Harry happy as no place like home for Crokes

THE county’s flagship stadium is only yards away from their clubhouse but for Kerry champions Dr Crokes, the opportunity to stage next Sunday’s Munster Club SFC semi-final in their own grounds in the Lewis Road is one that they will savour.

“It adds a huge amount to the match for us as a club,” admits manager Harry O’Neill. “You can see that this week, with the big effort that is being made by our club members to stage the game and make sure our place is looking well. There’s a lot that needs to be done to stage a game of this magnitude and you can see that with the amount of activity about the place all week.

“Of course we’re very familiar with Fitzgerald Stadium but it’s very significant for us to be able to play Munster matches in our own place. The game last year against Monaleen was a fantastic occasion and I think it’ll be the same next Sunday against Kilmurry-Ibrickane. The club championships are continuing to grow and I think playing these matches in smaller grounds creates a better atmosphere and players relish that.”