DAVY SLAMS LEAGUE CALL
Wexford’s quarter-final game removed from schedule
WEXFORD SENIOR hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has hit out at the manner in which Croke Park has decided to complete the Allianz League.
The Division 1 quarter-finals have been scrapped, and the title now rests between Limerick and Clare as the winners of the A and B groupings respectively.
Prior to Friday’s revised Munster championship draw, it was agreed that if the two counties were pitted together, the game would double up as the Allianz League final.
And that’s exactly what happened, with their quarter-final clash on the weekend of October 24-25 also set to produce the outright winner of the GAA’s second most important competition.
‘It’s an unusual way to complete the National Hurling League,’ an annoyed Fitzgerald said.
‘It’s not the right way. The decision to have Limerick and Clare meet in a league final, once they were paired in the provincial championship, that is not a final.
‘We set out at the start of the year with a National League schedule. This is not adhering to the schedule. We started the competition in a particular way and it should have been played out,’ he added.
‘I believe Croke Park were premature with their decision. They had ample time to finish out the league as it would have taken just three rounds of fixtures.
‘We could have played midweek with ample grounds floodlit for quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, just three rounds of fixtures.’
Wexford were due to have a home quarter-final against Galway when the pandemic brought a sudden halt to all GAA fixtures but, like other counties with the exception of Limerick and Clare, they have been excluded from the remainder of the league.
‘We have those subsidiary competitions at the start of the year, both in Leinster and Munster, which could have been replaced with the final rounds of league games. Even early next year the league could have been completed,’ Fitzgerald said.
‘My own personal view is that the decision was very premature. There would have been no problem at finishing it up at the start of the year. Given the year we have had, it would have been ideal to start 2021 with the completion of the National Hurling League.’
Defending Leinster champions, Wexford, have been handed the draw from hell in the opening defence of their provincial title, with a semi-final clash against Galway.
‘It’s a very tough draw,’ Fitzgerald agreed. ‘Galway have been among the top teams over the past two to three years so it’s a daunting fixture but one we will be ready for.
‘It’s a whole different scenario, playing a provincial semi-final at the end of October. Everything will be so different, grounds will be more difficult, we do not know what the attendance base will be, there is so much unknown about championship at this time of year.
‘We will be back training September 14 and take it from there,’ he added.
Fitzgerald is now looking forward to the Wexford club championship. ‘The hurling will be played out over five to six weeks. We will also have the football championship. During the club championship I hope to bring the players in the odd time, for video analysis and a chat, but we are all looking forward to the club championship.
‘A few months back few expected a championship, so they should not be complaining. They should be looking forward to the games.
‘I want the clubs to give it a go. I won’t be telling any player not to play anything. I want the players to go out and enjoy the championship, play hurling, play football, they won’t have any hassle from me.
‘It’s up to the players. They will be making their own decisions and I’ll be one hundred per cent happy with that. I will not be stopping them.
‘It’s an unusual year but I’ve been delighted with the reaction of clubs. They know the high fitness levels of players going back to them, they are taking this all on board.
‘They are in tune with the players and their fitness levels, which is good, they will not be pushing them in the physical training.’
Looking at his squad, Fitzgerald said it’s not a closed-door policy. ‘My record shows that I always operated an open door policy even with Clare. I will be attending the club championship games, so if a player emerges he will get an opportunity. That has always been my policy.’
Wexford Senior footballers will resume playing activity with the completion of their two Division 4 league games against Limerick and Wicklow, where victories could see them push towards promotion.
Their first round championship game, with the competition on a straight knockout basis, is against Wicklow on Saturday, October 31, or Sunday, November 1. A victory would send them into a quarter-final against Meath on Saturday or Sunday, November 7-8.
THE WEEKEND of October 31 and November 1 has been pencilled into the calendars of Wexford supporters after plans for the newlook inter-county competitions, unveiled on Friday, were quickly followed by a re-drawing of the Leinster Senior hurling championship.
And it produced a repeat of the Allianz Hurling League quarter-final that never was, with Wexford and Galway drawn out of the bowl live on RTE by the provincial council Chairman, Pat Teehan from Offaly.
The game is due to go ahead on October 31 or November 1, along with the second semi-final featuring Kilkenny against the winners from the Laois and Dublin clash one week before.
And on that same weekend, the Wexford Senior footballers will take on Wicklow in a straight knockout Leinster championship quarter-final, with the victors advancing to play Meath one week later.
Paul Galvin’s team will only have one opportunity to advance, as the All-Ireland qualifiers – in place since 2001 – have been scrapped owing to time constraints.
In contrast, there will be a second chance for the hurlers if required. The winners from those semi-finals on October 31 or November 1 will meet in the Leinster decider a fortnight later.
One week before that, the All-Ireland qualifiers will begin, with two games featuring Leinster v. Munster pairings and involving four of the six teams that do not make it to provincial finals.
In a worst case scenario, if Wexford lose to Galway, they would feature in either round one or two of those qualifiers which are down for decision on November 7-8 and November 14-15.
In the event of a Leinster final defeat, they would contest an All-Ireland quarter-final on November 21-22.
In a best case scenario, if the hurlers were to enjoy a winning streak, they would be in action on October 31-November 1 (Galway), November 14-15 (Kilkenny, Laois or Dublin), November 28 (All-Ireland semi-final), and December 13 (All-Ireland final).
One notable casualty of the new arrangements is the knockout stages of the Allianz League.
The quarter-finals, where Wexford were set to meet Galway just a few days after lockdown, have been scrapped, but it was agreed that should the table-toppers in Divisions 1A and 1B, Limerick and Clare, meet in the championship, then the game would double up as the league final.
Conveniently, the neighbouring counties were duly drawn to clash on October 24-25 in a Munster quarter-final that will get the championship series under way with a bang.
It was also announced that the ‘finish on the day’ format, involving extra-time and penalties if required, will be introduced in all inter-county knockout games, including the All-Ireland finals at all levels.
Two ten-minute periods of extra-time will be played and, if still level, the teams will then proceed straight to penalties.
The Tailteann Cup, second tier football competition, has been postponed until 2021 but, in order to determine its participants, the inter-county action will return with rounds six and seven of the Allianz Leagues on the weekends of October 17-18 and 24-25.
Wexford’s two remaining matches are away to Limerick, originally fixed for Rathkeale, and home to Wicklow, although it remains to be seen if the Leinster neighbours will have a difficulty playing this match on the week prior to their championship meeting.
There will be no Allianz League Division 4 final, with the team finishing top after the seven rounds deemed the winner.
At the moment, Limerick lead the way on eight points, followed by Antrim (seven), Wexford, Wicklow and Sligo (six), Carlow (four), Waterford (three) and London (zero).
There will be an Under-20 hurling championship, played concurrently with the Senior equivalent, but without All-Ireland semi-finals.
Last year the beaten provincial finalists criss-crossed to play the winners, but this time around the two victors will simply meet in the All-Ireland final, while the losers will be out.
Minor hurling and football championships will also take place, on a straight knockout basis, but the All-Ireland series will not be played alongside its Senior equivalent.
The All-Ireland quarter-finals have also been scrapped and, should Wexford retain their Leinster Minor hurling title, they will proceed directly to the All-Ireland final as just one semi-final will be played. The draw, made in advance, will see Galway playing the Munster champions.
October 17 (week 42) U20FC semi-finals.
October 17-18 (week 42)
– Eirgrid All-Ireland
–
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 2A, 2B and 3B finals.
October 24 (week 43) – Eirgrid All-Ireland U20FC final.
October 24-25 (week 43)
–
Leinster SHC quarter-final: Laois v. Dublin; Munster SHC quarter-final: Clare v. Limerick (doubles up as Allianz HL Division 1 final); Christy Ring and Nickey Rackard Cup quarter-finals; Joe McDonagh and Lory Meagher Cup round one.
October 31-November 1 (week 44) –
Kilkenny v.
Laois or Dublin; Munster SHC semi-finals: Cork v. Waterford; Tipperary v. Clare or Limerick;
Carlow v. Offaly; Louth v. Longford; Munster SFC quarter-finals: Waterford v. Limerick; Tipperary v. Clare; Connacht SFC quarter-finals: London v. Roscommon; Mayo v. Leitrim; Ulster SFC first round: Cavan v. Monaghan; Ulster SFC quarter-finals (or November 7-8): Donegal v. Tyrone; Derry v. Armagh; Fermanagh v. Down; Christy Ring and Nickey Rackard Cup semi-finals and relegation semi-finals; Joe McDonagh and Lory Meagher Cup round two.
November 7-8 (week 45) round one qualifiers;
– All-Ireland SHC
Carlow or Offaly v. Kildare; Louth or Longford v. Laois; Westmeath v. Dublin; Munster SFC semi-finals: Waterford or Limerick v. Tipperary or Clare; Cork v. Kerry; Connacht SFC semi-finals: Galway v. Sligo; London or Roscommon v. Mayo or Leitrim; Ulster SFC quarter-final: Antrim v. Cavan or Monaghan; Joe McDonagh Cup round three (one game) Christy Ring and Nickey Rackard Cup relegation finals; Lory Meagher Cup round three.
November 14-15 (week 46) –
Munster SHC final; All-Ireland SHC round two qualifiers (two games);
Longford, Louth or Laois v. Westmeath or Dublin; Connacht SFC final; Ulster SFC semi-finals: Donegal or Tyrone v. Derry or Armagh; Fermanagh or Down v. Antrim, Cavan or Monaghan; Joe McDonagh Cup round three (one game) Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup finals.
November 21-22 (week 47) – All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals (two games).
November 21 (week 47) – Leinster SFC final; Bloody Sunday commemoration; Joe McDonagh Cup round four.
November 22 (week 47) – Munster SFC final; Ulster SFC final; Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U20HC final.
November 28-29 (week 48) – All-Ireland SHC semi-finals (Leinster v. quarter-final winner, Saturday; Munster v. quarter-final winner, Sunday); Joe McDonagh Cup round five (Saturday); All-Ireland Minor hurling and football semi-finals (both days).
December 5-6 (week 49) – All-Ireland SFC semi-finals (Leinster v. Ulster, Saturday; Connacht v. Munster, Sunday); All-Ireland Minor hurling and football finals.
December 13 (week 50) – All-Ireland SHC final; Joe McDonagh Cup final.
December 19 (week 51) – All-Ireland SFC final. All-Ireland SHC qualifiers: The six teams that do not make provincial finals go into the qualifier draw, with the first four drawn meeting in round one (November 7-8). This must include both defeated provincial quarter-finals. Two Leinster teams will face two Munster teams. One Munster and one Leinster team will receive a bye.
Round two (November 14-15) – Round one winners plus round one byes drawn into two fixtures, with repeat pairings avoided where possible.
THE ISSUE of Clonee GAA club not playing any adult fixtures in 2018 and 2019 was raised at the recent management committee meeting. It was agreed to make formal contact with the Gorey District club’s officials in order to discuss their plans for the future.