Weak minor ranks concerns Waterford official

A LEADING Waterford GAA official has warned that while hurling and football remain in good shape to face the future, the loss of so many young players who have participated at juvenile level and then fade away is a cause for serious concern.

In his report to tomorrow night’s annual convention of the West Waterford Board, secretary Anthony Walsh says that despite the extraordinary volume of work being done at underage level, they are losing more and more young players who never progress even to the minor ranks.

“The number of minor teams in our division has actually declined in modern times,” he says, “and unless the trend is arrested, and quickly, the future of the games will be far from secure.