Canavan is convinced Ulster can lap up huge end of year bonanza
FEW players in the history of the GAA have been as lavishly decorated on a personal basis as Peter Canavan.
Two All-ireland gongs, five Ulster Championship medals and two National League successes represent his honours haul as the best Tyrone player of all time and, when these are complemented by a shoal of individual accolades including no fewer than six All-star awards, it all combines to shunt the Errigal Ciaran clubman onto a much more elevated podium.
Like the rest of us, Canavan has been a more than interested onlooker as the GAA has continued to steer a challenging yet practical course through the coronavirus pandemic to date.
Croke Park chiefs might not always have found themselves flavour of the month on occasions recently but they have nonetheless managed to provide leadership and guidance that has taken us thus far.
Now, as the shackles are loosened and club action is about to herald the resumption of a season that had earlier been deemed a non-event in some quarters, the forthright, highly articulate Canavan believes that the GAA can garner a measure of compensation both in terms of status and finance for the burden it has borne since the March lockdown.
“There is obviously a deep-seated yearning out there for a return to action and I think the GAA at both national level and provincial level has addressed this matter prudently and sensibly,” maintains the Red Hands legend.
“While the Ulster Football Championship is now to be staged in the October-november period, I don’t think it will suffer because of this.
“As a matter of fact, no matter what time of the year the Championship is played at, it will always retain its own appeal.
“We have seen Mckenna Cup games played in January in recent years at which there were very good crowds so I have no doubt that the fans will flock to the matches in this coming Ulster Championship.”
“I think it is worth bearing in mind that the top pitches are playable all the year round now, spectators can be housed in comfort and indeed facilities in general have improved, thus rendering attendance at matches all the more enjoyable.”
With Donegal already firmly focused on making it a hat-trick of provincial titles under Declan Bonner, Canavan not surprisingly sees their quarter-final meeting with Tyrone at Ballybofey as a mouth-watering affair.
“There’s no doubt about it, this will be a mega game,” contends Canavan (right).
“If the match had taken place as originally planned last month, Tyrone would have been without Mattie Donnelly and Cathal Mcshane but they will be back for the rearranged game later in the year.
“I would see this as a massive plus-factor for Tyrone. Maybe they were a bit inconsistent in the league earlier in the year but it is worth remembering that they beat both Dublin and Kerry and I have no doubt that they will continue to take heart from those performances.
“Having said that, Donegal have a good, well-balanced squad who have tasted a bit of success and will obviously be looking for more. They have the massive incentive of going for a third title on the trot and this, to my mind anyway, will undoubtedly drive them on.
“I think the fact that county players will be turning out for their clubs from next month on should ensure they will be in tiptop condition
by the time the Ulster Championship comes round so we should see football at its best.”
But Canavan is adamant that a rigid time-span for the provincial series must be adhered to.
GAA President John Horan has already indicated that should the provincial and All-ireland championships extend into the start of 2021, “this would not be a big problem” but Canavan, in common with the majority of managers, officials, players and fans throughout Ulster, is keen to see the competition completed before the end of the year.
“I certainly would not be in favour of seeing maybe the All-ireland semi-finals and final for this year carried over into 2021,” insists Canavan.
“I know that the games are going to come thick and fast but remember that, had the Ulster Championship gone ahead as scheduled in May, we would have known the identity of the semi-finalists after a fortnight of action because of the Ulster Council’s good fixtures planning.
“I see no reason why a similar time-frame cannot be followed later this year. I think it is imperative that the Croke Park authorities ensure that the All-ireland competition is completed in this calendar year. I feel there is a great demand to see this happen — all things being equal, that is.
“There is no doubt that the championship will build its own momentum in my opinion and it’s vital that this is maintained. If there were to be a break for Christmas, say, it could impact on the All-ireland series.
“I think it is worth pointing out here that when Tyrone won the All-ireland for a second time in 2005, we played no fewer than 10 matches.
“We certainly were not complaining because, in my opinion, those games helped to bring the team on and we became even better as a unit.”
Canavan accepts, though, that the teams with the stronger panels could thrive.
“Games may be played at a slightly slower pace and conditions may not quite be the same as in high summer but I believe that those managers who have strength in depth at their disposal could be in the running for success,” he says.