It’s looking bleak for big crowds at sporting events in New Year

Inside Track with John McIntyre

THE goalposts keep moving when it comes to Covid 19. Just when we start thinking we are out of the woods, the coronavirus comes up with new variants to keep our lives dictated by the pandemic. It’s nearly two years now since our world began to turn upside down and, unfortunately, more tough days lie ahead.

The emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has Governments all over the world scrambling to reintroduce restrictions. The Dutch has its population back in a pre-Christmas lockdown; international travel has become compromised again; while people’s morale is probably as low now as at any time since the virus emerged.

Sporting organistations must be in dread of another lockdown in late December or early January if the transmission rates spiral out of control. With the GAA, FAI and IRFU having already taken a huge financial hit despite Government support, the prospects of weeks/months with no or restricted crowds again must be stomach-churning.

Maybe, it won’t come to that but with a trigger-happy Nphet still calling the shots, it’s reasonable to suggest that sporting crowds returning to normal remains a long way off. Already, only a maximum attendance of 5,000 or 50% of capacity – whichever figure is lower – can now go to an outdoor event, which is going to have a massive impact on upcoming race meetings and festive rugby matches.

Connacht, for instance, have an attractive home fixture against Munster on New Year’s Day, but under current guidelines, barely 3,000 will be allowed attend the Sportsground. There is also massive interest in Henry Shefflin’s opening fixture as Galway hurling manager in Ballinasloe in early January, but how many supporters will get into that game?

There used to crowds of 10,000-plus at Duggan Park back in the day, but venue modifications in the interim plus stricter Health & Safety limitations means not even half that figure would be allowed now – and then half of that number again. That Walsh Cup game against Offaly was certain to draw big interest from the east of the county, not forgetting the number of Offaly fans who would also like to see the match.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.