SHIN GUARDS
Hurling’s Scottish cousin facing all the same problems as those in GAA
JUST like the GAA season, Shinty activity in Scotland ground to a dramatic halt in mid-march.
And just like GAA officials right now, Shinty authorities are asking themselves the exact same questions.
Like when will it be safe to return? How much tweaking to competition structures will be required if play does resume? And what will be the financial impact of the COVID-19 shutdown?
The two codes align each year for the annual Hurlingshinty internationals, which Scotland won last November, though this year’s series has been cancelled.
It was meant to take place in October but has been shelved in what will be the first break in the annual schedule since 2002.
The regular Shinty season runs from March to October so if teams are cleared to resume play, the main focus will be on completing their domestic campaign.
Shinty communications officer Aaron Duncan-macleod told Irish Sunday Mirrorsport: “It’s certainly our ambition to get some competitions completed but I don’t think it’s going to be possible to do so in the normal way, not in terms of a full season.
“In the Premiership there are 10 teams, they all play eachother twice so that’s 18 games. It’s usually one a week or along those lines so if we’re maybe getting back in August or September, and having to finish in October, there’s obviously problems there.”
Cutting the 18 games down to nine is one possibility, just like moving to a condensed format is under consideration by the GAA. Duncan-macleod said: “Yeah, potentially you could do that but even getting in half the amount of games mightn’t be possible for us time-wise at that stage. Our competitions committee are working through every possibility. There’s a number of cup competitions as well.”
Whilst hurling and football games could yet be played throughout winter, freezing weather and frozen pitches prevent Shinty from going beyond October.
There’s another glaring difference between the two organisations too – the amount of money both stand to lose.
GAA President John Horan has talked of a €50m black hole in the event of a complete wipe out of fixtures this year.
The two All-ireland senior finals alone draw in 165,000 people compared to crowds of often hundreds at Shinty games.
Duncan-macleod said: “Obviously we’re not getting 80,000 crowds like the All-ireland finals. We’re thankful to have sponsors that are quite dedicated. That’s one of our main sources of revenue and these are people that are committed for a number of years so we’re lucky to have that support.”
Shinty players have been keeping themselves entertained and their skills sharp with various challenges, shared online.
But as hurlers and footballers learned, keepie-uppies and toilet roll tricks soon wear thin and Shinty players just want their stick and ball game back.
As for the international postponement, confirmed last weekend after talks between both organisations, it was viewed as the only sensible decision.
Scotland had unveiled a new international kit earlier this year, part of a ‘five-figure sponsorship fee over the next two seasons’, according to one local report.
That’s a drop in the ocean compared to Dublin’s jersey deal with AIG which is thought to be worth around €800,000 per year.
Yet the bottom line is the same for both associations right now - frustration.
Duncan-macleod said: “Everyone is desperate to get back at this stage.”
THEY SCOT A CHALLENGE Scotland’s shinty players won last year’s hybrid series - this year’s is in doubt
It is certainly our ambition to get the competition underway but it isn’t going to be possible to do it in a normal way