Fitzgerald returned for another year
September 28, 2010
Waterford hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald
Davy Fitzgerald was reappointed Waterford hurling manager for another 12 months at last night's county board meeting.
The former Clare goalkeeper, who led the Deise to their ninth Munster SHC success this year, held off the challenge of three other candidates in former Kilkenny All-Ireland winning captain Eddie O'Connor, ex-Carlow and Mount Sion boss Jim Greene and Fourmilewater's Michael Ryan, who enjoyed tremendous success with the Waterford ladies football team in the 1990s, to remain in the hot seat.
It took delegates less than 15 minutes to rubber-stamp Fitzgerald's reappointment. The specially convened meeting also heard an impassioned plea by one delegate for "everyone in the camp to unite and go forward as one" into next year's campaign.
"It's time to set personal agendas aside," said De La Salle's Seamus Quirke in reference to the criticism Fitzgerald received from the retiring Dan Shanahan and Ken McGrath regarding the tactics employed by the manager this year.
"Time also to start afresh, leaving the past behind and to create a new era for Waterford hurling."
Fitzgerald has been in charge of Waterford since a player revolt ousted Justin McCarthy in June 2008. That year he guided the team to a first All-Ireland final since 1963, and while that ended in a humiliating defeat to Kilkenny, he has had the satisfaction of leading the county to a fourth Munster championship success in nine years at Cork's expense this summer.
The proposal to appoint Fitzgerald for a one-year term was put forward by Brendan Tobin of St Mary's/Sliabh gCua and seconded by the West divisional board treasurer Eddie Cunningham.
Delegates also unanimously approved the reappointment of Mount Sion's Páraic Fanning and Pat Bennett of Ballysaggart as selectors.
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