Waterford officials up in arms over match switch

WATERFORD GAA officials have slammed the decision of the Games Administration Committee to postpone Sunday’s Division 1B NHL game against Offaly to April 9.

Croke Park confirmed that with the exception of last Sunday’s postponed Cork/Wexford game (rescheduled for Sunday), all remaining games in the final round in the group (Cork v Clare; Offaly v Waterford and Down v Wexford) have been put back seven days.

Waterford secretary Seamas Grant said the board are “flabbergasted, disappointed and utterly disgusted”.

He said Croke Park contacted him Tuesday to discuss the planned postponement.

“When I contacted team manager Justin McCarthy he was furious even at the suggestion of a postponement, and we left Croke Park in absolutely no doubt that we would not favour a deferral of the game. Clearly the GAC made no provision for an eventuality such as last Sunday’s postponement of the Cork/Wexford game and now we are being made to pay for that lack of foresight.”

The Division 1B, 2 and 3 programmes will go ahead on Sunday as planned, while the Division One quarter-finals have been put back from April 9 to April 16, and the semi-finals from April 16 to April 23. The final will be played on its original date - April 30.

Cork, due to host Clare on Sunday, now travel to Wexford. Cork selector Joe O’Leary said: “There doesn’t seem to be much consideration for the players who now have to travel back to Wexford. It seems extraordinary that a set of fixtures can be changed around at the flick of a pen.”

Banner manager Anthony Daly believes a midweek game might have helped the fixture backlog.

“There could be the argument that we could have played our game on a Wednesday night under lights in Cork. But we were never asked. We would have been training on a Wednesday night and by playing the game at 7.45pm. It would give Clare people plenty of time to travel.”

O’Leary said: “We were not aware of that facility. We would have been interested but we were under the impression that the dates for the fixtures were set in stone.”

Down Secretary Donal McCormack, whose county were due to play Wexford, said: “These things happen. ... Nobody likes a change but we appreciate it is the best interest of everybody involved.”

Offaly secretary Christy Todd said: It is bit awkward for some GAA supporters in the county as the footballers are playing Fermanagh away on the same day. But at least we were playing at home and were not incurring any cost with regards hotel and travel. But the decision makes sense.”

See Results section for fixtures.