Kelly: I believe we will have a championship
SEÁN KELLY believes the GAA will be able to stage senior inter-county championships later this year.
The former GAA president sounded an upbeat note on the prospects for a season, however truncated, at the back end of 2020.
“I think there will be,” he predicted. “Once we stick with the guidelines, I think we will flatten the curve, as they say, pretty quickly and get back to normality – and part of that is our games.”
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has led to increasing pessimism about the likelihood of any intercounty football and hurling this year.
Croke Park’s most recent public update, last Wednesday, said the GAA still “firmly hopes” to play county and club competitions this year, subject to public health guidance, but confirmed that no inter-county games are expected before October.
Confident
Kelly stressed the key consideration that players “are confident that everything is under control, and it can be done in the appropriate manner.”
But he added: “Not to have any games this year would be very hard for everybody. And especially if there are going to be games played in the United Kingdom and on the continent.
“So, I think we should be planning at least to be ready to go when we are given the go-ahead by the authorities.”
The GAA statement last week spoke of a “lack of appetite” across the wider Association for playing matches behind closed doors – but didn’t categorically rule out the possibility.
“I think it’s preferable to having no games,” Kelly ventured. “The earlier stages of a championship could be played behind closed doors but, as things improve, perhaps more and more spectators could attend. That’s how you’re going to get back to normality on a gradual basis.
“If you’re waiting maybe for full stadiums before you play your games, you mightn’t play any games at all.”
The Fine Gael MEP acknowledged the huge financial hit of having no gate receipts, which account for 49pc of the GAA’s central income.
“That’s a big consideration,” he accepted. “But again, I think the sooner you start playing some kind of games, the sooner you’re going to be in a position to earn income.
“If you play no games, then you’re going to be a long, long time without people who contribute – sponsors and you name it.
“So, we have to be planning
– to be in a position to behave responsibly but at the same time to avail of the opportunities that will present themselves as we move along.”
Playing contact sport in a world where physical distancing is the new normal remains the most obvious obstacle to any resumption of football and hurling, but Kelly is confident that the public health scenario can reach a point where it is deemed safe for players.
The Kerryman cited regular temperature checks as just one safety measure; he also referenced a conference call last week with Apple and Google concerning the development of a contact tracing ‘app’.
“If that was available, it could give a very clear indication of those who would be liable to have it and those who wouldn’t have it,” he argued.
“All those things are coming on stream pretty quickly, and they will all help us to get over the crisis and lift the various sanctions that have to be there at the moment – and get back to playing our games, hopefully soon.”