Former football selector Dave Billings has withdrawn from the race to become Dublin county board chairman, leaving the outgoing Gerry Harrington and ex-chairman John Bailey to battle it out. Billings, who was a selector under both Tommy Lyons and Paul Caffrey, had officially declared his candidacy for the race, but pulled out at last night's county board meeting in Parnell Park after expressing frustration at the lack of progress and consultation in the process for appointing a new Dublin hurling manager. Last night's meeting was the original deadline by which the county board were due to ratify Tommy Naughton's successor, but the four-man selection committee were not in a position to put forward a name. And as a new manager cannot be ratified until the December board meeting at the earliest, it means Dublin will have gone over five months without a man at the helm. Cork native Harrington and Cuala clubman John Bailey were due to go head-to-head at the 2006 county convention, only for Bailey to withdraw at the last minute. It remains to be seen if Bailey will allow his name to go forward at this year's convention which takes place in three weeks' time. Tweet

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