Tipperary clubs facing hectic schedule to avoid fixture pile-up

Several Tipperary clubs will play “more than once a week” to avoid a repeat of last year when the county were unable to compete in three Munster Club competitions.

The success of the minor football and hurling teams reaching All-Ireland finals has contributed to a fixtures logjam for the county, Tipperary secretary Tim Floyd has acknowledged.

A number of clubs games in both codes have been postponed as a result of the deciders against Galway this Sunday and Kerry on September 20, while there is a ripple effect for other clubs as they await on results of matches.

Tipperary secretary Tim Floyd says the success has caused “a bit” of a fixtures headache but they should have their six championships finished in time for Munster.

“We’re trying to get around it and it’s probably not as bad as it was this time last year. It’s manageable but it will probably mean playing more than once a week to get to the deadlines.”

Last year, Tipperary did not participate in the Munster senior football Club championship as well as intermediate football and hurling. At the time, the county’s difficulty in getting to grips with its new-found dual status, the structure of the county competitions as well as Croke Park’s Central Competitions Control Committee were blamed for the hold-up. The Tipperary football champions were to face Austin Stacks on November 8 or 9 but their final only took place on December 21.

However, there is unlikely to be as much pressure on the senior championships this year. Tipperary’s hurling representatives aren’t out until November 8 and the football winners on November 1.

Likewise, there appears enough time for the junior hurling and football champions who also don’t commence their Munster competitions until November 8 and 1, respectively. However, both of the county’s intermediate victors face provincial quarter-finals on the weekend of October 25.

Floyd says Tipperary must now be recognised as a genuine dual county after the exploits of their minor footballers and hurlers with eight of them in both Liam Cahill and Charlie McGeever’s panels.

“It’s hard to deny it,” he smiled. “The majority of people wouldn’t agree with that but it is. Getting to two All-Ireland football finals in the same year, it’s very hard to avoid saying that as well as after moving up divisions in football as well.”

Floyd confirmed Peter Creedon’s successor as senior football manager won’t be appointed until after the minor football final later this month. “There will be no announcements until the finals are out of the way.”