Clubs ready to take up place in the spotlight as fans return
A CONCERTED drive to ensure that the All-county Leagues and Club Championships across the province are completed as smoothly as possible is slowly but surely gaining momentum.
Following confirmation that spectators will now be permitted to return to games, albeit with certain restrictions — a maximum number of 400 at some grounds and 250 at others including match personnel in both instances — club managers and county board officials are setting out their stall for what promises to be the most intense period of club action for many years.
Normally, club leagues would be launched in March and with April having been designated as a ‘club-only’ month in the last couple of years, it meant that the club scene was already in overdrive with the onset of summer.
It’s all so different this year, though. Clubs had their first taste of competitive action just last weekend and now the plan is to step up the pace in a bid to make up for lost time while all the while remaining conscious of the Covid-19 threat.
Ulster Council CEO Brian Mcavoy has lost no time in issuing a forcible reminder in relation to the background against which club action will proceed.
“We must be mindful that there remains a pandemic in our community and we must take all possible measures to mitigate against its further spread,” stated Mcavoy. “It’s essential that GAA units organising and hosting matches must adhere to the Association’s and Executive’s protocols.”
With the Antrim Senior Football and the Derry Senior Hurling Championships beginning today and continuing tomorrow, there is every possibility that the upper limit of a 400-strong attendance, including those actually involved in the games, could be stretched.
Antrim football boss Lenny Harbinson is understandably anxious to resume his talent trawl and believes that the four games listed for today and tomorrow could provide him with food for thought.
“It’s great to see the clubs in action and naturally all county team bosses will be very much tuned in to what is happening over the next number of weeks. Clubs will be in the spotlight and the fact that spectators will be there can help to bring out the best in players,” said Harbinson.
His sentiments are enthusiastically endorsed by Tyrone chairman Michael Kerr, who says he “can’t wait” for the Red Hand County Championship to come round.
“The big thing is that we have established county players here in Tyrone who absolutely love playing for their clubs, irrespective of what they may have achieved in the county jersey,” stated Kerr. “That is very refreshing and shows what the GAA is all about. Our county team captain Mattie Donnelly, for instance, was delighted to return to the Trillick side last weekend after a long lay-off because of injury. I can’t wait for our Championship to come round.”
Armagh board chairman Michael Savage puts his cards firmly on the table in assessing the value of the Orchard County Club Championship.
“The competition yields something like £200,000 for us and this is not to be sneezed at,” pointed out Savage. “People flock to the matches and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the Covid-19 threat will ease further as we move along so that maybe more people will be permitted to attend games.
“For the moment, club league games will continue to hold the spotlight and while crowd limitations have been imposed, we will have to live with this.”
As clubs across Ulster strive to not only improve their status but also embellish their coffers after what has been a protracted barren spell, there is perhaps a touch of irony in relation to how the other half lives.
He may trade under the same banner as rank and file club players in Ulster but Dublin’s much-vaunted All-ireland-winning forward Dean Rock is unlikely to require any hand-outs in the foreseeable future.
One of the best finishers in the game and undoubtedly a class act when it comes to the noble art of free-taking in particular, Rock, amid quite a stir let it be said, has launched a solo project related to free-kicking sessions for those who fancy taking a leaf from his book.
Mind you, attempting to master the art to the extent that he has done comes at a price — €350 (£319) for two one-to-one sessions plus travel expenses, with further sessions coming in at €200 (£182).
And Bernard Brogan, Rock’s former partner in the Dublin full-forward line, has just released his autobiography, which is appropriately entitled ‘The Hill’.
Brogan, who has six All-ireland medals and is regarded as one of the most outstanding forwards to have graced the game, has always had a special affinity with the followers on Hill 16 at Croke Park.
“I always felt that I had a relationship with the fans and I have great memories of many special occasions in Croke Park. I will treasure great memories from my involvement with Dublin,” stated businessman Brogan.