DEMANDS ON PLAYERS A CONCERN FOR GAVIN
implications the CCCC’S decision would have on the round robin format at the last eight stage of the Championship, where every team is entitled to one home game.
The statement concluded: “We are not attempting to do anything that contravenes health and safety regulations. We can cater for the fixture St Conleth’s Park and it will not cause undue congestion in Newbridge.
“As the management committee of Kildare GAA, we have a responsibility to our team management, players, supporters, sponsors, businesses and every stakeholder in Kildare JIM GAVIN is concerned that the GAA are putting professional demands on amateur footballers.
Speaking after the Dubs’ big Leinster final win over Laois on Sunday, Gavin (right) questioned the GAA’S new
Championship format and fixture schedule that leaves all the counties outside of the Super Eights on the outside looking in.
The eight counties involved will play three games in the All-ireland quarter-final series over four weeks. Dublin’s first game will be against fellow provincial champions Donegal at Croke Park on the weekend of July 14-15. GAA to insist that we be allowed fulfil the home fixture we are entitled to.
“And we are making it clear that we will not play this game in Croke Park.”
As of last night, however, the GAA wasn’t giving them any other alternative.
“The game has been fixed for 7pm in Croke Park and that is not going to change under any circumstances,” said Feargal Mcgill (left), the GAA’S director of games administration.
“If Kildare don’t show up in Croke Park on Saturday at 7pm the game will be awarded to Mayo.”
“I think every two weeks is manageable for amateur players,” said Gavin. “I think the hurling guys found it difficult to play the games back to back, and I can understand why.
“For an amateur player, a lot of our guys are working this week and if they were playing again competitively week in, week out in that type of atmosphere, it is demanding. “Obviously the GAA have a duty of care to the players and I’m sure they’ll look at that from a hurling perspective.
“So yeah, a gap of a week is fine. It gives enough time for players to recover if you’re a professional getting paid and not have to work in an office, you have lots of time during the day to recover.
“And that’s the big pitfall for the GAA’S amateur players, to get appropriate rejuvenation into the bodies.
“It’s very difficult if you have full time job sitting at a desk or working on a farm or whatever. I’m sure that’s challenging.”
The Blues boss acknowledged that the programme will ask different questions of his panel.
“It will, yeah,” said Gavin who was able to leave Cian O’sullivan, Kevin Mcmanamon and Colm Basquel on the bench against Laois, with Jack Mccaffrey and Paul Flynn
The GAA have a duty of care to the players
EOGHAN BAN GALLAGHER played a leading role in Donegal’s Ulster triumph and says the younger players are ready to step up when they hit Croke Park.
The Killybegs flier (left) scored the all-important first goal against Fermanagh which secured a first provincial title since 2014 and a place in the Super 8’s – with Dublin first up.
“The older fellas were dragging us along there for long enough and it was time for us younger fellas to step up and realise that we are a big part of the team,” he said. “We fell among those who came in as replacements. Cormac Costello scored four second half points when he was introduced.
“Thankfully there’s a great team ethic there and this team has demonstrated that whatever a player is asked to do for his county he’s willing to do that, whether that means play the full 70 minutes or seven minutes they do that. I know they will all do their very best.” well short last year and it was a tough place to be. But it’s great to be back in the All-ireland quarter-finals having gone through the front door and lifted the Ulster cup first.
“When you’re playing Dublin at this stage of the year you know you’re doing something right and it’s going to be very, very enjoyable.”
“You see the firepower we have up front, Michael Langan and Ciaran Thompson added to Michael Murphy, Jamie Brennan, Paddy Mcbrearty, the range of scorers now.
“It’s everybody’s job to attack and it’s everybody’s job to defend, everybody’s running the team.”