor change to the second-round qualifiers is that the meeting of Fermanagh and Meath in Enniskillen will take place an hour earlier, with a 6.0 throw-in.
In team news, Cork manager Billy Morgan will bring a far more potent side to Ennis for Saturday's qualifier against Clare than the one that fell to Kerry in the Munster semi-final. Anthony Lynch and Phillip Clifford are available after injuries, while Colin Corkery will return to the attack having being suspended last time out. Brendan Jer O'Sullivan remains an injury concern.
Opponents' Clare make one enforced change from the team that upset Sligo in round one of the qualifiers. Centre forward Colm Mullen has departed to America, and while his absence does rob the team of an experienced free-taker, the replacement, Stephen Hickey, introduced as a substitute against Sligo, is reportedly in form.
Elsewhere, Tom Brewster won't be making his expected return for Fermanagh against Meath, the result of a recurring shoulder injury. Galway are expected to have Gary Fahey and Kevin Walsh back from injuries to play Louth. And while Dublin are not expected to name a team to play Leitrim until closer to throw-in, it's not anticipated Dessie Farrell or Ian Robertson - who were recently recalled to the panel - will start.
Finally, RTÉ have announced that Saturday's qualifier between Tyrone and Down will be broadcast live from Newry from 6 p.m.
CLARE (SF v Cork): D O'Brien; P Gallagher, C Whelan, K Dileen; A Clohessy, B Considine, R Slattery; David Russell, G Quinlan; E Coughlan, Denis Russell, O O'Dwyer; S Hickey, M O'Shea, M O'Dwyer.
