Championship in bother says Wicklow manager
WICKLOW senior football manager, Davy Burke, has spoken in favour of the GAA adopting a 32-county interprovincial open draw format for the All-Ireland championship, in the event that restrictions, put in place to combat the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, impact the viability of the current calendar.
Burke opined that we may not see any football matches played until July and that a straightforward, country-wide knockout draw would be an ideal solution.
Sport has been at a standstill in Ireland since March 12 when, in line with government measures to combat Copvid-19, the GAA issued a blanket ban on all activities until March 29.
That date has since been extended to April 12, while the GAA remain committed to completing the schedule in its entirety, including the remaining games of the national league.
Speaking to the Wicklow People, Burke said that he fully expects the moratorium to go further into the summer, and that a potential interprovincial championship would be an exciting way to rectify the inevitable struggles it would place on the fixture schedule.
‘I think that it would be brilliant, particularly if they went interprovincial on it,’ he said.
‘If Wicklow were to draw Monaghan or Cork or whoever, I think it would be a brilliant, novel idea for one year.
‘At the end of the day, people are craving football. People are mad for football at the minute. Anyone you talk to, they’re seriously missing it. I do believe that there is a huge appetite to get some form of championship there. A novel idea, like a 32-county open draw, would be class.
‘We’d be encouraging the GAA, if they were to go down that route, to give Division 3 or 4 teams home advantage. My suggestion would be that. We are all in this to play with the best players, to coach the best players, watch the best players.
‘I would love to see our lads being tested at a higher level to see how good they are and see how much they can improve and learn from it.’
With two games left to play in Division 4, Wicklow are still in the hunt for promotion. The Garden sit in fourth-place in the table; level on points with Wexford, whom they travel to play on the final day; and one point behind Antrim, who they are fixed to welcome to Aughrim in their next match.
When asked about the possibility of the league resuming and being completed in its current form, Burke said that he was sceptical of that being realistic.
‘I don’t see any football being played for the foreseeable. As regards the league and the championship, I have no idea whether they will be played, at all. Even the championship could be in bother, at this stage.
‘It will all come down to time. I believe that the GAA will do its best to keep the structure as is.
Ultimately, if we drag this into July – which I can definitely see happening – there is only one option: a 32-county open knockout. No draws, finish on the day.’