Criticism of decision to abandon open draw

THE decision to abandon the open draw in the senior football championship was slammed by former chairman Noel Walsh at last evening’s Munster Council convention at the West County Hotel in Ennis.

The man who steered the original proposal through, he said it was ‘a shame’ it was changed. And, while accepting the view of outgoing Secretary Simon Moroney that the decision had been arrived at democratically, he wondered if it had been decided the same way by the individual counties.

The old system had worked very well for the previous 17 years, he said, pointing to Clare’s breakthrough in 1992 and the fact that both Limerick and Tipperary each contested finals. “Irrespective of whether they won or not, they were given an opportunity that was not there for players for most of the previous 50 years.’’