Allianz ‘disappointed’ at timeslot for TV highlights

DONAL BOLLARD, of National League sponsors Allianz, has criticised RTÉ for not making more of the competition, describing the decision to run their opening weekend highlights show this Sunday at 11pm as “disappointing”.

RTÉ, who have no live broadcasting rights to the leagues, will televise a one-hour programme on round one action, which sees All-Ireland champions Cork face 2009 kingpins Kerry on Sunday and Dublin travel to Armagh’s new Athletic Grounds on Saturday evening. However, the national broadcasters will have live coverage of the FAI International Soccer awards this Sunday.

Bollard believes RTÉ are devoting too much time to rugby and soccer and not enough to the GAA.

“That’s disappointing,” said Bollard, Allianz’ customer relations manager about the late night broadcast of the highlights show. “RTÉ are very heavily committed this weather with the rugby and the Premier League but they’re misreading the situation.

“I’m a long time involved with these leagues and I think this year is going to be the biggest ever for the competition.

“The Dublin Croke Park initiative is going to be huge. I’ve met people who’ve never come to watch the Dubs playing and now their kids are dragging them to bring them to the matches.

“You’re going to get 50 to 60,000 people here and if the Dubs are winning you’re going to see a sellout for the last game in Croke Park. Pat Gilroy is committed to giving the league a good rattle.”

Bollard, who has already come out strongly against the leagues returning to an autumn start, has also revealed not one manager he has spoken to has committed to going all out for the league if it commences in October. “When we were sponsors with the leagues in the initial stages we never got worthwhile results. Like Kilkenny, Kerry or Tipperary, they’ll lose all their matches before Christmas. They’ll put out on half or a quarter of their first teams.

“Then some team might be going well and then the big boys will come out with their first teams after Christmas and destroy the league.

“I was talking to a few managers and none of them would give a commitment to having a go at the league if it was started in October.”

While supportive of some rule changes such as the sin-bin, Bollard is glad there is no tinkering with the laws of the game in this year’s league campaign.

Remarking on the rebranding of the competitions as the Allianz Leagues, he also expressed his delight with the insurance company’s name included in the title, akin to Heineken’s with the European Cup in rugby.

“It makes a huge difference. It’s been an ongoing thing for years.

“It’s been the Allianz National Leagues and various things but a sponsor’s point of view to get the name mentioned is huge because you need the media.”