PLENTY OF PROBLEMS
Hartley unhappy with calendar
FERGAL HARTLEY is ideally placed to judge whether the radical overhaul of the GAA calendar for 2018 is going to work. Brought on board by Waterford senior hurling manager Derek McGrath this summer, he bounced from the All-Ireland final defeat to guiding Ballygunner to a county championship and a place in Sunday’s Munster final.
He has a good idea of the various club versus county conflicts.
Declaring the month of April free for club fixtures next year is the cornerstone of an attempt to address the imbalance of a fixtures schedule dictated by the inter-county scene. But he thinks the overhaul by Croke Park doesn’t go half far enough.
‘I think the clubs and the club players are going to be the ones to suffer the most from this restructuring. I think it needs to go further. They are saying there is going to be a break in April but in reality, how many county managers will want their players playing two rounds of club in that period?’
Already, the likes of McGrath have questioned the practicality of it, never mind the wisdom of starting the National Hurling League in late January and playing the final under floodlights in March.
Hartley has a more radical solution which he feels will work far better.
‘I think it needs to be divided into a county season and a club season. A clean cut. If the county structure was revised so that you could play three club games early in the year, around April or May, that would be fine. But that’s not going to be the case.
‘What I see in some counties is that you’ll have one round of club. So take the Waterford championship. To win a Waterford championship you have to play eight games. If you play one round of club in April, it means getting ready for that round from January. Play one round, then the remaining rounds will be played late in the year.
‘As a result, I’d cut the season in two. Clubs then at least will know the season starts in late June, early July, something like that onwards. Unless the county gets to an All-Ireland final where you go until the first week of August. Then club players can prepare properly, know when to take a holiday.
‘A clean cut. Go the whole hog. Now we may be a bit away from that but that’s my view.’
That means bringing the AllIreland hurling final forward again from the earlier date of August 19 that is in the 2018 calendar.
It makes little sense that the winners of Sunday’s final between Ballygunner and Limerick kingpins Na Piarsaigh will have to wait until next February to play an All-Ireland semi-final. If Ballygunner are lucky enough to reach a St Patrick’s Day final, then county stars like All-Star goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe, Barry Coughlan and Mahony brothers Philip and Pauric will effectively be ruled out of Waterford’s entire League campaign. Getting the county’s home venue Walsh Park upgraded so that it is fit to host Waterford’s two home games in the new round robin Munster championship of 2018 is another priority, according to Hartley. ‘I don’t think our stadium is befitting our standing in the GAA. Of all the 32 counties on the island of Ireland, where would it rank? Certainly, down near the very bottom.
‘In terms of attracting crowds to games, I believe there is a correlation between the quality of the environment we have created. Look at Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the environment to go and watch a match — that welcoming environment has to attract people. Thurles. Ennis. Even our neighbours here in the south-east, you’ve Kilkenny with Nowlan Park, Wexford have Wexford Park. Look right throughout Munster — there is no comparison. We’re bottom of the pile.’
On Sunday at Thurles, his side face a Na Piarsaigh team on a remarkable 10-match unbeaten streak in Munster competition, a team bidding for a fourth title in seven years which would place them level with St Finbarr’s and one behind standard bearers Blackrock.
‘We’re realistic given the quality of the opposition.
‘From the outset of the year they would have been seen as one of the top teams in the country along with Cuala.’
The pick of Waterford being showered with All Star awards though says a lot about the current status of hurling in the county, Ballygunner proud to see O’Keeffe honoured. ‘Our club hasn’t won too many AllStars. It’s a great honour for the club, for Stephen O’Keeffe, and for the five lads involved. Thankfully, from a Waterford perspective, there has been more AllStars in recent years than the previous 30 years.
‘A huge boost for the county. And just reward for the efforts of the players throughout the year — they were heroic. We fell just that little bit short in the final.’
He just hopes Ballygunner can make some sort of amends.