Waterford will fulfil fixture with Longford, pledges Grant

WATERFORD County Secretary Séamus Grant insisted last night that “come what may" they will fulfil Saturday’s fixture against Longford in the All-Ireland qualifier series.

Earlier, players’ spokesman Paul Houlihan told RTÉ that the side will not travel unless the game is transferred to a neutral venue.

However, Grant vowed that the game would be played. “There is very understandable anger within the county over the Games Administration Committee decision to fix the game for Longford’s Pearse Park on the toss of a coin,’’ said Grant, “but come what may, we will fulfil the fixture. We simply have to.’’

The long-serving county secretary said that a Waterford withdrawal wouldn’t serve any useful purpose in the long term.

He added that he had contacted Longford officials yesterday and requested that they agree to play the game at a neutral venue. “They were scheduled to meet last night to consider our request and I would be hopeful of a favourable response,’’ he said.

With Waterford one of the designated weaker counties, players and board officials expected a home draw.

They were also first out of the hat when the Longford fixture was confirmed, but not withstanding that, the Games Administration Committee members decided that there should be a toss between Fraher Field, Dungarvan, and Pearse Park for venue. Longford claim that they should have designated county status following their demotion from NFL Division One.

However, Waterford are without a Munster senior football championship win since 1989.

“While Longford were demoted from the top flight in the most recent league the fact of the matter is that they beat Kerry, and it is a scandal that we are now expected to play them in their own patch,’’ commented Paul Houlihan. Meantime, the Waterford teams to play Cork in the Munster junior football final and the minor football semi-final in a doubleheader at Dungarvan tomorrow night have been named.

The junior side contains four members of the team that won the All-Ireland final in 1999, including goalkeeper Alfie Kirwan, who was also the captain, and wing-back David Ryan, who kicked the last-minute point that gave the county a famous victory over Meath.