Qualifier throw-ins staggered to suit TV viewers

GAA chiefs have moved to accommodate TV coverage by staggering the scheduling of next Saturday’s All-Ireland football and hurling qualifier action.

The All-Ireland qualifiers began last Saturday with a 10-game programme with all bar one starting at 7pm, but this Saturday’s 10-game schedule has been spaced out.

RTÉ are to screen the Ulster showdown between Derry and Monaghan in Clones at 3pm, and later the hurling clash between Galway and Clare in Ennis at 7pm. TV3, who have the first pick choice of the football qualifiers, have plumped for the clash of Longford and Kerry in Pearse Park at 5pm.

“With two stations involved in the broadcasting, we have to cater for both,” explained GAA communications manager Alan Milton. “TV does dictate the timing of that matches in that regard when the CCCC fix the details of these games, and RTÉ and TV3 are not allowed to go head to head.”

A number of other variables have contributed to matches elsewhere being switched to the afternoon.

“The double-header in Wexford Park was brought forward due to a request from Limerick in relation to the distance they had to travel,” revealed Milton. “They wanted an earlier time than 7pm in order to facilitate Limerick supporters wishing to attend the game. So the hurling match is on at 5pm, and the Wexford-Roscommon football match was then moved to 3pm.

“As regards the Tipperary-Sligo game, the Munster Council have organised a number of events for Saturday in relation to their 125th anniversary celebrations with the Munster hurling final on Sunday. They wanted to avoid a clash so the football was moved to the afternoon.”

Meanwhile, it has been clarified that repeats of provincial ties are permitted in the football qualifiers but not in hurling qualifiers. In 2001, when the qualifier system was introduced to the All-Ireland football championship, three provincial repeat games took place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, Meath playing Westmeath, Tyrone facing Derry and Galway clashing with Roscommon.

The GAA did deem repeat matches to be unsatisfactory and ruled that two teams who had met in a provincial tie could not face each other again until All-Ireland semi-final stage. But the practice has been done away with and the current open draw system facilitated the pairing of Derry and Monaghan this weekend, just seven weeks after they met in the Ulster SFC quarter-final.

However due to the small pool of teams competing in hurling, repeat games cannot take place in the hurling qualifiers. The issue comes into focus on Saturday with the Phase 2 Galway-Clare, and Limerick-Wexford clashes. Victory for Galway means they will face Cork in Phase 3 on Saturday July 18 as they have already faced the other side in Phase 3, Laois, in the Leinster SHC in May.