Clubs vent over schedule reduction

There was a strong air of defiance by clubs to the growing squeeze on time to play club championships at the North Tipperary GAA Boards annual Convention in Ballycommon on Monday night.

With County Chairman John Devane and vice-chairman Joe Kennedy present, many delegates took the opportunity to again raise their growing anger over the reduced periods in which to play club championship games with as few as two weekends available in April next year despite the full month being designated for club activity.

Vice-President of the Bord Donie Nealon got the ball rolling by congratulating the clubs of the division for working hard in late 2017 to retain the divisional link with the senior hurling championship claiming it was “the backstop of hurling” and it must never be done away with.

He added the current plight of the clubs is being dictated to by the 5% of elite players while the 95% are being neglected and said the club championships should go back to running in tandem with the inter-county championships as they did upto 2018.

At the November county board meeting, it was disclosed that only two rounds of club championship would be played in April 2019 with the agreement of the Tipperary management teams with senior hurling on 7-8 April with football a week later.

“Only playing on match in April if this happens will be a disgrace,” said North Board vice-chairman Michael Tierney.

“We can't afford to lie down and take it. 95% of players will be idle for the summer. Don't take April of us,” he added.

 

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