Kavanagh: Club pitches for club finals

NEMO Rangers defender Derek Kavanagh has called on GAA chiefs to review their system of selecting venues for major club games.

He insists ties should be played in compact grounds which help to generate a better atmosphere.

Kavanagh will feature for Nemo Rangers in Saturday’s All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final against Roscommon champions St Brigid’s but believes holding the game in the 50,000 capacity Gaelic Grounds is ‘illogical’.

Kavanagh reckons the success of holding last month’s provincial club decider against Dr Crokes in Mallow illustrates the benefits of smaller venues.

He explained: “For a provincial final in Limerick, not many people were going to go to it. I don’t know, it’s just a Cork thing, people don’t like going there. I just think club games should be in club pitches.

“When the Munster final was moved to Mallow it doubled the attendance because it was a closer and a more intimate place. I heard before Christmas when they were talking about Limerick not being playable due to the ice that Macroom were making a big push to hold it. They had a new pitch and would cover it with straw. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t being held in Macroom anyway because it’s halfway between Cork and Killarney, it would have been absolutely brilliant.

“The reason given was that the provincial championship final must have a stadium. But for what? If a county championship semi-final doesn’t have to have a stand, why does a provincial final need one?

“I can remember playing an All-Ireland semi-final against Charlestown in Nenagh in 2002 and there was a great atmosphere. We’ve played in Ennis and have had Munster club finals in Fermoy. They all stand out in my head as being great games because the atmosphere is what makes a game.”

“You’ll have 4 or 5,000 in a stadium on Saturday that holds 50,000. I know you want to give players the best pitch but there are plenty of good pitches out there, good stadiums, and a 10,000 capacity is fine.

“I don’t want to be giving out about it but it’s illogical really to be playing games like that in a big stadium.”

Kavanagh also believes that Cork should start hosting inter-county national league games in smaller venues away from their primary two stadia.

The 2010 All-Ireland medal winner cites Clonakilty’s complex in Ahamilla as a possible venue and recalls how Cork teams have been forced to play league games in tight club grounds like Scotstown in Monaghan and Kiltoom in Roscommon in recent seasons.

“I like Páirc Uí Rinn on a Saturday night, I think there’s a good atmosphere there with the lights. But I think Cork should be capitalising on other venues. If a team like Armagh or Tyrone comes down to Cork, they think they’ve broken the back on it, let them do another hour down to Clonakilty.

“That’s what’s happened us, we’ve been brought out to the back of nowhere. I don’t know why Cork don’t do the same. If you brought a game down to Clonakilty, you’d double your attendance straightaway because it’s the football stronghold. They should certainly be doing something like that. If you’re talking about promoting the games and getting more crowds to games, it’s the logical thing to do.”