Mcdermott changes his outlook as Glens juggle live TV games
GLENTORAN’S Mick Mcdermott is the latest Irish League manager to hit out at fixture scheduling and the arrangement of games to suit live coverage on BBC Northern Ireland.
Mcdermott does not believe it is fair that his team have two Friday night matches coming up in succession this month, with the Glens facing Coleraine at the Showgrounds on April 16 following tonight’s meeting between the sides and having another Friday night fixture a week later at home to Larne — three days after travelling to Cliftonville.
Both Friday night matches will be screened live by the BBC, who have shown numerous Danske Bank Premiership games on various platforms this season, which has been welcomed by supporters unable to enter stadiums due to Covid restrictions.
Speaking to Glentoran’s Youtube channel, Mcdermott said: “We have Coleraine twice in three days — Tuesday/friday — so hard going but it’s hard for them as well.
“It’s strange they moved two of our games to Friday night. We’ve got Coleraine on Friday night and then Larne the following week. I don’t think that was fair on us, but Coleraine play us on Tuesday so I suppose we could say it is the same for both teams.
“The fact that we are playing two games on Friday night I don’t think is reasonable in terms of the BBC moving games but we’ll deal with it.”
In the most hectic Irish League season ever, Mcdermott’s comments follow criticism of some of the match scheduling from Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton and Crusaders counterpart Stephen Baxter.
Last month, Linfield manager David Healy called on the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) and BBC NI to select Friday night television games “in a proper manner”, feeling fixture scheduling had been unfair to his club.
What annoyed Healy was that Linfield, having played on the previous Tuesday evening, were forced to play two Friday night BBC games against opponents who had the midweek free.
Mcdermott was a pundit for BBC NI when Linfield faced Crusaders in one of those Friday night affairs and was asked about Healy’s complaint by presenter Stephen Watson.
Back then he said: “We’ve faced that as well where you play on a Friday night. It also gives you one more day’s rest when you play again on a Tuesday, so it sort of balances itself out. Our league voted to allow the Friday night games so I don’t think we can complain now.”
While the Glens boss may have changed his tune, NIFL maintain that “club representatives on the NIFL Premiership Management Committee voted unanimously to permit the scheduling of matches on Tuesday-friday in order to honour existing league broadcast contracts. NIFL officials have supported clubs and broadcasters to ensure as even distribution of games as possible.”
Meanwhile, Mcdermott has apologised for Glentoran not holding a minute’s silence to mark the passing of Prince Philip before Saturday’s league game with Dungannon Swifts.
Former Oval captain Pete Batey slammed the decision as a ‘disgrace’ and numerous Glens supporters blasted the club.
Glentoran lowered flags at The Oval, outlining that the club would write to the royal household to express its condolences following the Duke of Edinburgh’s death at the age of 99.
Mcdermott told yesterday’s Stephen Nolan Show on Radio Ulster: “Our decision was to have the flag lowered and send a letter of condolence. We now realise that was not enough and we apologise for not having that minute’s silence. We just never considered it and now we know it was a poor decision.”
Before tonight’s game against Coleraine at The Oval, there will be a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to the Duke of Edinburgh. There will also be a similar tribute when the teams meet again at the Showgrounds on Friday.