Young calls for Laois County Board resignations

Laois hurler James Young has called on the County Board to resign their positions in light of the county's terrible results of late.

The 32-year-old is currently serving a two-year suspension for verbally abusing a referee (he must have said awful, awful things) to get a ban like that) and says he will never play for the county again. In yesterday's Sunday Independent, he said those on the County Board should also be accountable for the terrible results in 2011:

"We're after enduring two hammerings at senior and under-21 level in the past two weeks, shipping 17 goals in the process - but the worst thing is I wasn't even shocked at that. Speaking to some of the players before they played Cork, they were expecting it too.

"I've been playing for Laois since I was 17; I had 12 or 13 years on the trot. Not so long ago, we were competing with and beating Dublin. There are still seven or eight of that Dublin team playing under Anthony Daly but look how far back we've gone and look at what progress they have made in the meantime.

"There's a feelgood factor around Dublin hurling, just like there was with the Laois footballers some years back when they were able to pull managers of the calibre of Mick O'Dwyer. But there's never been any such appointment for the hurlers. We just seem to be second fiddle all the time.

"Pat Critchley is doing savage work trying to promote the game in the county but there's only so much work one man can do. We're in serious trouble at schools' levels. There is no hurling presence in certain vocational schools and they are really only fulfilling fixtures.

"Maybe people will be shamed into doing something now. We've shipped two serious hammerings but no surprise there. The writing was on the wall. Before we played Cork two challenge matches were held but only 14 showed up to play a Waterford selection, while just 16 turned up to play a Kilkenny selection.

"Nothing is being done to rectify it - there always seems to be a problem between players and managements and it doesn't take a genius to realise what's wrong. Who is overseeing all of this? The County Board ... and now I think they should resign."