Cork stars gave deal the boot
At least two other Cork players were approached to wear branded boots in last Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling quarter final tie against Waterford.
While Niall McCarthy and Kieran Murphy are in hot water over their decision to wear the boots bearing the logo of a beer product, the Evening Echo has learned that other Cork players considered joining them.
Two of those players are believed to have only had a change of heart hours before the throw-in.
Mark Hopkins of Hopkins PR company who was instrumental in setting up the deal confirmed to the Echo that other Cork players were approached.
“I left it up to the players if they wanted to wear them or not,” said Hopkins.
“There was no pressure put on them and I did not know how many or which of the players would be wearing the boots until they ran out on the field,” Hopkins told the Evening Echo.
Meanwhile, Cork county board chairman Jim Forbes insisted today that the controversey will not throw the Cork hurlers off-track in their bid to reach the All-Ireland final.
“I believe this controversy, which has been blown out of all proportion, won’t affect any of our teams. “Every player on every Cork team is fully focused on the tasks ahead and this nine-day wonder will soon be replaced by something else.
“Personally, I have no problem with sponsorship but it must be done right.
“We need watertight guidelines regarding the use of gear and sponsorship. That is imperative to stop this kind of thing happening again.”
Forbes welcomed the decision to play Cork’s three football games this weekend at the same venue.
“It is a sensible decision, especially on a Bank Holiday weekend, and gives our fans a fair crack of the whip."
Meanwhile, Brendan Jer O’Sullivan was named in the Cork team for Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier against Sligo.
O’Sullivan comes in for Micheál Ó Croinín, but is named at full-forward in a reshaped line with Fintan Goold at right-full-forward and John Hayes switching to the left corner.
Cork: (SFC v Sligo): K. O’Dwyer, G. Murphy, G. Canty, N. Geary; N. O’Leary, A. Lynch, E. Sexton; N. Murphy, D. Kavanagh; J. Masters, C. McCarthy, K. McMahon, F. Goold, BJ O’Sullivan, J. Hayes.
