Fixtures ‘disappointment’

There is anger among football officials and supporters in Galway that this weekend’s senior All-Ireland qualifier game against Tipperary has been separated from the county’s minor Connacht championship clash with Mayo.

Supporters and the Galway GAA County Committee (County Board) yesterday voiced concern about the cost implications for supporters, the loss of home advantage for John Donnellan’s minors and the knock-on effect the decision will have on club championship fixtures that were due to go ahead on Sunday.

Since the start of the year, the Galway minor footballers were pencilled in to have home advantage in the semi-final of the Connacht championship to be played on the weekend of June 29 if Mayo beat Leitrim in the quarter-final, which they did.

When the Galway senior footballers were drawn against Tipperary in the qualifiers draw, and when they were handed home advantage, it was assumed that the two matches would be played as a double-header at Pearse Stadium this coming Saturday evening.

However, following London and Leitrim’s Connacht semi-final draw last Sunday, the Connacht Council – without consultation with Galway – decided that Galway and Mayo’s minor game will be the prelude to the replay.

They informed the County Board on Sunday evening that Galway’s minors would have to relinquish home advantage and play as part of a double header this coming Sunday at 1.30pm in Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon. The Galway seniors’ game with Tipperary throws-in at 7pm in Salthill on Saturday, as planned, and will go ahead without a curtain raiser.

The Galway GAA County Committee, representing both the clubs and GAA members in the county, issued a statement yesterday, saying it is “disappointed” with the decision to re-fix the fixture.

“Galway’s home advantage in this fixture has been forfeited, without any prior discussion or consent with the County Committee or county management team,” it said, adding that the Galway junior club championships fixtures for Sunday must now be postponed. The cost is another factor.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.