SILENCE EMBOLDEN

Players may feel need to hide virus signs rather than deny county All-ireland glory

KIERAN DONAGHY fears players with Covid-19 symptoms could keep quiet rather than see their county thrown out of the Championship.

GAA president John Horan suggested last month that in the case of an outbreak affecting a team’s ability to fulfil a Championship fixture, then the competition would have to move on without them.

Feargal Mcgill, the GAA’S director of player, club and games administration, subsequently said postponements could only be granted where there was a 13-d ay w indow between games, though he was bullish such a course of action wouldn’t be required and the December 19 completion date would be met.

However, with Covid-19 case numbers rocketing in Northern Ireland and the threat of Level 5 restrictions looming in the south, optimism with regard to the inter-county Championships is becoming increasingly scarce.

Sky Sports launched their Championship schedule yesterday and Donaghy, one of their football pundits, believes the competition should be pushed into 2021 if necessary.

“I wouldn’t be going down the road of pulling teams out,” he said. “Is the All-ireland final going to happen on the 19th of December? I don’t think so.

“It’s serious. It’s coming back at us. We are trying to control it. We are trying to live our lives.

“You see even the news breaking out of Fermanagh today, guys are going to be close contacts, guys are going to get it, guys are going to miss training, are they not going to be selected because they missed training?

“This Championship is something where adaptability will have to be huge. I think players, management, even Sky Sports, we might have to change a game, or change a venue, or go somewhere else to cover a different game if a team gets it.

“Me saying now there’s going to be an All-ireland final on the 19th – I don’t think it’s realistic.

“I think if a team has a case and they have to go quiet for two weeks while people get tested and cleared, they should at least be allowed a week to build back up to a game.

“So, I think it’s possible you see games being put back three weeks here and there. I think everybody else will have to adapt to it and wait.”

Donaghy described removing teams from the Championship owing to an outbreak in a squad as a “dangerous way to go”, with the ex-kerry star expressing concern players might suppress symptoms of the virus rather than be responsible for their team being thrown out.

“What you have then is the possibility of a player hiding it, or not going to go to the manager.

“Every player wants to win an All-ireland medal, and if a fella is close to a medal, he could make a bad decision for the health and well being of the players out there.

“I would say it’s going to be a case of possibly moving games to here and there, and possibly adapting, and all of us adapting with it.

“I think you are going to have to adapt and see how we can get through this Championship as best we can.

“And roll on to something maybe next year that will be a bit s moother for everybody.”