Fitzgerald and Clare chiefs thrash out deal on club games

The scheduling of club championship games during the inter-county season has been thrashed out between Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald and the county board executive.

A full round of senior club games were played two weeks prior to the county’s first qualifier meeting with Wexford, a decision which irked Fitzgerald who moved unsuccessfully to postpone the fixtures.

The management subsequently invoked the 13-day rule to have four games called off the following weekend.

“The mickey mouse stuff that has been happening below in Clare for the last few weeks has been an absolute scandal. It is not right, it is not fair,” said the All-Ireland winning boss following the drawn encounter at Cusack Park.

The board executive and Clare manager met in the aftermath of the county’s championship exit, with chairman Michael McDonagh revealing the 2015 club championship featured heavily on the agenda.

“There will be no issue with the club championships for the rest of this year. The only competition now that could delay a round of the club championship is the U21 hurling.

“The 2015 championship was discussed and we have already looked into how that will be scheduled,” he said.

Fitzgerald will remain at the helm until the end of 2017 and McDonagh said patience must prevail in allowing the manager return Clare to hurling’s summit.

“There was never any debate that Davy wouldn’t stay on. He was given his three years so there was never an issue.

“Very few teams win All-Ireland titles back-to-back, but you would hope over the next two to three years we would be able to get back to another final. Patience is key here.”

Clare U21’s will attempt to complete the three-in-a-row of provincial titles when they play Cork this evening and McDonagh stressed the importance of maintaining a Banner presence in the hurling summer.

“You would hope the U21’s could get a win to keep Clare hurling going for another month. We just want to keep the show on the road. We have a lot of very talented young hurlers and they have to be nurtured and looked after. They have to be guided and we hope that is what we are doing presently. Another title would of course be great.”