McIntyre: GAA ‘ran scared’ on final timing

GALWAY hurling boss John McIntyre says the GAA “ran scared” when it fixed the NHL final for 7pm rather than the traditional mid-afternoon throw-in time.

To avoid a clash with the Munster-Biarritz Heineken Cup semi-final on May 2, Croke Park moved the NHL decider to an evening slot, but the change has angered Galway supporters.

Asked yesterday after the NHL clash with Cork in Pearse Stadium for his opinion, McIntyre said: “It doesn’t matter. They don’t listen to team managers up there in Croke Park, or the supporters. If the match is on at midnight in Madagascar, Galway are going to be there.

“The bottom line here is that we’re thinking of the supporters, particularly parents with young children. Seven o’clock is hard to justify, the timing of it. The GAA has to stand behind its own product. I think they ran scared on this one, because I have no doubt, no matter how many people are in Thurles in a fortnight at 7pm, there’d be twice as many if the game was on at half-three.”