Carroll: Games need to be played on Sundays

Attendances at county championship games in Kerry can only be ‘maximised’ if they are played on Sundays, treasurer John Joe Carroll said at last night’s convention.

He was responding to former cultural officer Derry Murphy’s call for ‘a serious look’ at the presentation of games if they were to arrest a decline which saw gate receipts down €60,000.

Carroll stated they had no alternative but to fix games at weekends, pointing out that two quarter-finals were played on a Saturday this year and another was played on the day of the All-Ireland hurling final replay.

There are three new officers. PRO John O’Leary and Scór/cultural officer Leona Twiss were unopposed, while Ger McCarthy (Causeway) was elected hurling officer on the second count. Six candidates stood for election for the Munster Council and five counts were necessary before Christy Killeen (Finuge) and Joe Crowley (Laune Rangers) were elected. The other candidates were: Ger Doyle (Abbeydorney), Mike McCarthy (Milltown-Castlemaine), Diarmuid Ó Sé (Dromid Pearses) and outgoing hurling officer Joe Walsh (Kilmoyley).

Killeen was elected on the second count and Crowley defeated his Mid Kerry rival on a 112 to 104 count.

Officers: (*new): Chairman — P. O’Sullivan; Vice-Chairman — G. Galvin; Secretary — P. Twiss; Assistant — P. McTigue; Treasurer — JJ Carroll; Assistant — D. Lynch; Development Officer — T. Murphy; *P.R.O — J. O’Leary; *Scór/Cultural Officer — L. Twiss; Coaching Officer — E. Whelan; *Hurling Officer — G. McCarthy; Children’s Officer — B. Reen; *Munster Council delegates — C. Killeen and J. Crowley; Central Council — E. O’Sullivan.

* Chairman Patrick O’Sullivan reminded delegates that, in line with the decision taken at annual Congress, gum shields will be compulsory in all grades of football — in training and games — from next January.