Cooney believes lack of interest could signal end of Interpros

GAA president Christy Cooney has intimated the poor attendances at this last weekend’s Interprovincial Series confirm his belief the competition is dead.

Cooney stressed he didn’t want to prejudge the future of the games, which were revived this year after last being staged in 2009.

But he wasn’t surprised by the low crowds at the four games in the Leinster and Connacht venues and remains unconvinced by it being continued as he claims its been superseded by the All-Ireland club championships.

“My understanding is there were 300-500 people in Parnell Park, 1,000 in Nowlan Park, a very poor crowd in Sligo.

“Am I surprised? No. I didn’t see a great many people from Munster travelling up to Parnell Park. I thought there would be a better crowd in Sligo because it’s close enough to Ulster.

“The provinces did a lot around it, there were three launches, yesterday [Sunday] was a good day weather-wise. We said we’d review them after this year and see where it goes. The counties made a commitment that they’d run it for another year.

“Let’s evaluate it at the end of that and decide whether it should continue or not. I’m not going to make a judgement now in the middle of the process. We’ve two finals coming up and we’ll hear from the provinces and how it went for them.”

Even though a much-improved crowd is expected to attend next Sunday’s Interprovincial football final in Armagh, Cooney doesn’t see many supporters from Munster travelling to the game.

He believes the All-Ireland club championships have taken prominence over the Interpros in the GAA calendar.

“It is my understanding, and I stand to be corrected, that Leinster had no training session, that they just met the day of the game, that Ulster had just one training session and Munster had one training session,” he said.

“We’re talking about the interest and the profile... in fairness, it’s very difficult because we’re in the middle of the league programme, we have club championships, we’ve got qualifiers and so on so it’s very difficult to find a date for this.

“I have expressed my view on this, I felt the competition was dead, that crowds weren’t interested in coming to it and I still have to be convinced that it is going to be a remarkable success and that people are going to come back to it.

“I think the club championships have taken over from it. I was here at the club finals for intermediate and junior — we had 6,000 at both games, tremendous occasions. I was at the Loughgiel [v Na Piarsaigh] game at Parnell Park — another great occasion and great support.

“I think we’ll have 30,000 or 40,000 for the club finals on St Patrick’s Day, which will be another wonderful occasion. I’m not going to prejudge it, but I think it has seen its day because the fans aren’t coming to it.”

On the matter of speculation referees’ match expenses being cut to come into line with Revenue guidelines, Cooney confirmed the GAA’s director of finance and finance manager are advising county boards.

As a result, he hinted referees’ expenses may be affected.

He explained: “All that’s happening is we have had discussions with the Revenue, Tom Ryan and Cathy Slattery are around the country talking to counties discussing the issues that arose from Revenue and how it should be dealt with.

“If that means that it has to be managed in a different way, then that’s what has to be done because we respect the laws of the land. We have to work with Revenue to meet that challenge.”

Echoing the GAA’s stadium and commercial director Peter McKenna’s comments last November, Cooney believes the Association will be compelled to end its sponsorship ties with Guinness.

In relation to a Government report on alcohol and sponsorship, Cooney said: “I think it will eventually come to a situation where Government policy is going to be that drink companies shouldn’t sponsor sporting events.

“I think it might come to that — it may take a bit of time, but I think it will happen in the next few years. That’s a personal view and not a GAA view.

“I’m not too sure that the blame can be laid at the doors of the sporting organisation for the volume of drink that any person consumes.

“I’m not sure how much it influences [them] and I’m not even sure is there any research done to say that it does or it doesn’t. Guinness have been good to us as an Association, the brand has been good for us in the way that they have promoted our games and they have done it very tactfully and very tastefully.”