Let’s see if justice will be served in Connacht

THE contrite statement issued by Roscommon this week may well have been typed with rapped knuckles but the pain should be worth it.

‘Roscommon GAA fully accept the venue of the Connacht final will be decided by the Connacht CCC,’ started out their statement in what amounted to a public message from one Mayo man to another.

It was a direct response by Connacht chief John Prenty to Kevin McStay (right) after the Roscommon manager’s ultimatum as to where he expects the provincial final to be played in the immediate aftermath of last weekend’s win over Leitrim.

‘We’ll certainly be turning up in The Hyde. I hope someone else is there to meet us on the day. We’d be very, very absolute about that,’ said McStay.

He will be a little embarrassed should Sligo derail those plans – they have no home and away arrangement with the Yeats men and the final would be played in Castlebar.

That would also be the venue of preference for the Connacht Council for a Roscommon-Galway final to ensure that they maximise gate returns.

But natural justice demands that it must be played at the Hyde and logic does too.

If it comes to pass, it would mean a fourth Connacht final meeting in three years – including the 2016 replay played in Castlebar – and Roscommon’s expensively laid new pitch has yet to be roadtested on Connacht football’s biggest day.

It is reckoned that the Hyde’s capacity currently stands at 18,000, but with a little work that may be raised a little higher But even if is not, then it is sufficient. The average attendance in their last three meetings is running at 19,500 although 24,000 attended last year’s Salthill showdown. The integrity of a competition should not, as we have sadly witnessed in Leinster, be torched for a few euros more. McStay has made his stand, Prenty had his say but if justice is to have its day, there is only one place this can be played.