GPA to raise concerns over December games

THE Gaelic Players Association (GPA) are to meet with Leinster Council and members of the Central Competition Controls Committee tomorrow over concerns expressed at the fixing of O’Byrne Cup matches on two weekends in December.

Leinster GAA have fixed the games for next month, December 8 and 15, with the approval of counties, to alleviate some of the congestion problems that they ran into earlier this year due to adverse weather.

The O’Byrne Cup final had to be postponed three times between January and March, twice because of weather and once because of a deferred league fixture and with April set aside for club games it wasn’t played until the middle of May, two weeks out from the respective counties’ first Leinster Championship match.

Leinster GAA chairman Jim Bolger has suggested that didn’t suit the teams, coming so close to championship, and to avoid any repeat it was felt that an earlier start would give an opportunity to refix games to maintain a January conclusion.

But that has drawn an adverse reaction from the players’ body, now headed by Dublin footballer Paul Flynn, their new chief executive.

“The GPA are concerned with the precedent being set in scheduling early-season games in previous calendar year (this also happened last year),” a statement outlined.

“A number of squads have expressed concern to the GPA with the fixtures being played in December.”

“The GPA are due to meet with Leinster Council and CCCC officials to outline these concerns. The recent ESRI report found that 40 per cent of squads had no offseason which is clearly an issue.”

The first of last year’s O’Byrne Cup games were played on the last week in December last year. The third round of O’Byrne Cup fixtures won’t be played until the first weekend in January, 2019.

Bolger has also clarified the provincial body’s position on the refixing of Clonkill’s Leinster Club SHC match against Ballyboden St Enda’s last night which had been postponed because of the death of three-year-old Annabel Loughlin, daughter of club stalwart Enda.

Clonkill stated on Monday they were happy to play the game last night with Bolger saying they were open to pushing it back to tonight.