PETER Withnell last night said he is undecided whether he will ever return to Down football.
It’s thought the star forward left the panel last week because he was not sure of nailing down a place in the starting line-up, and he is now expected to transfer to a club in Louth.
The 30-year-old said he had left the panel of his own free will and would now be concentrating on his soccer career.
“It was my own decision to leave, I wasn’t put under any pressure from anybody to go,” he said.
“I don’t know if I’ll be back because I’ve had a lot of trouble with my knee, I’ve taken a lot of knocks these past few years with both gaelic and soccer and I need a rest.”
Withnell’s contract with Dundalk FC expires this summer and although he admitted he will probably need an operation on it this year, says he is open to offers from soccer clubs for next season.
The burly Drumaness forward submitted a transfer to club secretary Mickey Laverty last week but this could not be signed on grounds of procedure.
As is the norm for inter-provincial transfers, the Louth secretary must deal with the request and send it to Croke Park before sending it back to Down.
Down secretary Brian McEvoy said he was aware of the proposed move, but had not yet been notified officially.
Down (v Tyrone): C Sloan (Rostrevor), B Kearney (Warrenpoint), M Feeney (Banbridge), C McCrickard (Liatroim), C Boyle (Castlewellan), A O’Prey (Liatroim), L Doyle (Liatroim), C Ferris (Bryansford), A Carville (Bryansford), K Oakes (Downpatrick), C McCoy (Newry Shamrocks), PJ McAlinden (Burren), C Savage (Ballykinlar), A Fegan (Annaclone), A Devlin (Kilcoo) Subs: J Kane (Kilcoo), D Rafferty (N Shamrocks), P Hanna (Ballykinlar), J Turley (Killyleagh), M Doran (Longstone), E Magee (Rostrevor), K Polly (Kilclief), J Fegan (Clonduff)
CATHERINA McKiernan and Susan Smith have both been named in a talented Irish women’s team to travel to Lithuania for the Europa Cup on 6-7 June.
McKiernan, who recently won both the Berlin and London marathons at her first two attempts at the distance, will represent Ireland at 5000m. Smith, who reached the final of the 400m hurdles at the World Championships in Athens last summer, will run in the 100m hurdles.
In the men’s events Ireland have also selected a strong team including Tom McGurk at 400m, Niall Bruton at 1500m, Cormac Finnerty at 3000m, Nick Sweeney in discus, Terry McHugh in javelin and Antoine Burke in the long and high jump competitions.
Ballymena runner Paul Brizzell, who last year ran sub-21 seconds at 200m on a number of occasions and finished fifth in the European U23 Championships, will run at 200m and in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
Other local athletes selected are Finn Valley’s Charlie Gallagher in the 3K steeplechase and Sharon Foley of Lifford in the women’s high jump.
Defender Paddy Graffin will miss Antrim’s Ulster championship game with Donegal on Sunday week after tearing ankle ligaments at training on Tuesday night.
The 23-year-old Cargin player attended the Royal Hospital yesterday where it was confirmed he would miss the game, and possibly most of the season.
