Offaly hurling boss Eamonn Kelly has explained the extent of the abuse he received from people who claim to be Offaly fans following his team's heavy defeat to Westmeath last Sunday.
The Tipp man lashed out at the 'cowards' who phoned him from private numbers to unleash various verbal tirades along with those who took him to task on social media following the Faithful's comprehensive defeat in their Leinster Hurling Championship round robin contest.
Speaking to Midlands 103 after Offaly rebounded with a 1-17 to 2-11 victory over Carlow, Kelly said:
I don’t ever want to get a week like it again where you have cowards ringing you on private numbers and telling you what they think of you.
The stuff I got thrown at me on social media - I know that goes with the terrain - but we’re trying to do everything we can and the players inside are doing everything in their power.
We had three lads walk from the panel with a comment that they don’t like where there this thing is going and they don’t want to be associated with it but what you have left in the dressing room there are very honest players and they’re working very very hard.
The point I’m trying to make is that we’re all trying to do the right thing. There’s nobody in there cutting any corners, they’re making a huge effort.
We had a bad day at the office against Westmeath last weekend – we know that – but the only good thing is that Westmeath have beaten Kerry today so we have our destiny in our hands in two week’s time.
People in Offaly, including a number of senior players, will tell you that the precarious situation they find themselves in has been on the cards for a number of years. Rarely has any county's hurling landscape been subjected to such soap-operatic dramas, fall-outs and strops.
Earlier this week, Daithí Regan lambasted the structure of Offaly hurling, claiming 'the rot' had set in at schools level in the '90s, when the county side were flying. Regan was emphatic in his support of Kelly, and his comments as to the rest of Offaly hurling are certainly worth a read.
H/T: HoganStand
