Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
We lost our elite status because GAA didn’t put up a fight
BONNER DISAPPOINTED WITH COVID RESPONSE
WE JUST ROLLED OVER
DECLAN BONNER feels a knockout Championship is a direct consequence of the GAA’S failure to fight for elite status.
The Donegal boss believes Croke Park should have tackled the Government after it emerged in February that the elite status exemption had expired once last year’s All-ireland Championships had concluded in December. County training eventually resumed on April 19 but in the meantime the League of Ireland was well underway while, in rugby, the Six Nations had been completed and the Irish provinces continued to compete in the Pro 14 and European competitions.
Having lost some 11 weeks from the playing schedule, the GAA opted for a knockout Championship in football, saying that an extra three weeks would have had to be found to facilitate a qualifier system.
“That is disappointing to be quite honest,” said Bonner. “We came back last year and I felt the Championship was well run and it was well organised and then all of a sudden we have been told that we have lost that elite status. “League of Ireland soccer got back in three, four, five weeks ahead of us. I felt that there was no reason why we could not have got back in. There was no need for a knockout Championship.
“That backdoor should have been kept on because it is very difficult, we are going back and these guys are putting in a huge amount of work, huge amount of effort, huge amount of time for everyone involved and it can be a short season, it can be a long season depending on how you get on.
“I felt with the elite status the GAA should have put up more of a resistance to losing it to be quite honest.”
And Bonner (inset) says that the situation is compounded for Ulster counties given how competitive their provincial Championship is compared to others where the stronger sides have a relatively easy ride.
“The Ulster Championship is basically the only competitive Championship. That is the reality and you have any number of teams, four teams playing Division One football, Armagh, Monaghan, Tyrone and Donegal.
“We go into a mini-ulster Championship in the National League and then go straight into a Championship series.
“You have Cavan who came out of last year’s Ulster campaign so it is very competitive, it is the Championship.
“Is it a level playing field? It probably is not, no. Definitely not. I thought this year was an ideal opportunity to go with an open draw Championship, 32 teams, because there are going to be no gates, there is going to be no revenue coming in for any of the provincial councils so there was an opportunity to go the road of an open draw but that is gone and dusted.”
Bonner’s side open their League campaign against Tyrone in Omagh on Saturday in what will be their first exposure to the new playing rules, which include awarding a penalty for cynical fouls that deny a goalscoring chance anywhere inside the ‘D’ or 20-metre line and a fresh take on how advantage is applied.
“They are always tampering with the rules,” he sighed. “The way the game is going is spot on and I don’t see any need for the changes. I don’t see any cause for changing or tampering.
“That has been my story for the last couple of years.”
The League of Ireland got back four or five weeks ahead of us and that was disappointing..