McGeeney: lift Croker training ban
Kildare go forward to the Leinster football final next month having played all three of their games in provincial venues, unlike their opponents who reached the same stage with victory at HQ yesterday.
Croke Park chiefs accommodated teams playing at the stadium for some time after the reconstruction and new pitch were completed but have since stopped the practice for all GAA sides.
The ban does not apply to rugby and soccer teams however with pre-match runs catered for at all internationals, as well as the recent Heineken Cup semi-final between Leinster and Munster.
“We’d be hoping we’re going to get a bit of a training session to it because everybody else seems to be able to get a training session in there,” said the Armagh man.
“Someone will probably tell me no because we went to it before and we were told we couldn’t even walk on it, which was quite unusual, but hopefully we’ll get a training session in the next two weeks on it.”
Kildare’s semi-final with Laois was moved out of Croke Park for financial reasons, the reasoning being that Dublin and Westmeath would attract a large enough audience by itself.
“I’m not hiding this fact. We’d like the team to train in Croke Park. If it’s Westmeath that go through tomorrow they deserve the same chance. They say the pitch is not available for training which to me is...
“You’re not going to cut it up but I know we’ll be told, ‘They’ve played on it before, they’ll be alright’, but I hope things will change and that we’ll look after our own as well as other sports.”
McGeeney was more coy when asked about whether or not his players would be adhering to the boycott of TV stations advocated by the GPA for the upcoming Leinster football and Munster hurling deciders.
“I’m here to manage a football team,” said the former GPA secretary.
“If the GPA thinks it has something to do with the players and they make a decision, I’ll back them to the hilt.”
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