Support for club championship finish in calendar year

Players involved in Saturday week’s All-Ireland Club senior semi-finals support the idea of the competition finishing in the calendar year.

Dr Crokes’ Eoin Brosnan and Castlebar Mitchels’ Ciarán Naughton back the Football Review Committee’s recommendation, endorsed by GAA director general Páraic Duffy, to finish the competition before Christmas instead of the February semi-finals and St Patrick’s Day final.

“I remember Derek Kavanagh from Nemo brought a proposal to Congress that was shot down to have the All-Ireland brought forward by two weeks,” said Brosnan. “I was in favour of it as it is unfair on club players to be playing up to Christmas on bad pitches. You’d have to tighten up the inter-county season. From Kerry’s point of view, if they don’t make the National League semi-finals they have an 11-week gap until Championship. That’s something that needs to be addressed.”