Interesting times ahead

Wicklow LGFA plans revealed

TWO very interesting groups of three make up this year’s Wicklow LGFA Senior football championship that is scheduled to get underway on August 8.

With last year’s finalists, St. Patrick’s and county champions Tinahely, seeded it left Blessington, Baltinglass, AGB an last year’s Intermediate champions Valleymount in the drum.

Joining St. Patrick’s in Group 1 are Blessington and Baltinglass which suggests a very tough group albeit with the unknown quantity of lockdown bound to play a factor for all teams.

Facing the might of the defending champions will be AGB and Valleymount.

The top teams in each group will face off against the second team in the other for the semi-finals and all form would suggest that

Tinahely will face Blessington and St. Patrick’s will take on AGB but nothing can be guaranteed in this strange time.

‘Our championships are starting on the first week in August. They’re running straight through. At Senior level there are two groups of three, round robin, semi-final and final. The draws have been made with dates and all that. We’ve everything fixed. It’s just a matter of getting pitches now,’ said Leinster LGFA President Dominic Leech on Monday evening.

‘We’ve lost a couple of second teams but no big casualties. It’s all systems go at the moment. Obviously, a lot can happen in a month.

‘The Leinster club (championship) is going ahead. That’s from September 20 and finishes on October 10. Then tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7.30pm the draw for the championships are on. It will tell Wicklow the groups they’re in and the weeks they’re playing but we’re just waiting on the dates to see if Croke Park is free or not,’ he added.

With Bray Emmets regraded to Intermediate level it gives that championship a really competitive feel.

Group 1 sees Bray, St Patrick’s 2, Éire Óg and St. Nicholas face off while Clanna Gael, Tinahely 2, Baltinglass 2 and Clara will do battle in Group 2 with the semi-finals decided the same as Senior while the teams who finish lower down will meet to decide the Intermediate B semi-finals.

The Junior ‘A’ championsihp is anyone’s at this point in time with plenty of quality games to look forward to between the likes of An Tochar, Avoca, Newtown, Rathnew, Carnew and the second strings from Bray and AGB.

Lacken-Kilbride, Barndarrig, An Tochar 2 and Blessington 2 will compete for honours in the Junior B football championship of 2020.