Tipperary football chairman blames delay on Croker

Tipperary football chairman Joe Hannigan maintains a lot of the blame for the county’s delayed senior championship lays with Croke Park.

Eight months after it started, the competition will go on another week after Cahir and Loughmore-Castleiney drew yesterday.

After a fixtures pile-up caused by several factors such as the drawn All-Ireland SHC final, a decision was taken by the county board to postpone the SFC until the hurling campaign was completed.

Hannigan believes the lack of Tipperary representation in four provincial club championships has focused minds in the county, but still believes the GAA added greatly to their difficulties.

“What’s catching us out is that we’re fast becoming a dual county and maybe we haven’t taken cognisance of that up to now with the four divisions and what have you.

“It will mean we will have to plan better. We have 32 senior hurling teams and 18 senior football teams and we have to pare back those a wee bit to give a bit of space.”

“There were a few things from Croke Park that played a big part as well. They didn’t make the draw for the (hurling) qualifiers until after the Leinster semi-final and that was a draw and that really impacted on us. We could have played championship matches in the county in that time so they have to recognise that there are clubs involved as well.

“I’d lay a lot of blame on Croke Park’s table as well, to be honest.Yes, there was an All-Ireland final replay and we went well in the football qualifiers but we have to start looking at our club championships because they are the bedrock of our county teams.”