Carlow and Westmeath - Hurlin’ Balls Up
Talking Balls
Carlow and Westmeath have completely pocced the toys out of the cot at the suggestion that they might play the Christy Ring Final in Croke Park this Friday evening. And to be honest, who can blame them? They’ve now to make do with a Sunday throw in at Tullamore Offaly. ANd they’re demanding a explanation at the highest level for the cock-up.
Carlow chairman Pat Deering said: “We felt we were being downgraded and insulted with the Friday fixture. Being asked to play on the Friday night of a Bank Holiday weekend meant the logistics were far too difficult.
“We have demanded an urgent meeting with the Director General and the President to explain the situation to us, how we have arrived at this situation and why we had to go cap in hand with Westmeath to sort it out among ourselves.”
Croke Park officials claim that both counties were offered the option to play the game as a curtain raiser to the Dublin footballers Champioship Quarter Final on Saturday week as part of a double header.
Right enough it was a bit fanciful of the Powers That Be to suggest this would guarantee a full house for the Christy Ring - the only full houses ahead of a Dublin championship are the likes of Mahers and Hill 16 pub as everyone not in Cloud Cuckoo land knows. Have they not noticed that from time to time a Dublin match doesn’t start on time? The CCCC apparently also offered the two counties 7.00pm next Saturday in Portlaoise. Talk about the graveyard shift or what.
Carlow and Westmeath insisted that they would not be playing on a bank holiday Friday in headquarters. So. Just over 48 hours ahead of a Championship match we didn’t know whether the Final will go ahead or not. Sure these things happen all the time in other premier competitions like the Champions League, the Five Nations and La Liga. The two counties also denied any knowledge of being offered alternate dates for the match.
Surely the CCCC should be in a position to give reasonable notice of when a match will take place or not. The master fixture list made provision for the Christy Ring Final - on 2/3 or 4 August. It’s not a surprise after all that there are two finalists lookin’ to play the game. The CCCC knew there were four football quarter finals and a hurling semi final to be played over the one weekend - five matches in Croke Park over two days? Thurles may be an option yet for the hurling.
To be sure, this shows that despite all the platitudes, the Liam McCarthy is the only show in town as far as hurling is concerned. An the rest of you can take your sticks, sliotars and helmets and feck off.