Updated 4.45pm
MAYO’S LIAM MCHALE has insisted today that he had not committed to joining the management setup of prospective Westmeath candidate Peter Leahy.
Last night’s Westmeath county board meeting saw Leahy proposed as the new county senior football boss but club delegates voted 24-19 against ratifying his candidacy.
It was stated at the meeting that McHale was part of the coaching ticket but he has refuted those claims today. Since then Leahy has responded by insisting that all of members of his backroom team ‘were confirmed’.
“I nearly crashed the car when I heard my name mentioned on the radio when it was reported that Peter was rejected for the Westmeath position,” McHale told the Westmeath Independent today.
“I was coming back from training with St Brigid’s (Roscommon) when Brian Carthy came on the radio at around 11 o’clock. I couldn’t believe it when I heard my name read out in connection with the Westmeath set-up,”
“I met Peter yesterday (Wednesday) and I said I’d think it over for a few days. I had spoken to him a couple of times on the phone before that – just casual talk, trying to organise a meeting. But when I met him, I never said I was coming on board.
Chairman
“I spoke to (county chairman) Sean Sheridan this morning. He told me that he was 100% sure I was coming on board before going into the county board meeting last night, but that wasn’t the case.
“Sean was very apologetic and I was pleased with his response this morning. I’ve never met Sean but he seems like a very nice, genuine man.”
McHale was in line to join Kevin McStay as Mayo manager when he was in the mix for that role last month but the partnership of Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes was eventually chosen to lead the county.
Response
Peter Leahy has now reacted this evening on Midlands 103 to McHale’s claims.
“Due to inaccuracies being reported in the media and on social media sites today I find it necessary to state the facts. At the time of my proposal on Tuesday 7th October all members of my backroom team were confirmed. It is true that one member of the management backtracked on Wednesday evening (at a meeting to confirm finer details) saying he’d “confirm for definite within 24 hours”.
“I am very disappointed that this person has decided today to distance himself, after our ratification was unsuccessful. It is obviously done for personal reasons. I one hundred percent stand by my proposed management team and did not try to mislead any delegates or county board officials.
“Primarily I’m a Westmeath supporter and the management team I put forward was for the betterment of Westmeath football. I have no doubts that if I had got the three extra votes necessary to confirm my ratification that all of my management team (including the high profile coach) would have done a fantastic job for Westmeath.
“I wish the county board and incoming management team all the best for 2015 and hope Westmeath can achieve their potential.”
