DAVY FITZGERALD GIVES BACKING TO HURLING REVOLUTION

DAVY FITZGERALD is a passionate supporter of change to the Hurling Championship format, favouring a round-robin system to rival football’s Super 8 which would offer more high profile summer games.

And he sees no reason to wait until 2019 for possible change. ‘We’re only three months into this year. We still have enough time to sort it out. Why not introduce it for next year? We should be talking about it now.

‘I have to say I liked the look of the model with a group within Munster and Leinster. And then a third group with the other counties who also have a chance in the MacCarthy Cup. That has a bit of something for everyone.

‘You have to have home and away as part of it. And I’d make it a guarantee that county boards get to keep half the gate. Because county boards are struggling with finances all the time. Having to go cap in hand to Croke Park is a load of bull.

‘There needs to be more summer games. It doesn’t have to have a negative impact on clubs. Weeks and weeks go by between games as it is. Play more games and run them off better.’

That model has been outlined previously in these pages and would see the top five in Munster and Leinster play home and away, in tandem with a third group of developing counties. It’s one option being seriously considered by the Hurling Development Committee.

The Wexford boss has long been a supporter of an expanded Division 1.

‘The only team to win an All-Ireland bar Kilkenny and Tipperary the last decade has been Clare. The sooner we wise up to that the better.

‘You can make the case about teams being left outside in a new league. There is a case that we’ve lost counties in more recent years who were established. Look at Offaly who last won an All-Ireland in ’98. We’ve lost them. Limerick, who haven’t won an All-Ireland since 1973. So we need to make counties that have a strong tradition in the Liam MacCarthy Cup strong.

‘I’d like to see a 10-team Division 1,’ added Fitzgerald.