Forbes calls for rethink on under-age players

OUTGOING Cork County Board chairman Jim Forbes believes that serious consideration should be given to confining playing activity at U-21 level to those aged between 19 and 21 and at minor level to players aged 17 to 18.

He did so in the context of the congestion of fixtures caused by “too many players being eligible for so many competitions”, at a time when the age profile of many club teams was being lowered.

It was not unusual, he said, to have many minor players and even U-16 players involved in adult club competition. It meant they were also playing at U-21 level and the end result was a fixture logjam which created major problems in completing competitions in time.