Déise boss Owens predicts a close shave with Banner

THERE are many signals that the onset of championship action is growing closer.

As Waterford’s football team trained ahead of Sunday’s Munster SFC quarter-final against Clare in Fraher Field, manager John Owens detected another: the championship haircut.

“You always know it’s championship time when you see that,” he laughs. “Jim McGrath, one of our selectors and the elder statesman of our squad, got his early in the week. It was something I used to do myself when I was playing, getting the championship haircut before a match.