TV3 to cover Cork-Kerry clash after replay moved forward

MUNSTER COUNCIL chiefs have agreed to play Saturday’s provincial semi-final replay between Cork and Kerry at an earlier time of 5pm to secure live television coverage.

In the aftermath of Sunday’s draw at Fitzgerald Stadium, the game was fixed for Saturday evening in Pairc Ui Chaoimh with a throw-in time of 7.30pm.

However TV3, who broadcast the game at the weekend, would be unable to show the replay at that time as it would go head-to-head with RTÉ’s coverage of the Leinster SFC quarter-final between Kildare and Wexford (7pm).

Broadcast agreements prevent the two stations from showing games simultaneously.

However after talks between the Munster Council and TV3 yesterday, the parties settled on 5pm for the start time. Munster Council Chairman Jimmy O’Gorman insisted that the decision was mutually beneficial.

“TV3 covered the game on Sunday, they wanted to cover it again and we wanted them to cover it again. But because of the RTÉ game we couldn’t put our match on an the same time, so we decided for the earlier start.”

He continued: “There are a lot of our fans who for one reason or another cannot travel to matches and we feel it is only right to televise games for them when we can.”

O’Gorman, who said the Council will be reducing ticket prices by €5 ‘across the board’ estimates that the replay will be worth between €250,000 and €300,000 for their coffers. He predicts a crowd in the region of 20,000.

Said O’Gorman: “The replay is not about making money for the council. This is a massive boost to us because of our commitments to clubs and grassroots projects throughout Munster. We pay out €1.6m which is 40% of our gross income from gates in development projects around the province. “We also have to account for issues like field rent and team expenses.

“So from that perspective, monies from a replay are most welcome.”

O’Gorman revealed that approximately 12,000 tickets were sold on the day of the drawn game which reflects a growing trend in the GAA.

“That is the way the world is changing. We had targeted a crowd of between 30 and 35,000 and I think we would have surpassed that if the weather had been a bit finer. On the day of the match we sold about 12,000 tickets. But we are geared up for managing that situation. Two years ago before a championship hurling game between Cork and Clare we had 17,000 tickets sold for the game by Saturday night. But over 30,000 were at the venue that day.

“We now have more ticket booths and facilities to deal with crowds on any given day at any of our venues. But we would appeal to people coming to games without tickets to come to the ground early and buy their tickets before they go for something to eat or drink.”

But the provincial chief, who heaped praise on the redeveloped Fitzgerald Stadium, insisted that club remain their primary focus when selling tickets.

“Yes and I want to make that clear. We make sure that the clubs get the best tickets. Those allocations are sent out early in the week those are the preferred tickets.”

Tickets available will be available today from the Munster Council website: http://munster.gaa.ie/