Cork legend Teddy McCarthy claims he was treated like a "bowzy in a nightclub" after he was refused entry to Croke Park before yesterday's All-Ireland football finals.

The former dual star, who is the only man in the history of the GAA to win All-Ireland hurling and football medals in the same year, was due to be introduced to the crowd as part of the 1990 Cork jubilee football team, just a fortnight after doing the same with his hurling counterparts, but decided to head back to Cork after an angry confrontation with security staff.

Billy Morgan, who managed Cork to back-to-back Sam Maguire Cups in 1989 and '90, stood in for Teddy and appeared in the team photograph taken on the pitch alongside the likes of Larry Tompkins, Tony Davis, Niall Cahalane and Conor Counihan.

Speaking to JOE.ie, McCarthy admits he lost his temper after being told to go to three different entrances, and not even a phonecall from former GAA president Sean Kelly could persuade him to return to Croke Park.

TRUE??? cork team 1990 honoured today but Teddy McCarthy wasn't there; Teddy wasn't allowed into Croke Park by a steward & he went away

- Damien Tiernan (@damienrte) September 20, 2015

"There was no explanation so then I got irked, I got annoyed, so I went away then. I went back down the road towards Cork and stopped along the way to watch the game," he explained.

"Sean Kelly and a few more rang me to tell me to come back in, everything had been sorted, but I was past the point of no return at that stage. It was quarter-to-twelve in the morning and they were treating me like I was some bowzy in a nightclub."

He continued: "They sent me in three different directions and finally sent me back to the first guy. I asked 'Who's in charge here?' and there was obviously something in my tone of voice. Things got a bit heated and they told me to come back in an hour.

"We each had a word and then the head of security came down to talk to me through the glass. I grabbed the ticket off him and yer man got irked by that.

"I won't lose any sleep over it but it was a bit annoying. I had a ticket and a luncheon ticket, what did they want me to do?

"I was there two weeks ago for the hurling final and I had no trouble getting in."

 

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