New York get help to foot replay bill

THE Ladies Gaelic Football Association last night confirmed they will provide financial assistance to the New York team which returns to Ireland for the All-Ireland Junior final replay against Wicklow.

The American outfit has already travelled across the Atlantic twice for championship games this summer at their own expense – once for their quarter and semi-final and again last week for the drawn decider against the Garden County.

The cost of returning for a third time is likely to be even greater again with players, management and officials looking to book flights and accommodation at such short notice and one estimate has put the final figure at €50,000. New York manager Philip Sheridan revealed before Sunday’s game in Croke Park that his team had already raised $25,000 (€18,537) towards costs since April while clubs had been asked to contribute a further $2,000 (€1,482) towards the trans-Atlantic flights.

New York, competing in the competition for the first time in 10 years, appeared to have done enough to claim the title two days ago but were denied by an equalising point from substitute Laura Hogan two minutes from time.

There is no provision for extra-time in finals under the rules of the LGFA and association chief executive Helen O’Rourke ruled out any suggestion that the game may take place Stateside as there is an understanding that all championship fixtures should be held in Ireland.

The intermediate final between Cavan and Westmeath also ended in a stalemate and it was decided yesterday that both games will be replayed on Sunday week although a venue will be confirmed today.

Meanwhile, O’Rourke has also expressed her satisfaction with the attendance of 20,061 which compared favourably with the 20,750 that took in Dublin’s defeat of Tyrone last year, the 21,606 that saw Cork beat the Dubs in 2009 and the 20,015 that took in Cork’s 2008 win over Monaghan.

“We were very happy with the numbers that came,” said O’Rourke.

“During the week there was a feeling that we would get somewhere between 15-17,000 and given the economic circumstances that would have been understandable because people don’t have the same amount of money now so to get over 20,000 was great.”

The CEO also declared herself to be satisfied with the standard of the championship in general even if, like in previous seasons, there were a handful of one-sided results.

“If you looked at our senior championship a few years ago people would say it will be Cork or maybe one other team would stand out. Now there are five or six teams that you would say at the start of the year would be in with a chance of winning it.”