GAA chiefs seek answers over Ulster replay controversy

The GAA has asked the Ulster Council to play the semi-final replay between Tyrone and Cavan this Sunday to avoid mayhem in the All-Ireland qualifier series.

Sunday’s drawn semi-final was immediately re-fixed for Clones on Sunday, July 3 – meaning the losers will be forced to play an incredible five games in July to try and reach the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals.

It’s a chaotic schedule facing the beaten semi-finalists.

The Ulster Council’s decision not to replay the semi-final this weekend was described by Tyrone manager Mickey Harte on Sunday as “unusual” - and GAA chiefs are known to be extremely unhappy with the delay.

It’s understood the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee wrote to the Ulster Council yesterday morning, seeking clarification as to why the replay is not taking place on Sunday.

It’s believed the CCCC has requested the Ulster Council bring the replay forward by one week because of the knock-on implications for all other teams on the ‘A’ side of the qualifier draw – a request that is likely to be declined.

The second Ulster semi-final between Donegal and Monaghan takes place on Saturday night in Kingspan Breffni Park, and although Clones is free on Sunday, an Ulster Council spokesman last night insisted a possible replay date of July 3 had been agreed between Tyrone, Cavan and the CCC months ago.

The loser of the Tyrone v Cavan semi-final is scheduled to play a Round 2A qualifier against Carlow on July 2, which has now been knocked back a week to July 9.

However that is the date of the Round 3A back-door games, meaning at least one of those fixtures will be moved back to July 16 which was supposed to be a ‘free’ weekend for teams on the ‘A’ side of the draw.

Counties who had scheduled club fixtures for that day may now be forced to abandon their domestic programmes.

The Round 4A qualifiers take place on July 23 with the two winners playing the Connacht and Munster champions on Saturday, July 30.