Council chairman wants to call time on late throw-ins

Brendan Larkin

Mr Fogarty will look to revert back to 3.30pm starts for provincial deciders once the present deal (of transmitting two finals on television) with RTÉ runs out.

“Late starts to finals are not in the best interests particularly for our patrons. Personally I would prefer the 3.30pm start and a delayed transmission of the second match.

“It’s something I will be looking for once the present contract with RTÉ comes up for renewal. The late starts cause far too many problems at the turnstiles where patrons arrive late, well tanked up with alcohol and then refuse to co-operate with stewards.

“After the recent Munster hurling final much debate centred on perceived overcrowding on the terraces. This perception stems from an unwillingness of late arrivals to disperse from the terrace entrance points.

“Despite the best efforts of both stewards and gardaí, a small proportion of those patrons, some fuelled with false courage through excess alcohol, can and do make life uncomfortable for the vast majority.

“I’m convinced that the late starts are a major contributory factor to these problems, and the late starting time is also unsuitable to many people who have other commitments to attend to on their return home.

“There would have been many Cork and Kerry people living and working in Dublin who would have been in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday for the football final who had to travel back to the capital very late. It’s a difficult enough journey to have to make at the best of times.”

Mr Fogarty said he was surprised at that pairing of Waterford and Cork in the All-Ireland SHC quarter-final, after the sides had met in Munster.

“The way the draw went on Sunday in Cork, there was a distinct possibility that Limerick and Tipperary could have been paired together which would have meant a third meeting between those counties in this year’s championship. Surely that is not right.

“If you look at the football draw, Monaghan and Derry were paired together in a qualifier, but because they had already met, a change was made. “Surely the same should apply in hurling where two teams who have already met. You can’t have one rule for football and another for hurling.

Referring to the future of the Munster senior hurling championship, the chairman said that contrary to views being expressed by TV pundits, there is no intentions to interfere with that championship.

“The Munster hurling championship is sacrosanct,” he said.