By Ciaran Woods

c.woods@gaeliclife.com

JUST when it looked as if this year's Sigerson Cup shambles was drawing to a conclusion, controversy has once again reared its head with the organisers announcement that the decider will be held at Carlow IT next Tuesday evening. The Higher Education chairman has also been stoking up the flames with inflammatory comments about drinking after the game.

The venue announcement has led to outrage from Jordanstown, who now face a long trek south once again in the midst of exam season. The Poly had hoped the game would be moved to Breffni Park or Navan for "common sense" reasons.

President of the UUJ club, John Farrell, also lashed out at HEC chairman John Devenney over his comment earlier this week dismissing UUJ's argument that their students would be forced to miss two days of class to play the final, suggesting that the Poly players would be "on the beer" until four or five o'clock in the morning.

Farrell said, "I think it is a disgraceful comment from a chairman of the HEC. He should well know that the vast majority of Jordanstown players will be playing in an All-Ireland Under-21 final or in National League finals next weekend, four or five days after the Sigerson Cup final. Does he honestly think that county managers will not expect the boys to train on Wednesday night? That comment should be treated with the contempt it deserves."

Devenney though was unrepentant. "I have been there, I have been involved in winning Sigerson titles. It's a big thing, and you can't tell me that some boys at least won't be involved in celebrating it afterwards, as they should be," he said.

With the final is fixed for Carlow IT next Tuesday evening at 6.00pm, Farrell believes the welfare of the students is being compromised.

"The well-being of students is what is being totally overlooked here. The week before exams is a crucial week, classes which students should not be missing, yet that's what we're being asked to do. Our lads have trained for seven weeks, kept their heads down and got on with it, but all they have got is a kick in the teeth.

"The other semi-final took place last week in Athlone, there was no mention of them having to go to Carlow so we don't understand why Carlow has suddenly become such an issue now.

"Nobody will be at the game, a dog wouldn't be at the game. Students won't travel, and many parents who would have gone to Breffni or Navan won't go to Carlow, and you wouldn't blame them. I believe we're speaking for the other colleges, for the players, and for the public at large when we say that this is a shambles."

Farrell says the matter is far from resolved, and there could be a twist in the tale, with UUJ yesterday having lodged an official objection to the eligibility of six Garda players. They are the original three whose eligibility was questioned by Carlow IT in their appeal, namely O'Mahony, Cousins and Dillon plus Cormac Magill, Darren Mullaghy and Denis Glennon.

"Jordanstown are also making it very clear at this stage that win or lose on Tuesday night, we will be objecting to the Garda. We're saying it now so that we're not accused of sour grapes should we lose the final."

Speaking yesterday, Devenney also launched a thinly-veiled attack on the UUJ president who, he says, is playing to the gallery simply because UUJ have not got what they wanted.

"It's very, very frustrating that now when we're at a stage where we can get the competition finished that someone is trying to make it difficult for us, and that's all it is at the moment.

"Surely at this stage, with the two teams in the final, they should just go and play it. This has become a song and dance, with people approaching the media to get publicity."

Devenney may be frustrated, but Farrell's emotions are running much deeper at present as he contemplates UUJ's next move. As a member of the HEC himself, he is utterly disgusted with how the situation has unfolded and the treatment of the Poly players.

"We are supposed to be the Higher Education council, but we seem to have shown a severe lack of brains in handling the whole situation. I never thought I'd say this, because I would eat and sleep Third Level football, but for the first time in my life I'm sick to the teeth with it. I would have to say that it's the most senseless, idiotic decision that I have ever come across," he concluded.