Fermanagh eye Croke Park trip

Details of the National Football League semi-finals will be announced later this week but Fermanagh have expressed enthusiasm about playing neighbours Tyrone at Croke Park rather than at a more obvious Ulster venue.

"It's everybody's aim to play in Croke Park so when the chance arises, you'd obviously hope that you could get the opportunity to go there," according to Fermanagh PRO Tommy Curry.

The new Croke Park has an average, break-even attendance figure of just over 32,000 and it will be one of the last tasks of the current Games Administration Committee to decide whether the two NFL Division One semi-finals could be played there - either on the basis that the GAA is willing to write off any loss to games promotion or that Fermanagh-Tyrone and Laois-Armagh can draw that sort of crowd between them.

Fermanagh's appearance at this stage is historic, as it's all of 68 years since the county's only previous experience of the league's latter stages. Ironically given that it was Mayo whom Fermanagh beat to touch off Cavan for the semi-final spot, the Connacht county overwhelmed Fermanagh 5-8 to 0-2 in the 1935 NFL final, played in Castlebar.

The other semi-finalists are more familiar with this stage of the competition. Tyrone are going for back-to-back titles, having won their first last year.

Previously the county qualified for the last four two years ago but were unable to play because of Foot-and-Mouth restrictions. Eight years ago Tyrone lost in the semi-finals against Derry, the same county that beat them in the 1992 final.

Laois and Armagh met in last year's Division Two semi-final when Laois were successful and also in the 1994 semi-final, won by Armagh. All-Ireland champions Armagh have yet to win the NFL although they lost finals in 1983, against Down, and two years later to Monaghan, managed then by the current, outgoing GAA president Sean McCague.

A year later Monaghan lost their title in the 1986 final against Laois who also won the very first NFL in 1926.

Closing dates have been announced for anyone interested in taking part in TG4's series Underdogs in which a group of unknown footballers from around the country will be coached to take on Dublin. Places are limited and only those with confirmed application dates and times will be seen by the management team of Brian Mullins, Mickey Ned O'Sullivan and Jarlath Burns.

Trial deadlines are as follows: Leinster - April 27th, Ulster - May 11th, Connacht June 1st and Munster - June 15th.