Throw-in time gets a very mixed reaction

Reaction has been somewhat mixed to the GAA's decision to agree a 5.30pm throw-in time for Sunday's Allianz National Football League final between Kerry and Galway.

As expected, the Central Games Administration Committee (CGAC) announced the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick as the venue, having already decided against Croke Park for geographical reasons, while the later throw-in time is clearly to avoid a direct conflict with the Heineken European Cup rugby semi-final between Munster and Leinster.

Given the significance and interest in the rugby match, the CGAC felt it was only right to avoid the clash if possible. Munster's meeting with Leinster has a 3pm kick-off at Lansdowne Road, a start time decided a fortnight ago.

It was originally suggested the CGAC might put the league final back a week, but that was deemed impractical because of the already congested GAA fixture list at this time of the year.

According to Kerry county board chairman Seán Walsh, the venue is fine, but the later start time is unlikely to ease concerns about a low attendance: "I suppose we would have been a little happier if it was put back a week," said Walsh, "but it's set now for Sunday and we'll just go ahead and play it. We'd have preferred an extra week between the semi-final and final, because there is so much going on at the moment.

"We also assume the late start is because of the rugby match, which is obviously going to be a very big television game. From a support-base point of view, it's definitely better than a 3.30pm start. For us, I suppose 3.30pm would have been a better time to start. But still, I think we are talking about a very small level of support."

One of the reasons the CGAC took the game out of Croke Park was because of the concerns over the attendance given the geographical locations of the teams involved. Yet, it appears no matter where or when the final was played on Sunday, the attendance would have taken a hit. The decision to play the Division Two final at a separate venue also takes from what is usually an attractive double bill.

"I think we'd all be a bit naïve to think the rugby will not be a very, very big television match," added Walsh. "There's no point in saying otherwise. The CGAC probably had very little leeway because of the amount of fixtures that have to be played over the next two weeks, because if they'd pushed things back too much more they're running into the championship.

"But the fact is the last time Kerry played Galway in the league final there were 23,000 people in Croke Park. I think we'll be lucky to get 10,000 people to come along on Sunday."

The All-Ireland under-21 football semi-final between Laois and Cork will act as the curtain-raiser at the Gaelic Grounds, with a 3.30pm start, while the other semi-final in that competition between Mayo and Tyrone has a 1.45pm start at Breffni Park in Cavan, where the GCAC also decided the Division Two football final between Donegal and Louth would take place at 3.30pm.

Galway, however, can't have too many complaints about the staging of the league final when they know they're fairly lucky just to be there.

Incredibly, they were staring at relegation four rounds into the competition, with early defeats to Derry and Armagh and a draw with Laois meaning they had only one point out of a possible six from their opening three games.

It finally got better against Kildare when, with the sides level going into injury-time, Galway snatched a 0-9 to 0-8 win courtesy of a late, late point from Matthew Clancy.

They followed that with victories over Wexford, Meath and Down before securing their place in the final with last Sunday's hard fought win over Mayo.

"We have not won the league title in 25 years and for a team like Galway that is a bit of a disaster," said Galway football board chairman Pat Egan. "We have lost a couple of finals along the way to Kerry, but now this team are going into Sunday's game on the back of real momentum and renewed confidence which comes with winning pressure competitive games.

"There was massive interest around Galway in the game against Mayo and now people will be keen to make the journey to Limerick for this final because it's convenient enough. With winning comes confidence and right now you can sense that feeling around Galway, and I have far more confidence in this team than I had last year."

Kerry produced a 3-11 to 1-16 win over Galway in the 2004 final, played at Croke Park, to give them a record 17th league, whereas Galway's last of four titles came back in 1981, when they hammered Roscommon 1-11 to 1-3.

The GAA will be hoping that Galway's obvious desire to win the competition will help push the attendance up towards the 20,000-mark, and that the under-21 semi-final will also be well supported.

But if, say, Munster manage to beat Leinster at Lansdowne Road there may well be more people out on the Limerick streets than inside in the Gaelic Grounds.