Wicklow cite dual equality for fixtures time pressure
County replies to criticism of football champions playing twice in 24 hours
GIVING dual players equal respect and time was among the reasons that led to time constraints for Wicklow GAA that forced their senior football champions to play two games in 24 hours over the weekend after their county final went to a replay.
St Patrick’s had drawn with Rathnew two weeks ago but with the replay fixed for last Saturday, it meant games in successive days for the champions with Offaly’s Rhode coming to Joule Park in Aughrim on Sunday. Not surprisingly, St Pat’s lost that match with their manager Casey O’Brien critical of the fixtures impasse.
Wicklow GAA bore the brunt of that, rather than the Leinster Council who held firm on the date and Wicklow issued a statement yesterday giving their side of the story.
“In a county where both hurling and football are treated equally, we do our best to plan our fixtures in a way that gives the dual club player the respect he deserves,” they explained.
“It is, however, impossible to legislate for all possibilities and if we had allowed for the possibility that both county finals could have ended in draws we would have had to start and to finish our senior championships four weeks earlier.”
Wicklow were knocked out of the All-Ireland football championship on June 9, giving them more than four months to complete their programme from that date. But with each club enjoying a minimum of five games instead of two under a new format, time pressure developed.
“Wicklow GAA senior team exited the All-Ireland championship on June 9. In the time between that and the start of the club championship the concluding stages of the county league took place (as requested by the clubs). Other inter-county competitions limited our opportunity to play the club championship any earlier. Our U-20 football team exited the Leinster Championship June 16.
Benefits
“From the start of the club championships in July football and hurling games took place week on, week off despite the challenge faced by Wicklow as a dual-code county. We also had to plan for the All-Ireland U-21 ‘B’ competition in July. A number of benefits accrued from the new fixtures programme. Inter-county players were available for practically all league games.
“The league started earlier and was completed in advance of the championship. The club senior championship was played off on round-robin basis with clubs guaranteed at least five games as opposed to two games in 2017. The county finalists got nine games. Contrary to reports, the unavailability of J1 Visa players did not hold up the championship.”
Games on back-to-back days over a weekend to stick to provincial schedules have happened in the past but with a more compressed inter-county schedule it was felt that counties would have more time to complete their programmes.
The Wicklow football champions were committed to playing in a firstround provincial fixture because of their early championship exit.
Elsewhere, James Costello has been appointed as Kerry minor football manager in succession to new senior boss Peter Keane. Costello, from the St Patrick’s club, has been heavily involved with development squads over the last few years.
Meanwhile, Sligo senior manager Paul Taylor will have Joe Keane, a former Mayo selector with Stephen Rochford, on board with him in 2019. Adam Speer, who worked with Jim McGuinness in Donegal, will be strength and conditioning coach.
Meath GAA has postponed its first house draw for two months to allow clubs more time to purchase tickets. Meath are aiming to raise €1.5m to help fund the redevelopment of Páirc Tailteann with three house draws in a 12-month period but have postponed the first draw, due to take place tonight, until December 29.
Chairman Peter O’Halloran said they had “underestimated” the time required for the first draw.