Tipp set to make late move to change potential football date

Tipperary could be set to make a late bid to try and move the date of their possible Munster senior football semi-final against Cork.

Last week, Tipperary manager Liam Kearns was extremely critical of the decision by the provincial body to move the date of that game from Sunday 3^rd June to Saturday 26^th May, just seven days after the quarter final against Waterford.

However, at last nights County Board meeting in Thurles, Hugh Coghlan, secretary of the Tipperary football committee, revealed that Liam Kearns had intimated that they would be open to the fixture taking place on Bank Holiday Monday, 4^th June, which they had initially ruled out as an option due to the negative impact it would have on the players in waiting over a long weekend.

County chairman John Devane explained to delegates that the issue arose due to the fact that the initial semi-final was fixed for 2.00pm at Semple Stadium on Sunday 3^rd June, at the same time the minor and senior hurlers would be in action against Waterford at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.

He added that the Munster Council were anxious that a county wouldn't be playing at two separate venues on the same day and with the Tipperary v Waterford hurling game tied in for live television coverage, discussions began over arranging an alternative date for the football game.

Both Cork and Waterford agreed on Saturday 2^nd June should the Deise upset Tipperary in the quarter final, as part of a double-header with the Cork hurlers against Limerick.

However, the same date wasn't an option for Tipperary as it would have meant giving up home advantage. Moving the game to Limerick to be part of a triple-header with Tipperary and Waterford hurlers was also suggested as well as the Bank Holiday Monday 4^th June or the following 9-10 June, but no agreement could be reached between both counties.

An alternative date of 26^th May put forward by the Munster Council was put to a vote at a meeting two weeks ago with 85% voting in favour of changing the date with only Tipperary voting to keep the game on its original date of June 3^rd which would have allowed 15 days to prepare, should they beat Waterford, rather than the seven they now have.

After Hugh Coghlan revealed that Tipp had a change of heart on the Bank Holiday Monday option, county chairman John Devane said this was the first inkling he had of movement from the Tipp management.

Tipperary's Munster Council representative Ger Ryan said another meeting of the provinces Competitions Controls Committee (CCC) wouldn't take place until early May, however “there would unlikely be any change to the fixture unless there was a joint proposal from both Tipperary and Cork,” he said.