Dempsey fears ‘risky’ consequences of planned tweaks to hurling championship

FORMER Wexford hurler Tom Dempsey has expressed concern at the GAA’s move to expand the hurling championship with provincial leagues from next season.

A Special Congress timed for the end of September will debate and vote on proposals which will see Leinster and Munster play their championships on a round robin basis and a provincial qualifier run in tandem, featuring teams outside the top 10. The deadline for amendments to the plans passed last Friday with the Gaelic Players Association among those to propose small changes.

But All-Ireland winner Dempsey fears that some of the moments in this year’s provincial championships may not be replicated in the future and argues that “more does not mean better”.

The plans have, generally, been well-received so far so Dempsey’s views go against the grain somewhat. “If you have Wexford and Kilkenny next year and Kilkenny are not out of the Leinster Championship if Wexford beat them, don’t tell me you’ll see scenes like that in Wexford Park again or scenes like Cork and Tipperary earlier this year,” he said.

“If you take the knockout element out of the system, it’s a huge risk. You won’t have the same excitement.

“If it was the third or fourth game in the round robin or Kilkenny were through, you’d see 5,000 people in it,” he warned. “It dilutes the unique nature of knockout.”

Dempsey says he would welcome a better system but “doesn’t see this as it” as the number of hurling games increases by up to 11.

“On top of that is the shortened season that takes out September now. To me, there’s a huge PR factor in that. I don’t believe more is better. Whatever football is doing, that’s a separate issue.

“I do believe it’s a reaction to football. ‘Just because there is more football we need more hurling’ is the attitude. That’s not a reason to change anything. The championship has been very good in hurling this year. And also, lip service is being paid to clubs if you are adding so many more games.”

Dempsey also has his concerns about minor dropping from U-18 to U-17 and wonders if you will ever get crowds to an U-17 game like the 8,000-plus that were at the Cork-Tipperary replay earlier this month.