Teams adjust to stark reality of relegation battle

THE GAA explained the need to abide by their own rules yesterday with regard to Saturday’s relegation hurling play-offs. As initial anger at having to keep twice-defeated hurling panels together for possibly two more matches subsided, Antrim, Offaly, Clare and Wexford face the survival battle now upon them as Carlow, the recent winners of the Christy Ring Cup, are guaranteed the 12th spot in the Liam McCarthy Cup for 2010.

With their sole focus on preparation and then progress in their provincial competitions, the four management teams of the respective counties never considered the relegation semi-finals. Seemingly they weren’t alone as the Central Competitions Control Committee even sought the advice of management last week before setting the fixtures. This despite the new hurling championship structures being ratified a few months ago at congress.

“Antrim could still compete in the Ulster Championship but the rulebook states no team can participate in Leinster or Munster who isn’t eligible for the Liam McCarthy Cup, as things currently stand,” said GAA Operations Manager Fergal McGill.

His last four words leave the door ajar but the GAA are “obliged to follow the rulebook”, added McGill, with further consideration of any perceived flaws in the current systems to be made in the off-season.

However, McGill did highlight the difficulty in restructuring the recently-revamped (for the umpteenth time) hurling championship as it would take another vote at the annual congress and by next April the master fixture list will have been drawn up.

All four counties involved have condemned the current two-game relegation system with Clare manager Mike McNamara probably best summing up the mood last week.

“When you are knocked out of the championship you lose the ability to go to war.”

Whichever county loses the play-off final cannot take part in the Leinster or Munster championships next year; a retrograde, even disastrous, step for development within these counties as their standard of hurling will be dramatically hindered.

Antrim appear the most aggrieved and manager Terence McNaughton was “led to believe” they would be part of the Leinster championship at least until 2011. Along with Galway, they joined that provincial competition this summer.

“Hurling needs all the help it can get right now,” continued McNaughton.

“Antrim are one of the teams trying to make genuine progress but we need a few years at it to see can we improve.”

Any threat of the teams not fulfilling the fixture has been ruled out with Clare County Board secretary Pat Fitzgerald “surprised they (the new structures) came in. Sure, we didn’t support them”, but added they were “keen to work our way out of the situation.”

Wexford County Board secretary Margaret Doyle confirmed the hurlers would be fulfilling their match against Clare but refused “to comment on the relegation fixture at this time”.

GAA Fixtures

(Extra-time if necessary in all fixtures)

Today

Munster intermediate hurling, final:Waterford v Cork, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7.30.

Ulster under-21 hurling, semi-finals:Derry v Down, Casement Park, 7.30; Armagh v Antrim, Newry, 7.30.

Leinster minor hurling shield final:Carlow v Kildare, Dr Cullen Park, 7.30.

Saturday

All-Ireland Football qualifier:round three: Meath v Roscommon, Páirc Tailteann, 7pm.

All-Ireland Football qualifiers:round four: Kildare v Wicklow, Portlaoise, 7pm. Live TV3; Galway v Donegal, Markievicz Park, 5pm. Live RTÉ 2.

All-Ireland Hurling relegation semi-finals:Antrim v Offaly, Parnell Park, 3pm; Clare v Wexford, Portlaoise, 5pm.

All-Ireland minor hurling quarter-finals:Antrim v Galway, Parnell Park, 1.15pm; Wexford v Tipperary, Portlaoise, 3pm.

Sunday

All-Ireland Football qualifier:round four: Antrim v Kerry, Tullamore, 2pm

All-Ireland Hurling quarter-finals:Dublin v Limerick, Thurles, 2pm. Live RTÉ 2; Waterford v Galway, Thurles, 4pm. Live RTÉ 2.