All-Ireland winners Ardfert left Croke Park in disgust on Saturday night when some of the players' children were denied entry to the players lounge.

The Kerry champions had just scooped the All-Ireland intermediate club football title when they headed for the lounge for a pre-planned meal. When stewarts at Headquarters insisted that the children could not enter, Ardfert chose to leave with empty stomachs.

Club chairman Joe Wallace said the incident "put a dampener" on their magical victory and has called on Croke Park to issue an apology:

"When I arrived at the scene and realised what was happening, I said there wasn't a hope we were going in without the children," he tells The Kerryman.

"We're only talking about a handful of children here and to see them refused entry with their dads is totally unacceptable.

"These kids are 9,10, 11 years old and there was no question of them misbehaving. They just wanted to enjoy the moment with their fathers and they were refused.

"These children have been our good luck charms since the start of the campaign and have been at the side of the pitch in hail, rain or snow cheering their fathers on.

"There was no respect being shown to our players, management or children and so I pulled them out."

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