APRIL FOOLS ON FIXTURES

TOP Mayo GAA chief Mike Connelly claims Croke Park’s plan to designate April as club-only month ‘is not working’, and has called on the GAA to shelve it in the future.

Connelly intends to raise the issue with GAA authorities next weekend.

“To be honest, we’re not happy with the situation,” the Mayo GAA chairman told club delegates, in response to a question from the floor about the availability of county players to their clubs. “Croke Park needs to acknowledge that it’s just not working.

“We now have a situation where we’re battling with our management team, we’re battling with clubs, and we’re trying to draw up a fixtures plan that can deliver games,” he added.

“If you take Galway, they’re not playing any Championship in the month of April, and that’s putting more pressure down on top of the organisation. You have a situation where certain counties have an advantage over another. It must be fair to all concerned. It must be.”

After last weekend’s round of club league games Mayo county footballers will not be available to their clubs again until Mayo exit the All-ireland SFC series.

“There has to be a level playing pitch for all. I will have the opportunity, and the forum, on the 28th of April to voice my opinion in relation to this, because it’s not working,” added Connelly.

“Croke Park have got to revisit it again.”