Antrim's footballers have hit out at their County Board in a strongly-worded statement signed by all 35 members of their squad.

According to the Irish News, the row relates to the on-off suspension of Matthew Fitzpatrick following an off-the-ball incident during the league clash with Armagh last month. The CCCC was unable to identify the player involved in the incident but contacted Antrim County Board, who allegedly provided disciplinary chiefs with Fitzpatrick's name verbally.

The St John's clubman was cleared at a hearing but has since been suspended again, with the players alleging that the County Board furnished the CCCC with his name in writing.

"We, the Antrim senior county footballers, are writing to you as a collective to voice our anger and extreme frustration at the recent decision taken by members of our county board," reads a letter circulated to all clubs in the county over the weekend and published in today's Irish News.

"This decision identified a member of our team for an alleged incident that occurred against Armagh on March 25, 2017.

"Croke Park officials issued an image of the alleged incident and requested the player to be named.

"County management and two members of the county board reviewed the image and it was agreed that the player could not be identified with total certainty.

"Subsequently, the player was then identified, without consulting county management. This resulted in a suspension which was later successfully appealed. It was only after the county board identified this player a second time that a second suspension was issued.

"As a result, the player in question could potentially miss the biggest game of the year against Donegal in the Ulster Championship.

"We find it unacceptable that not only was this player suspended as a result of information provided by our own county board but that there was no county representative available to accompany him for his appeal.

"We do not believe this course of action would occur in any other county.

"Unfortunately, as a team, we cannot stand by and allow this mistreatment of our team-mate.

"We feel we need to make our concerns clear to our county board that we find it completely unacceptable that any player who dedicated months of hard work and sacrificed many parts of his life to represent his county should be treated in this way and let down by representatives who are purportedly in a position of support.

"This decision will be contested again and we would expect full support from our county board in this matter. Faithfully, Antrim senior football team."

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